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Stress-free weaning: reducing the pneumonia risk

The most common form of weaning in NZ is abrupt weaning. This is the sudden and complete separation of the ewe and her lambs, avoiding visual, auditory or olfactory contact after weaning. Abrupt weaning generates behavioural, physiological and immunological responses in the lamb, affecting their health and growth, increasing their susceptibility to disease and decreasing weight gain....

Diagnosing mastitis bugs with DairySmart

A wet spring won’t be helping how many cases of mastitis you’re seeing, which impact both production and upcoming reproduction, as well as being costly. We can help diagnose what bacteria is causing mastitis in your cows using our new Jupiter testing machines from DairySmart, now in the Winton and Gore clinics....

Eye disease in working dogs

We all know how vital working dogs are on farms. However, just like humans, these hardworking canines are susceptible to eye diseases. Here are a few common ones to watch out for: 1. Conjunctivitis: Often referred to as "pink eye," conjunctivitis is an inflammation of the lining of the eye and eyelid. When a dog has pink eye we can see redness, squinting, and discharge. Like in humans, conjunctivitis can be caused by bacteria or viral infection, allergies, or getting irritating things (like...

Pre-weaning drenching

To do or not to do? As always, it will depend on your farm system, pasture management and stock numbers. So, a quick chat with your KeyVet could help with deciding what will be best for your farm.  Many farmers will agree that giving lambs a pre-weaning drench will help boost their growth rates and lower their dag score, but, as drench resistance becomes an ever-pressing matter, we must constantly ask ourselves if every drench is necessary.  WormBoss in Australia has complete...

Are your boys up to the job?

Bulls need to be in top shape in order to achieve maximum success. Their body condition should be on target – BCS 5+ for dairy bulls and 6+ for beef bulls – and they should have adequate trace element levels (magnesium, copper, selenium and zinc). All bulls should meet minimum scrotal circumference targets for their age and breed prior to mating and should have sound sexual organs.  It’s also a good idea to check they have healthy, high-quality sperm to avoid any disappointment come s...

Staff farm focus: Breeding 'Minis'

By crikey did we have high hopes for these wee guys! We had obtained 20 straws of a Miniature Galloway bull, named Boris, to put to some cows with lower breeding worth (BW) values. The photos of his offspring were so Instagrammable, it was ridiculous!  At scanning time, we were stoked to learn that 13 were in-calf to Boris. These ladies got the royal treatment and stayed on grass most of the winter, and then had a calving pad basically to themselves.  The excitement for the f...

Good mating management

Achieving more days in milk from each cow by getting them in-calf earlier in the repro season and reducing empty rates, with the flow-on effect of reducing replacement rates, are just two of the ways that mating can create signification gains in efficiency.Reproductive success requires a year-round focus but, with mating imminent, it’s now time to ensure that your hard work pays off and you hit repro targets.Aim for these numbers:>75% cycling 10 days before planned start of mating (PSM);At ...

Minimising losses over fawning

As calving approaches, it is a good time to reflect on the peri-natal and post-natal losses that are happening on your farm, and prepare ways to reduce them that suit your system.  Perinatal and postnatal fawn death is one of the most significant sources of reproductive wastage on NZ deer farms. The following is a refresher on the main causes and corrective actions. For more detailed advice around optimal calving environments, visit the DeerHub. A list of possible causes incl...

Signs of facial eczema moving south

Facial eczema (FE) is a disease causing liver damage in pasture-grazing livestock that can result in reduced fertility, weight loss, lower milk production photosensitivity, sunburn and, in severe cases, death. Stock can contract FE when they ingest toxic fungal spores found in pasture. Typically, FE has been a problem for warmer, wetter parts of New Zealand and has yet to cause any issues in the lower south.Beef and Lamb NZ is part-way through a study looking into the prevalence of FE in Ne...

Stress-free vet visits: Preparing your pet

Getting any sort of treatment can be stressful for your pets, no matter how great our vets are!Travelling into clinic and being exposed to a new environment can also be challenging for some of our animal companions.  While we work hard to ensure your pets are at ease in-clinic, there are also several things that you can do to prepare them and make vet visits a more positive experience. Exercise before the visit If possible, take your dog to a favourite place, such as a park o...

Anxiety in dogs

Anxiety is a normal emotion experienced by all dogs from time to time.Some dogs, however, are more prone to experiencing it than others. If they display disproportionate levels of stress, there is a risk they may develop an anxiety disorder, which may lead to behavioural and other issues. Some of the most common causes of anxiety in dogs are fear, separation, and aging. Fear Fear-related stress can be brought on by different things, including loud noises, strange people, or animal...

Thinking about breeding your mare this season? What you need to know

A foal that you have bred of your own is a wonderful experience. Before your start the process you need to consider a few things. One of the first thing to consider is what you are breeding for? And when do you need to start? This may be a racehorse, yearling sales prospect, sport horse, or a kids pony. A yearling sales prospect breeder may want an earlier foal, but it might not be as important for a sport horse or general riding horse as they take longer to mature and perform at an older age.Ch...

Getting your foal off to their best start

Many people choose to send their mares to stud to foal down - a wise choice if you value your sleep at this time of year! If you are foaling your mare at home, there are a few important milestones that your foal needs to reach in the first few hours of life to ensure they are off to the best start they can be. Getting your foal off to a great start begins prior to the foaling event. Mares that have been previously vaccinated for tetanus should have a booster vaccine administered 4 weeks prior to...

Foaling red flags

Foalings are fast events that require preparation and an attendant always on hand. If something goes wrong, action is needed quickly due to the forceful, expulsive nature of a foal’s birth.The gestation period for a mare is 340 days +/- 21 days either side. If the mare is bagging up or dripping milk before this then the attendant needs to be prepared for a premature birth and the foal possibly needing supplemented colostrum.The following are red flags that if they should occur, call the vet im...

IgG in newborn foals - act early and save

It’s that time of the year again and we are faced with the sleepless nights, waiting on those all too important mares to foal. But what is ONE of the most important things to check within the first 24 hours of a foal's life? My answer to you is IgG.You may ask yourself - what is IgG and why are you telling me it's so important? IgG is a part of the blood and stands for Immunoglobulin G, which relates to antibodies.These antibodies are found in a mare’s colostrum, or ‘first milk’, an...

Newborn foal colostrum

Colostrum is the thick yellow ‘first milk’ that is produced by the mare's udder at the time of foaling. It is high in carbohydrates and protein, but most importantly it is absolutely packed with antibodies. These antibodies come from the mare’s bloodstream and become highly concentrated in the colostrum in the weeks before foaling. Foals are born with no immunity at all. They have an immune system that will produce its own antibodies but this takes time. As soon as they are born they are e...

Working dogs in spring

Feed for work performance  Dogs preferentially burn fat for sustained energy over prolonged periods. Pre-season conditioning with the gradual introduction of a high-fat, high-protein diet helps maintain good appetite and activates the metabolic pathways for using these energy sources.  There is a reduced incidence of muscle and joint injuries in dogs fed high-quality protein diets.  Keeping warm Having a warm, dry kennel and being fed a premium diet will mean t...

Animal health audits

Drug chart: We will email all details of Restricted Veterinary Medicines (RVM) drugs after your annual consult. Any RVM products not covered in this consult will be sold with a form providing the necessary information. Please let us know if you didn’t receive one. Animal Health Plan: OviGold members will receive an updated AHP after their annual consult, but we can do these for anyone. Dog dosing: We will have this on your AHP. If you do your own, remember to include these records.&n...

Managing mastitis in your flock

You’re a few weeks into lambing and just starting to get on top of your workload, when ewes start dropping their heads, or limping around the paddocks, and those bright, healthy twins they have are getting hangry. Sound familiar?Post-lambing mastitis in ewes is a common problem that could be costing you dearly. ...

Easier vet access to cow collar data

AllFlex has recently launched DataLive, a vet consultancy tool that streamlines data from their cow collars, allowing your vet to better analyse your herd data and engage with you about the information the collars are gathering.AllFlex collars have had two different systems for farmers to use: DataFlow (previously HeatTime Pro), which is very customisable but tricky for a third party like your vet to access, or SenseHub, which is less customisable but easier to access via a cloud-based site. It ...

Getting repro ready

This picks up on any “dirty cows” that have pus in their uterus and hence evidence of endometritis (a uterine infection after calving). Endometritis damages the uterine lining and leads to impaired fertility, which is why identifying and treating affected cows will help improve in-calf rates. We recommend all cows are metrichecked 10-14 days post-calving. For most herds, this means getting us out two or three times to pick up on different groups of cows (early and late calvers)....

What should I feed my pet?

Just like us, our pets need good quality nutrition to remain healthy and active. High-quality foods give them the balance of nutrients their bodies need and help them to have healthy skin and coats and a strong immune system. Conversely, nutrient deficiencies, or excesses, can lead to problems such as allergies, heart disease, kidney disease and other organ dysfunction. With so many pet food options available - ranging from budget ‘home brand’ options to specialty feeds designed for differe...

Rearing lambs

Here is a summary of conditions we recommend for best health outcomes for rearing orphan lambs.From day 1, the essential conditions and requirements are: Warm, dry, draft free and clean space!Fresh straw/hay and meal/muesli feed should be available from day 1.Tube 3 x 250ml colostrum feeds within the first 24 hours.If lamb is weak/comatose: inject dextrose into abdomen (this must be done before warming the lamb up), tube colostrum into the stomach and place in a warmer or under heat lamps.Spray ...

Gastroenteritis in your pet

Gastroenteritis is inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract (stomach and the intestines) and is a common condition in cats and dogs. There are many factors that can lead to the condition, including: Changes in intestinal floraA food allergy or sensitivityGastrointestinal (GI) ulcersForeign bodiesIntestinal obstructionGenetic disease or predispositionIngestion of spoiled or raw foods, or of non-food itemsViruses (parvovirus, distemper, etc.)Intestinal parasitesGI cancers Signs to look out for T...

Large breed puppy nutrition

Large breed puppies are prone to developmental orthopaedic disease throughout their extended period of growth and skeletal development. This is influenced by genetics, nutrition, and the environment - including exercise and trauma.Common diseases include hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, patella luxation (dislocated kneecap), osteochondrosis (skeletal disorders), panosteitis (growing pains), hypertrophic osteodystrophy (auto-inflammatory bone disease) and carpus hyperextension/ laxity syndrome (ex...