At the end of last year, VetSouth teamed up with LIC for two workshops in Winton and Gore about Johne’s disease. Local farmers at various stages of their ‘Johne’s journey’ joined some of our large animal vets and Kara Dawson – LIC’s Johne’s specialist – to learn about practical ways to control the disease and the testing options available.

We heard from farmers who have tackled high levels of Johne’s in their herd and managed to bring the disease under control. All agreed that controlling Johne’s is neither cheap, quick nor easy – but it is well worth the effort.

With no vaccine or treatment on the cards, controlling this disease involves testing your herd, culling cows, and preventing calves from getting infected.

The right control measures will vary from farm to farm. It’s all about being practical and pragmatic, finding the biggest wins for your own system. 

Completely eradicating Johne’s disease is probably unachievable, however the stories we heard from farmers during these events showed that it’s definitely possible to bring Johne’s in your herd down to a level where it’s under control and not pulling down productivity.

If you didn’t make it to one of the workshops, don’t worry, arrange a catch up with your KeyVet to make a Johne’s plan for your own herd.