- Always check for a second calf: By now, the back has been broken on the calving season. We have attended a lot more calvings this year mainly due to a combination of over conditioned cows and very big calves. Regardless of the size of the calf delivered, it is always worth while putting a hand back in – to make sure there isn’t any tear, and to check for a second calf. After delivering a small Friesian calf from a cow a few weeks back, I checked for a second calf and found something very unusual. I delivered a spherical mass, slightly smaller than an O’Neills football. It was covered in hair and was attached by a little umbilical cord to the placenta. This relatively rare phenomenon is called an Amorphus Globosus. It is always found as a half twin to a normal twin. It is always round in structure, usually covered in skin or hair is made up of fat, soft tissue and occasionally bone. The other calf was perfectly healthy and the cow proceeded to pass the cleanings as normal. On the subject of twin calves, over 90% of heifer calves that are born twinned to a bull calf will be infertile. This is because in early embryonic development, the separate embryos can share the same blood supply. Even in the case of twins that seem to be in completely separate amniotic sacs, this statistic still remains the same.
- Immaculate conception: I was called to a cow recently that the farmer complained “was just not herself”. She was being fed for slaughter but was now very restless, not eating and was forcing considerably. I examined the cow in the crush and quickly found out what the problem was – she was calving! When I told this to the farmer, he replied: “That’s impossible”. Now, I’m often unsure of many things, but on this occasion, with my hand on 2 sizeable feet in the cow’s vagina, I would have bet what little I own and all that I owe, that this cows was definitely calving. We proceeded to move the cow to the calving gate and prepared for a caesarean. Almost ad-lib meal feeding for the previous month meant that the cow was too fat and the calf far too big for a normal delivery. I don’t think the farmer fully believed me until he saw the huge limousin bull calf taking his first few breaths on the ground beside him. He was certain he had seen the cow bulling on a few occasions about 3 months previously. The only way to guarantee if a cow is empty is to get her scanned. Regardless of signs of bulling or someone’s perceived ability to “eyeball” the cow and gauge her pregnancy status, scanning is the only definitive means of pregnancy diagnosis. Both cow and calf are doing well and all the other cull cows were scanned to avoid any more surprises.
- When is a scour not a scour? We have seen a lot of outbreaks of scour in young calves this spring. Compact calving, shortage of calf housing and changeable weather conditions have meant an increase in outbreaks of Cryptosporidium and Rotavirus. Almost on autopilot, at any call to a scour outbreak, the first port of call is to use the calf-side snap test to find the cause. A small sample is placed in the container, it is snapped into place inside a slightly larger one, and after a couple of minutes the result becomes apparent. I did this recently on a farm and the result was positive for Rotavirus. This immediately resulted in the farmer become quite unhappy. He had vaccinated his cows at considerable expense to prevent this virus causing scour, but now it seemed to him, the vaccine hadn’t worked. When I examined individual calves however, the picture became clearer. They were all running high temperatures, some had a nasal discharge and others had a “pant”. Scour was not the issue, it was in fact pneumonia. We see a lot of cases like this every spring. The high temperature and associated symptoms of pneumonia can result in calves having looser than normal faeces. Rotavirus can be found in even normal calf faeces, as they shed the virus with absolutely no harm to the calf. The positive result in this case was purely incidental and of no consequence. Nasal swabs yielded a positive result for RSV – a common cause of pneumonia in young calves. All sick calves were treated and a vaccine programme using an intranasal vaccine was implemented. A full audit of the calf shed was also carried out and recommendations were made to improve ventilation and drainage.
- A cake mixture or a cure?
I received a call from a very distressed famer as I was just about to head to bed one night last week. He had dehorned a bunch of calves that morning. All had seemingly gone well, but when he checked the calves just before he finished up for the night, he discovered one of them was bleeding quite badly. As is now a common occurrence, his first port of call for advice was the internet. He remembered seeing a problem similar to his discussed on a group forum, so he implemented some of the advice from there first. By the time he called me, he had tried some various home remedies but the calf continued to bleed. When I arrived I was initially taken aback by the sight that greeted me. The formerly red head of a limouisn bull calf was now covered in what can only be described as a cake batter. The calf’s eyes peered out through a gooey grey mix of flour, bread soda, cornflour and cobwebs (all old cures to stop bleeding apparently). He had even rang a woman who he had been assured had “the prayer to stop bleeding”, but to no avail. I washed the calf’s head clean, bandaged the wound and administered some antibiotics & pain relief, all while having a good laugh with the farmer, who was able to see the funny side of the scenario. The internet might be a good source of information, but it can be important to distinguish fact from fiction, especially when it comes to animal health.
- The forgotten cows: There are a few late cows left to calve on most farms. However, work outside has now kicked off – fencing, slurry, fertiliser and not to mention the AI season that is only just around the corner. The few cows in the cubicle shed that are near calving are almost forgotten about. They are fed at the end of the day and often, only glanced at over the feed barrier. Cows like these, tend to over-conditioned by the time they calve. Bags of pre-calver mineral tend to become scarce around yards in April and subsequently, vitally important mineral supplementation becomes hap-hazard. Every spring, we are called to more cases of milk fever and difficult calvings in April than in February. Often, the cow may be calving for a few hours before she is noticed. Even if a cow recovers from a difficult calving or from milk-fever, the knock on effects for the rest of the lactation are huge. There is a much higher risk of conditions such as ketosis, metritis and displaced stomachs. Also, milk yield will be reduced along with a negative effect on fertility. It is well worth being extra vigilant with the cows that are left to calve from now on. Check them at least twice daily, keep on top of mineral supplementation and ensure that they calve down fit, not fat.
- The cows are scoured – should i dose them again?
While TB testing a herd of Friesian cows last week, the farmer remarked: “I don’t think that dose we gave the cows worked, I think I’ll do them again”. He was referring to the fact that a lot of the cows were quite scoury. Their dung was loose and they had dirty tails. The cows had been treated for worms after housing and for fluke 8 weeks later. Naturally, the farmer presumed that loose dung was only caused by parasites and a treatment was needed. In this case, I convinced him to hold off on using any product until faecal samples were analysed. After a few days, the results came back as I suspected: no parasites. We see a lot of cases like this at this time of year. It is usually down to diet: The cows have been indoors on silage and straw and in a short few days, they are out day and night on a grass & concentrate diet. This dietary change, along with the fact that grass at this time of year can be quite low in fibre, leads to cows having very loose dung. This in turn can lead to cows developing SARA (Sub Acute Rumenal Acidosis) which has a negative impact on milk yield and fertility. A good indicator of this is milk butter fat percentage. If it is low, SARA is suspected. A lack of fiber in the diet at this time of year results in grass tetany being more common also. It is worth while buffer feeding cows for a few weeks post-turnout to prevent scour and other associated conditions. If you think your dosing protocol hasn’t been effective, always talk to your vet before taking action.
- “I don’t think this bull is interested in cows”
With the breeding season just around the corner, bulls are now being purchased to be used mainly on heifers and also, to catch the last few cows once Ai is finished. We routinely carry out Bull Breeding Soundness Exams, whereby a full clinical exam of a breeding bull is carried out, along with evaluation of a semen sample, to ensure he is fit for purpose. Last week I was called out to examine a bull that had been recently purchased. The farmer had left him with a cow in heat – just to make sure that everything was in working order. However, I was told that this bull had “more interest in the view of the countryside” than in the bulling cow. The farmer had tried various tricks, including letting his established stock bull serve the cow in full view of the new bull so as he would know exactly what to do. Unfortunately, the new bull was equally disinterested. When I examined the bull, it became apparent what the issue was: when he walked, he was very timid and uncomfortable. He wasn’t taking normal strides as a fit and healthy yearling bull should. On further discussion with the farmer, I found out that, on arrival on farm, he had tried to mount a bulling cow in the collecting yard and had fallen off. The farmer had put him into a pen to make sure he didn’t hurt himself. Unfortunately, he had already done so. An anti-inflammatory was administered and the bull’s ability to serve will be evaluated again in 2 weeks. This goes to show just how important it is to have any bull that is purchased fully examined. Even after that, they should be very closely monitored daily to ensure that they are fit for purpose. A bull that isn’t working, for whatever reason, can have a devastating economic effect on a herd.
- 6 feet away is better than 6 feet under
The arrival of Covid 19 has everyone on edge. We all know how important hand hygiene is : I don’t think I’ve ever washed my hands as often and all the teat wipes that we should have used at drying off are now coming in very handy indeed. The most difficult aspect I have found in a farming setting is Social Distancing. We have been told to ensure a minimum distance of 6 feet is to be kept between us and the nearest person and the farming community is rising to the challenge. Working smarter rather than harder has never been more important. As a vet practice, we are advising farmers to have any animal that needs attention to be properly restrained in a head gate before the vet arrives. Holding an animal with a nose tongs for iv injections has been replaced with a head collar and halter. Anyone over the age of 70 is being asked to not be present when the vet arrives. We as a profession are more than aware that, for a farmer over 70, we may be the only person that visits the yard on a weekly basis. This makes it more important than ever that the farmer isn’t present when we arrive. It has made life difficult in many instances, as extra help is hard to come by and the time it takes to complete a task such as small TB test or drip a calf can take twice as long as normal. I have found that the majority of farmers have been very patient and understanding at this difficult time. I’m confident that if we follow the guidelines and make every effort possible, we will get out the other side of this sooner rather than later.
