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WORKING TOGETHER FOR A HEALTHIER FUTURE
SUMMER EDITION 2011
Livestock
MATTERS
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Inside this issue:
THE VALUE OF MILK RECORDING
We investigate the importance of milk
recording and how this can help improve
milk production and quality.
Infectious Bovine
Rhinotracheitis
A viral disease that affects cattle worldwide; we look at
how to recognise clinical signs and control the disease.
Ireland
EXCELLENCE IN PRACTICE
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model of how practices can work together, sharing the latest ideas and
passing on savings and joint expertise to clients.
Ireland
Invest in Health Don’t pay for Disease
The group comprises of a number of the foremost farm practices in Ireland.
With many years of combined experience, it is able to give expert advice
on all areas of farm livestock, health and production.
XLVets member practices are dedicated to providing a
high quality, cost effective service to their clients, to
support long-term growth and future prosperity within
the Irish livestock industry.
November 2010
www.xlvets.ie
Adare Veterinary Surgery
Donal Lynch Veterinary
Killenaule Vets
Ormonde Veterinary
Adare, Co.Limerick
Telephone: 061 396390
Tullamore, Co.Offaly
Telephone: 057 9354505
Thurles, Co.Tipperary
Telephone: 052 9156065
Kilkenny, Co.Kilkenny
Telephone: 056 7763630
All Creatures Veterinary Clinic
Glen Veterinary Clinics
Mulcair Veterinary Clinics
Riverview Veterinary Group
Roscommon Town, Co.Roscommon
Telephone: 0906 626898
Tipperary Town, Co.Tipperary
Telephone: 062 52992
Cappamore, Co.Limerick
Telephone: 061 381209
Bandon, Co.Cork
Telephone: 023 8841503
Avondale Veterinary Clinics
Glenbower Veterinary Group
O’Connor Julian Vets
Sliabh Luachra Veterinary Centre
Arklow, Co.Wicklow
Telephone: 0402 33744
Killeagh, Co.Cork
Telephone: 024 95189
Cashel, Co.Tipperary
Telephone: 062 61196
Rathmore, Co.Kerry
Telephone: 064 7758009
Clerkin Vets
Gortlandroe Veterinary Clinic
Old Church Veterinary Hospital
Southview Veterinary Hospital
Cootehill, Co.Cavan
Telephone: 049 5552777
Nenagh, Co.Tipperary
Telephone: 067 31016
Ballyshannon, Co.Donegal
Telephone: 071 9851559
Clonmel, Co.Tipperary
Telephone: 052 6121429
The Veterinary Hospital
Comeragh Veterinary
Kilmacthomas, Co.Waterford
Telephone: 051 294143
The future of agriculture needs a healthy industry, which needs healthy animals.
XLVets is committed to being a part of this healthy future.
Gorey, Co.Wexford
Telephone: 053 9421151
CONTENTS
SUMMER EDITION
XLVets is a novel and exciting initiative
conceived from within the veterinary profession.
We are all independently owned, progressive
veterinary practices located throughout Ireland
committed to working together for the benefit
of our clients.
XLVets Ireland
Member Practices
CONTENTS
DAIRY FEATURE
03 The value of milk recording:
Vet Willie Buckley, Riverview Veterinary
Group, investigates the importance of
milk recording and how this is a key
factor to increasing milk production.
REPORTS
Adare Veterinary Surgery
Station Road, Adare, Co.Limerick
All Creatures Veterinary Clinic
Lanesboro Street, Roscommon Town,
Co.Roscommon
Avondale Veterinary Clinics
Ferrybank, Arklow, Co.Wicklow
Clerkin Vets
90 Bridge Street, Cootehill, Co.Cavan
Comeragh Veterinary
Main Street, Kilmacthomas, Co.Waterford
Donal Lynch Veterinary
Killurin Cross, Killeagh, Tullamore Co.Offaly
Glen Veterinary Clinics
Blind Street, Tipperary Town, Co.Tipperary
Glenbower Veterinary Group
Clashdermot East, Killeagh, Co.Cork
Gortlandroe Veterinary Clinic
6 Church Street, Nenagh, Co.Tipperary
Killenaule Vets
Killenaule, Thurles, Co.Tipperary
Mulcair Veterinary Clinics
Dromsally, Cappamore, Co.Limerick
O’Connor Julian Vets
67 Main Street, Cashel, Co.Tipperary
Old Church Veterinary Hospital
The Mall, Ballyshannon, Co.Donegal
Ormonde Veterinary
14 Barrack Street, Kilkenny, Co.Kilkenny
Riverview Veterinary Group
Distillery Road, Bandon, Co.Cork
Sliabh Luachra Veterinary Centre
West End, Rathmore, Co.Kerry
Southview Veterinary Hospital
Irishtown, Clonmel, Co.Tipperary
The Veterinary Hospital
Arklow Road, Gorey, Co.Wexford
XLVet Ireland Ltd Registered Office at:
Dromsally
Cappamore
County Limerick
Tel: 061 381505
© XLVet Ireland
No part of this publication may be reproduced
without prior permission of the publisher.
Disclaimer:
XLVets does not necessarily share the views of
contributors. No responsibility can be accepted
for opinions expressed by contributors, or claims
made by advertisers within this publication.
05 Coccidiosis:
Donal Lynch, Donal Lynch Veterinary,
looks at this disease of the digestive
tract and how it affects different
species. Donal reports on the
signs/symptoms of the disease and
how it can be controlled by reducing
the risk factors.
07 Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis:
Tom Julian, O’Connor Julian Vets,
reports on the outbreaks of this disease
across Ireland and how to recognise
the clinical signs of IBR and prevent
the spread of this disease in your herd.
BREEDING FEATURE
09
Irish Cattle Breeding Federation
- The benefits of its database to
farmers and vets
Vet Padraig Duggan, Killenaule Vets, looks at how
the ICBF database provides farmers and vets with
on-going and updated information that is vital in
developing herd health strategies.
MILK RECORDING
ARTICLE BY: WILLIE BUCKLEY M.V.B.
River view Veterinar y Group, Bandon, Co.Cork
The value of milk
recording...
K
ilbrittain father and son operation Denis and Barry O'Mahoney are in
the process of expanding their dairy business. In recent years they have
expanded by increasing cow numbers and milk production.
They have built a new Gascoigne 24 unit
milking parlour and have built more cubicles
to accommodate their cows.
Veterinary Surgeon Willie Buckley
XLVets Practice
Riverview Veterinary
Group, Co.Cork
In the pit of the 24-unit parlour
Milk quality is one of the key areas that the
O'Mahoneys are focused on. They are
striving to ensure that their milk quality is kept
at a level that maximises milk quality bonuses.
A key critical control point is monitoring
each individual cow’s somatic cells via milk
recordings. The results are posted out to the
farmer and can also be accessed via the
Irish Cattle Breeding Society website.
Barry says ‘after we receive the herd milk
recording, we review our herd data. If any
problems show up we first identify the
problem cows, consider their past history of
cell count problems, stage of lactation and
their ages. We then, in consultation with one
of our vets Willie Buckley from Riverview
Veterinary Clinic in Bandon, Co.Cork,
consider our different options such as targeted
treatment, culling quarter, drying off etc.
We also consider if we need to do more
to prevent spread of mastitis in the herd.
Barry enjoying milking his cows
Vet Willie Buckley and Purchasing Manager
Tim O'Driscoll
Feeding of straw to cows in new shed
3
LIVESTOCK MATTERS
WORKING TOGETHER FOR A HEALTHIER FUTURE...
MILK RECORDING
‘We also monitor changes in herd SCC, as
the figures we get from the milk recording are
more accurate than the bulk tank SCC's as all
our cows are recorded. The ICBF records are
essential to our decision process; they give us
a perfect picture of each cow's history and
allow us to respond in a timely fashion to
the problems that arise with appropriate
treatment/prevention protocols.
Vet Willie Buckley says, ‘you cannot treat
or cull your way out of problems in regard
to milk quality. It takes a lot of time and
concerted effort to control milk quality. You
need to constantly monitor and assess results
to stay on top of it. Prevention of infection of
clean cows is the key to milk quality, trying to
play catch up after the cow has got infected
is getting more difficult.
‘We are getting our quality bonuses most of
the time but it takes a lot of extra effort. We
try to minimise cross-contamination in the
parlour. Cow comfort is also a focus at the
moment. When the quota goes every gallon
of milk that we spill because of milk quality
problems, will be money down the drain.’
‘There is not always a cure in the back of
my jeep. Getting advice on prevention is
essential. It is vital to build up an
understanding of what happens on each
individual farm so that you can try to
provide suggestions to the problems that
turn up.’
To get value from your
milk recording:
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Cows exiting parlour to new cubicle shed
Milk record at least every 6 weeks
Analyse your records when you
get them
Identify problem cows, then identify
the infected quarters
Set protocols as to when you need
to act
Monitor the responses to your actions
Review and adapt your prevention
and treatment protocols
Never assume that each case is
the same
O'Mahoneys’ new parlour and cubicle shed
O'Mahoneys’ new cubicle shed
SUMMER 2011 ISSUE
LIVESTOCK MATTERS
4
COCCIDIOSIS
D O N A L LY N C H M . V. B .
Coccidiosis
Once a calf is showing clinical signs they are shedding
millions of infective oocysts into the environment. We
also need to treat the environment.
C
occidiosis is a disease of the digestive tract. It affects several different
species including cattle, pigs and sheep. In this article we will
concentrate on the disease in cattle. However the details discussed
here could apply to most other species. Coccidiosis as a disease is usually
seen in young animals i.e. calves, lambs and piglets.
Coccidiosis is caused by a single cell parasite
that attacks the lining of the digestive tract. The
parasite is ingested by a calf and multiplies in
the cells that line the walls of the intestine. It
then escapes from these cells and is passed as
an oocyst (a cell in a protective capsule) in the
calf's faeces. These oocysts are then eaten by
another calf and the cycle starts again. The
cycle from ingestion to excreting infective
oocysts takes about 3 weeks.
Veterinary Surgeon Donal Lynch
XLVets Practice
Donal Lynch Veterinary,
Tullamore, Co.Offaly
The symptoms in calves vary from a quite mild
scour to cases of severe scour with blood and
mucus in the diarrhoea and straining that can
result in prolapse of the rectum. The symptoms
of the disease are caused by the damage that
the parasite does to the wall of the intestine.
Signs/symptoms of
Coccidiosis:
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Loss of appetite
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Reduced feed intake
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Retarded growth
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Dehydration
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Secondary infections
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Watery diarrhoea, sometimes
accompanied by blood and or mucus.
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Straining
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Death (in severe cases)
Young calves are most susceptible to coccidiosis
Suckler cattle can also be affected, even at pasture
5
LIVESTOCK MATTERS
WORKING TOGETHER FOR A HEALTHIER FUTURE...
COCCIDIOSIS
Intensively reared calves are more prone
to coccidiosis
The incidence of the disease has increased
dramatically in recent years and this has been
associated with the increased stocking density
on both suckler and dairy farms across the
country. We see the disease in several
different management groups on farms now.
Some of the management groups
where we see Coccidiosis:
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Dairy calves
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Suckler calves
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Bought in calves for rearing
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Replacement heifers
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Suckler calves at grass
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Weaned sucklers
Affected calves will be dull, not thriving and scoury
If one suspects Coccidiosis as a cause of
disease it can be confirmed by sending
faecal samples to the lab to check for the
presence of coccidial oocysts. One should
take samples from several calves within the
group to increase the detection accuracy,
remembering that the calf showing clinical
signs is usually only the tip of the iceberg
and several in contact animals are also likely
to be affected.
Control
We can control Coccidiosis by reducing
the risk factors that contribute to the disease
and by reducing the numbers of coccidial
oocysts in the environment.
To reduce the number of oocysts in the
environment we need to treat infected
calves as early as possible. Ideally calves
should be treated a number of weeks
before they show clinical signs. Once a
calf is showing clinical signs they are
shedding millions of infective oocysts into
the environment. We also need to treat
the environment. Hygiene is extremely
important so pens should be washed
and disinfected with a suitable disinfectant
between batches. Coccidial oocysts are
resistant to most disinfectants so ensure the
disinfectant you use is appropriate.
The risk factors for
Coccidiosis are:
Extreme cases of coccidiosis can
result in rectal prolapse
SUMMER 2011 ISSUE
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Poor ventilation
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Draughts
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Poor calf nutrition
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Group pens
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Heavy stocking
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Cows present with calves
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Soiled bedding
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Warm ambient temperatures
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Presence of coccidia infected calves
LIVESTOCK MATTERS
6
(IBR) VIRAL DISEASE
TO M J U L I A N M . V. B .
Over the last few years IBR has been identified
as a concern for dairy farmers as well as the
beef farmer.
Infectious Bovine
Rhinotracheitis
(IBR)A viral disease affecting
cattle worldwide...
A
s the name suggests it is an infectious disease that primarily affects the
nose (rhino) and throat (trachea) of cattle. When first identified in Ireland
in the 1980's it was predominantly seen as a disease of feedlot cattle,
where high stocking density contributed to the spread of disease within sheds.
Bad outbreaks of IBR have also been seen
in recently purchased groups of weanlings,
intermingled with cattle of different immunity,
from different sources.
Veterinary Surgeon Tom Julian
XLVets Practice
O’Connor Julian Vets,
Cashel, Co.Tipperary
Over the last few years IBR has been identified
as a concern for dairy farmers as well as the
beef farmer. Estimates from 20041 put the cost
of IBR at over €200 per sick cow, due to loss
of milk production, treatment, fertility losses etc.
CLINICAL SIGNS ASSOCIATED
WITH IBR
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Coughing
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High temperatures (105° F)
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Nasal discharge
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Runny eyes
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IBR in your herd
The first thing to do about IBR is to establish
if IBR is present in your herd and if it is
causing a problem. The simplest way for
dairy farmers to assess their herd is to take
a bulk milk sample and check the level of IBR
antibodies. This will give an indication of the
level of IBR carriers in the herd. Depending
on the bulk milk result further investigation may
be warranted and it is best to discuss this
with your vet in detail and develop an IBR
control programme.
For beef herds the easiest way to assess IBR
status is to blood sample 5-10% of mixed age
cows and heifers, along with a few weanlings
over 7-8 months of age.
Laboratory results need to be discussed with
your vet and a plan drawn up; otherwise they
are a waste of time and money.
Fertility losses - due to high
temperatures and possibly abortions
later in pregnancy
IBR is caused by Bovine Herpes Virus 1
(BHV-1). Animals that are infected with IBR
(BHV-1) are considered carriers of the virus
for life. The virus is usually transferred between
animals by direct contact, such as nose to
nose. The virus can also be transferred in
semen and embryos. IBR carriers can shed
the virus, (sometimes without showing clinical
signs), usually when they are subjected to
some type of stress such as concurrent disease,
inclement weather, mineral or energy
imbalances etc.
Old housing, with cracks and crevices,
are hard to reach with disinfectants
7
LIVESTOCK MATTERS
WORKING TOGETHER FOR A HEALTHIER FUTURE...
(IBR) VIRAL DISEASE
Case Study: Control and
Eradication of IBR from
an Irish Dairy Herd
Control of IBR
The most important way to protect against
and control IBR in your herd is by biosecurity
and biocontainment.
BIOSECURITY
Know your herd status and ideally, keep
a closed herd. Otherwise all incoming
stock should be blood tested to check
for IBR status. Blood test on arrival, isolate
for 4 weeks and re-blood. Alternatively
purchase stock from a known source,
certified as IBR free.
Herd Background
BIO-CONTAINMENT
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90 cow spring calving, dairy herd
Control Measures:
Improved Biosecurity
and Vaccination
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No previous history of IBR in herd
Biosecurity
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If there is IBR in your herd, manage
younger stock separately so the cycle of
infection is broken; i.e. prevent older
animals spreading the virus to younger
stock. The aim is to contain the infection
within the group of animals that are
currently infected and prevent disease
spread to younger, naïve stock.
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Purchased Montbeliarde bull
in 2004
Shortly after introduction an IBR
outbreak occurred in the milking
herd
Summer 2004
Vaccination
Clinical presentation of
IBR in milking cows:
Vaccination is a useful tool to help control
IBR. There are both live and inactivated
vaccines available.
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Live IBR Vaccines
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Coughing
Pyrexia 106 o F in a number of
cows examined
Purchased animals:
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1 bull and some heifers of high
genetic merit purchased yearly.
Quarantine on arrival and testing
4 weeks later.
Purchased from herds known to be
IBR free.
Vaccination
Vaccination initiated in 2005 for
breeding animals. Live IBR vaccine
(2 doses) used initially followed by
inactivated IBR on 6 monthly basis.
Younger stock were not affected at time
of outbreak so not included in vaccination
programme. (All young stock reared on
outside farms).
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Perfuse nasal discharge
Use in young calves less than 3 months
of age
Monitoring
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Inappetance
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All young stock blood tested in 2007
and 2008 were antibody negative.
Severe milk drop
Inactivated IBR vaccines
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Diagnosis
Use in breeding stock when IBR clinical
signs under control
All IBR vaccines currently available in Ireland
have 6 months duration of immunity, so
boosters should be administered to breeding
stock on a 6 month basis.
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Presumptive diagnosis of IBR based
on clinical signs by vet
Serology indicated animals positive
for IBR
2008
Use in weanlings/store cattle
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Cow serology:
52% seropositive
2011
Use in the face of an outbreak
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59 heifers tested:
All antibody negative
2011
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Cow serology:
12% seropositive
The above results show that the programme
is working. Cow seroprevalence is
decreasing and young stock are testing
negative indicating that the level of
circulating virus is zero. Vaccination was
discontinued prematurely in 2009 for
unexplained reasons however the plan is
now to vaccinate the remaining 11 carriers
until they are removed from the herd.
1
Ryan and O'Grady, The economics of Infectious and Production diseases in Dairy Herds
Modern calf houses are
easier to clean and disinfect
SUMMER 2011 ISSUE
LIVESTOCK MATTERS
8
I C B F D ATA B A S E
ARTICLE BY: PADRAIG DUGGAN M.V.B.
Killenaule Vets, Killenaule, Co.Tipperar y
IRISH CATTLE BREEDING
FEDERATION:
The benefits of its database
to farmers and vets
L
osses caused by disease represent a major obstacle to the profitability of
many farm operations. Not only does disease result in individual animal
death, but it can also cause decreases in growth and productivity and
failure or decreased efficiency of reproduction at a herd level.
It is widely agreed that prevention rather than
treatment is the most economic approach to
keeping disease losses low. Treatment of
disease is costly and not always effective.
Production losses often occur before diagnosis
and treatment can be instituted.
Veterinary Surgeon Padraig Duggan
XLVets Practice
Killenaule Vets, Thurles,
Co.Tipperary
Herd health programmes are designed
to provide routine planned procedures
to prevent or minimise disease. Effective
herd health programmes integrate medicine
and management to prevent disease. And
management requires records, data
and information.
The Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF)
was established in 1997. The ICBF database
provides farmers and vets with on-going and
updated information that is vital in developing
herd health strategies. It is a national
centralised database on which farmers,
their
advisors
and vets may access farm data
Binscarth
Farms
and reports based on the analysis of that
farm data.
Animal Health Ireland (AHI), which represents
‘collective action’ by the agricultural industry
and government to tackle non-regulatory
animal health issues in Ireland, also uses the
ICBF database in rolling out its programmes.
I recently asked a famer client who has been
using the ICBF database for a number of years
about its benefits to him. His answers were
thorough to say the least:
1. Credibility of records - Economic Breeding
Index (EBI) figures allowed an unbiased
assessment of animals.
2. Targeted breeding through identifying traits
such as fertility or milk composition, which
allows him to balance the reproductive
performance of his cows with the milk
constituents. He commented on the
importance of fertility in the weighting of
the factors that make up EBI in that, by
chasing fertility, increased production in
his herd came very simply from cows
calving earlier.
3. It gave him a clear translation of what
breeding meant to profitability.
9
LIVESTOCK MATTERS
WORKING TOGETHER FOR A HEALTHIER FUTURE...
CASE STUDY
EBI comprises information on
six sub-indexes;
2. Performance data - which comes from
milk recording organisations, from calf
registrations, and from meat factory
carcass appraisal.
l. Milk production
2. Fertility
3. Calving performance
4. Beef carcass
5. Maintenance
6. Health
Each sub-index has a different percentage
emphasis for each trait (milk production
and fertility have a combined emphasis of
almost 73%).
In order to identify the most profitable animals
two elements are critical:
1. Ancestry data - which comes from calf
registrations and pedigree herd books.
Farmers also contribute data to the database
by either filling an ‘Animal Events Booklet’ or
by electronically transferring the relevant data.
Padraig Duggan
Killenaule Vets
The ICBF database provides instant access to
up-to-date fertility and mastitis reports and
allows comparisons with the top 15% of herds
nationally. The fertility reports, while excellent,
are dependent on the farmer entering data
on herds, DIY inseminations, natural services,
etc. The milk recording data regarding SCCs
is vital in any mastitis investigation while the
nutritional status of the herd can often be
assessed via milk solids.
As herd health and herd performance
assume an ever greater role in the relationship
between farmers and their vets, access to the
information provided by a database such as
that of the ICBF will be of vital importance in
the years ahead.
Case Study: James O’Brien
Our client, James O'Brien milks eighty cows with an average yield of about 1,200 gallons on a
predominantly grass based system. The herd consists of a mix of Friesian, Holstein, and Jersey
bloodlines with a great emphasis placed on fertility in the herd over the last eight years.
James joined Herdplus on the ICBF this year.
His approach to fertility in the herd over the
last few seasons quickly became obvious with
a herd EBI of €98 compared to a South
Tipperary average of just over €76. Many of
his younger cows had individual EBIs of over
€130 while this year's maiden heifers had an
average EBI of €121. Herd SCC is averaging
just under 140,000.
The ratio of milk fat to protein percentage is
a useful indicator of dairy cattle with a high
risk of negative energy balance, displaced
abomasum, ovarian cysts, lameness and
mastitis. An immediate benefit of Herdplus
from our point of view was that it allowed us
to ‘flag’ milk fat:protein ratios in his herd being
suboptimal. This was quickly addressed by
providing more energy in the diet for cows.
As details are entered over the breeding
season on cows in heat, inseminations and
pregnancy data, a fuller picture of his herd
fertility will emerge.
For James, using the ICBF database is a
learning experience, and through the better
use of the amalgamated data of his herd,
and the ability to compare this with his peers
nationally, he should be able to profit from
prudent use of this information in the
coming years.
SUMMER 2011 ISSUE
James O’Brien
LIVESTOCK MATTERS
10
SUMMER 2011 ENTER
e
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Livestock Matters.
one...
Spring 2011 Livestock Matters competition winner:
Donal Rattigan, Kilrooskey, Roscommon
My details
Name
two...
What samples should be submitted to confirm
Coccidiosis in your herd?
three...
What is the key to milk quality according to
Willie Buckley?
four...
Address
How is I.B.R. usually transferred between animals?
What is ICBF an abbreviation of?
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