Happy, healthy, housed cattle for Christmas

HERD HEALTH SERIES: Maura Langan, Commercial and Technical Manager (Large Animal) at Norbrook.

With cattle housed and Christmas around the corner, it’s a relatively peaceful time of year for farmers. All too soon, preparations for calving will begin, but in the meantime, there are a few more jobs to be done.

Housed cattle are no longer grazing and so are unable to acquire any new parasitic burden. A comprehensive approach to worming, fluke and lice treatments is important to maximise growth rates during the housing period. Depending on the age of cattle and their previous treatment history you may need to employ different strategies within the herd, so as always, seek veterinary advice specific to your farm.

For example, cattle that were treated with a persistent wormer such as Taurador prior to housing may not need another worm treatment. Although some farmers will have dosed cattle as they were housed, others will wait and treat for both worms and liver fluke with a combined product like Closamectin Pour-on approximately six to seven weeks after housing. This allows any fluke ingested at the end of the grazing period to mature to a stage that will ensure the maximum fluke kill. You will need to seek advice from your prescriber if you are using a flukicide with a different active ingredient.

External parasites such as sucking and biting lice can become a real problem in housed cattle. The combination of thick winter coats and relatively warm and humid conditions allow numbers to increase rapidly.

Lice in cattle cause irritation and distress and this results in a suppression of appetite leading to a reduction in weight gain. The associated scratching and biting can lead to skin damage and infection if left untreated. Lice spread very readily between cattle and the main route of transmission is by direct contact, so the whole group should be treated at the same time. It is also important to treat any bought-in animals before joining housed cattle that have been already treated.

Spotinor contains deltamethrin and is a fast, effective treatment for lice and flies in cattle. It is simple to apply, with no need to weigh animals. Spotinor continues to kill lice as they hatch from eggs and is effective for up to eight weeks. Lice treatment is often carried out at housing, so repeat treatment may be necessary in some herds.

For cattle that will be treated for fluke and worms with Closamectin Pour-on, it’s worth remembering that this product is also effective against external parasites. Always seek advice from your prescriber to ensure you are not treating cattle more than strictly necessary.

Respiratory disease is a real risk to housed cattle and this year it seems to have started early. I have been hearing reports of cases up and down the country given the very mild Autumn.

There can be a range of bacterial and viral causes, so prompt veterinary intervention is essential. The best advice is to check cattle regularly and act fast if you think there might be a problem and speak to your vet about a vaccination programme and preventative strategies. Antibiotics aren’t always the answer, but your vet will be able to prescribe a ‘first-line’ product if they think it is appropriate. They will also likely prescribe a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory and a range of other management measures to restrict the spread of disease within the group.

Wishing you, and your herd, a happy, healthy festive period!

Visit www.norbrook.com for more information.