Vet costs.

[kp_n_plghng]

I’m not one hundred percent sure that such a low cost is necessarily either efficient or desirable. It might be, but equally it might not. In fact the whole thing is pretty much meaningless as it depends very much on the type of farm, the tightness and efficiency of management to include yield and calving interval maintenance, the infrastructure inherited, the risk averseness to possible animal diseases and the day to day management of the herd, including the herd type and calving interval and pattern and the jobs devolved, or not, to a contractor such as the vet. All kinds of variables affect the bottom line of the herd more than the vet bill in isolation.

I wouldn't say its meaningless. You can't talk about everything all at once. It has its value for what it is, nothing more. You look at your cost see where you sit compared to others and then understand why you sit there, you may then be able to action things or you may not. Same for lots of costs really.

Ive already found this thread very interesting. Thought virtually everyone was doing BVD vaccine and surprised to learn that's not the case at all.

 

[happycows]

Just had bill for caesarean 10 days ago
Vet charge £361, 2 bottles of anaesthetic, 2 Betamox, shot of oxytocin and Metacam.
£430 in total exc vat.

Good job I had nice Charolais bull calf and cows doing fine.

Partly my fault. Heifer slipped calf just as she was due to go dry end of first lactation. Milk went up a bit and got back in calf quick but didn’t calf for 20 months and was just too fat then got twisted womb.
Made the call to come out the side rather than mess around too much as calf was alive.

Anyone else had one recently to compare?

 

[Holsteinfriesian90]

Just had bill for caesarean 10 days ago
Vet charge £361, 2 bottles of anaesthetic, 2 Betamox, shot of oxytocin and Metacam.
£430 in total exc vat.

Good job I had nice Charolais bull calf and cows doing fine.

Partly my fault. Heifer slipped calf just as she was due to go dry end of first lactation. Milk went up a bit and got back in calf quick but didn’t calf for 20 months and was just too fat then got twisted womb.
Made the call to come out the side rather than mess around too much as calf was alive.

Anyone else had one recently to compare?

We had one back in September from memory ours was £100 more than yours.

 

[kp_n_plghng]

Just had bill for caesarean 10 days ago
Vet charge £361, 2 bottles of anaesthetic, 2 Betamox, shot of oxytocin and Metacam.
£430 in total exc vat.

Good job I had nice Charolais bull calf and cows doing fine.

Partly my fault. Heifer slipped calf just as she was due to go dry end of first lactation. Milk went up a bit and got back in calf quick but didn’t calf for 20 months and was just too fat then got twisted womb.
Made the call to come out the side rather than mess around too much as calf was alive.

Anyone else had one recently to compare?

Drug aspect of that very reasonable. £361 seems dear for callout and time though.

 

[Cowabunga]

Just had bill for caesarean 10 days ago
Vet charge £361, 2 bottles of anaesthetic, 2 Betamox, shot of oxytocin and Metacam.
£430 in total exc vat.

Good job I had nice Charolais bull calf and cows doing fine.

Partly my fault. Heifer slipped calf just as she was due to go dry end of first lactation. Milk went up a bit and got back in calf quick but didn’t calf for 20 months and was just too fat then got twisted womb.
Made the call to come out the side rather than mess around too much as calf was alive.

Anyone else had one recently to compare?

I had the first one in the last twelve months only five days ago. Vet had more issues than usual stitching her up inside and today she was off her food so apart from more penstrep, I pumped her stomach with five gallons of water and special re-hydration electrolyte with appetite stimulants. She looked and moved OK though. Fully prepared for a turn for the worse. Only recall ever losing a cow as a result of a caesarean section but fully expect the worse. She is in ideal condition but is the second cow with a twist in the last month after six months with no significant problems and certainly not one that required a vet out.

As usual it was a 1am call!

 

[Enry]

Just had bill for caesarean 10 days ago
Vet charge £361, 2 bottles of anaesthetic, 2 Betamox, shot of oxytocin and Metacam.
£430 in total exc vat.

Good job I had nice Charolais bull calf and cows doing fine.

Partly my fault. Heifer slipped calf just as she was due to go dry end of first lactation. Milk went up a bit and got back in calf quick but didn’t calf for 20 months and was just too fat then got twisted womb.
Made the call to come out the side rather than mess around too much as calf was alive.

Anyone else had one recently to compare?

Mate paid £950 for a Caesar on a bitch….took her to vets as opposed to vet driving to farm

 

[TheRanger]

I had the first one in the last twelve months only five days ago. Vet had more issues than usual stitching her up inside and today she was off her food so apart from more penstrep, I pumped her stomach with five gallons of water and special re-hydration electrolyte with appetite stimulants. She looked and moved OK though. Fully prepared for a turn for the worse. Only recall ever losing a cow as a result of a caesarean section but fully expect the worse. She is in ideal condition but is the second cow with a twist in the last month after six months with no significant problems and certainly not one that required a vet out.

As usual it was a 1am call!

Does your vet charge extra for overtime?

Ours is a small owner run practice and they charge a flat rate 24/7.

 

[Cowabunga]

Does your vet charge extra for overtime?

Ours is a small owner run practice and they charge a flat rate 24/7.

They normally charge £300 for a Caesar and £28 travelling and £25 extra for night call. Plus any materials used of course. No discount for dead calf or cow LOL.
Normal day visits are £28 travelling, then £2.40/minute which is £144/hour with a £25 discount for routine visits.

 

[DairyNerd]

We were 1.3ppl last year, probably a touch high for our system. We have had issues with mastitis which are improving and it will come down somewhat this year producing more litres.

I think our vets are great value, they are very involved in our business and are fantastic to work with. Includes vaccines BVD/IBR/Lepto, meds and dry off tubes, bolus', health plan, 3 visits a year to discuss dry off, transition and pre-breeding with short report each time, always involves a look round cows, we have no staff so it's very useful to have someone to bounce ideas off or you can get blind.

 

[ollie989898]

No vaccines will be a heck of a saving annually... until it falls on it's arsh.