Vet costs.

[Grassman247]

Are you talking about alternatives to ketofen which still contain the same active ingredient, ketoprofen, or alternative cheaper NSAIDs?

Cheaper NSAIDs

 

[Horn&corn]

Are you all year. 26 vet visits for 0.65ppl is phenomenal.

AYR. Be 20-26 visits. Occasional young to castrate. Vet cows pulled out into headlocks so quick and simple. Very few drugs and closed herd so only few vaccines.

 

[Nathan818]

Cheaper NSAIDs

Just out of interest, which ones? Flunixin?
I looked into research around NSAIDs a while back and decided there was a reason to use ketoprofen over others for some cases, mostly lameness. Seemed to have more positive outcomes in research

 

[O'Reilly]

Just to confuse things more, we're testing for Johnes, neospora and fluke on the milk records, is that milk recording, or vet & med? It's for herd health after all, but it's on the CIS bill

 

[Grassman247]

Just out of interest, which ones? Flunixin?
I looked into research around NSAIDs a while back and decided there was a reason to use ketoprofen over others for some cases, mostly lameness. Seemed to have more positive outcomes in research

Used finadyne for years. Do I think we are any better off with ketofen no I do not

 

[kp_n_plghng]

Agreed it's probably far more value comparing to previous years.
But if you want to compare between farmers it needs to be on a like for like basis.
So if I'm comparing against somebody that does all their own dehorning it is unfair to add my dehorning cost because I'm just to busy to do it myself.

With us we haven't had a foot trimmer on the farm for 10 years because it's a job we believe we can do better in house.

Vet and med spend should really only be pom medicines and any time that can only be carried out by a vet if you want a cross farm comparison

vet and med you include all vet and med and compare, that's what it is. Anything else you're not comparing vet and med.

 

[Headless chicken]

Used finadyne for years. Do I think we are any better off with ketofen no I do not

I assumed ketofen was only used for no milk withdrawal? So cow you’ve trimmed a foot on that’s a bit sore. Finadyne for toxic mastitis or ease of jabbing into rump. Metecam for longevity and cost effectiveness

 

[Grassman247]

I assumed ketofen was only used for no milk withdrawal? So cow you’ve trimmed a foot on that’s a bit sore. Finadyne for toxic mastitis or ease of jabbing into rump. Metecam for longevity and cost effectiveness

Exactly my thoughts

 

[FarmerWasty]

I mean we are currently getting ketoprofen at the same price we get loxicom. Far more useful than loxicom too.

 

[Farmer Keith]

Just to confuse things more, we're testing for Johnes, neospora and fluke on the milk records, is that milk recording, or vet & med? It's for herd health after all, but it's on the CIS bill

Pds to, we’ve not had a vet PD a cow in 5 years here, all through the CIS.

 

[happycows]

Just calculated mine for herd health plan review as Red Tractor is well overdue. 2 pd sessions for the year one LDA op was only vet visits i had to pay for,6 month TB test was only other visits. Orbseal and bovigen vaccine for everyone. No other vaccines. 2 boxes of Ubrolexin up massively on year before, Betamox, Metacam and couple bottles of Kriptizan for calves and dozen bottles of calciject.
.0042ppl total spend with vets. Got to be pleased with that.

 

[Wesley]

Just calculated mine for herd health plan review as Red Tractor is well overdue. 2 pd sessions for the year one LDA op was only vet visits i had to pay for,6 month TB test was only other visits. Orbseal and bovigen vaccine for everyone. No other vaccines. 2 boxes of Ubrolexin up massively on year before, Betamox, Metacam and couple bottles of Kriptizan for calves and dozen bottles of calciject.
.0042ppl total spend with vets. Got to be pleased with that.

Are you sure your decimal place is in the right place & that figure isn’t £/litre? If its correct thats f’ing amazing…
Its still very good though

 

[Cowabunga]

What are peoples vet costs per litre of milk sold? We are roughly 1.6PPL on a loose housed system 2x milking. Wondered how this compares to other farms and systems.

That’s about the same as mine which includes three vaccines which includes two doses of three vaccines all cows and to around 40 young stock and 40 more single doses to in-calf heifers. Also included are monthly fertility visits including any PRIDS and other medicines for cows and inseminated heifers. Plus the health plan for farm assurance, any assisted calvings and the occasional caesarian where necessary. No hoof trimming included though, which some may include if done by the veterinary practice which ours offer.
This is for 150 milkers plus followers and calves. All cows are dry cow tubed as it has proven to be cost effective. Total relative cost can and has varied greatly over the years as some years have more difficult calvings, fertility issues, diseases and mastitis challenges. Every year is different and until the last few weeks I’ve had a very trouble free last year.

 

[happycows]

Are you sure your decimal place is in the right place & that figure isn’t £/litre? If its correct thats f’ing amazing…
Its still very good though

£3176 for 749,700l milk sold. Thought my maths was right.
Was 21,000 litres fed to calves but not included that.

 

[Cowabunga]

Just calculated mine for herd health plan review as Red Tractor is well overdue. 2 pd sessions for the year one LDA op was only vet visits i had to pay for,6 month TB test was only other visits. Orbseal and bovigen vaccine for everyone. No other vaccines. 2 boxes of Ubrolexin up massively on year before, Betamox, Metacam and couple bottles of Kriptizan for calves and dozen bottles of calciject.
.0042ppl total spend with vets. Got to be pleased with that.

That’s £4.20 per million litres, which is ridiculous. Please try again.

 

[Wesley]

That’s £4.20 per million litres, which is ridiculous. Please try again.

Its £42 per million litres…please try again

 

[Wesley]

£3176 for 749,700l milk sold. Thought my maths was right.
Was 21,000 litres fed to calves but not included that.

0.42ppl. Still very good though. Just didn’t allow for 100 pennies in the pound.

 

[happycows]

I’ll go and scrape some sh!t off the heel stones and fill the foot bath.

 

[Cowabunga]

0.42ppl. Still very good though. Just didn’t allow for 100 pennies in the pound.

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.

 

[Wesley]

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.

It depends what the money is spent on. Difficult calvings, multiple D.A.’s etc. would be bad. But doesn’t appear to be much of that. Vaccines seem to be what pushes up a lot of peoples costs. I’d say it was good unless he has a herd of old cronk sick cows.
But as I’ve said previously its more useful to compare yourself to other years than other farms as there’s so many variables between farms & management styles.