Bvd

[biggles]

Our neighbour has “upgraded” from his 2850 to a very tidy 6330, so he has entered the 2850 as an input at a local Farm sale this Saturday.

It is a K reg, so one of the last of the 50 series built. 9000 hours, 40k box, digital dash, high lift, front mud guards and wide tyres.

The tractor is in very good condition for its age and hours, the only thing that lets it down is the rear mud wings are shot.

This might be of interest - https://www.classifieds.farm/listing/20868/John-Deere-6920s-50k,-autopower,-cab-suspension,-TLS.html

Did your vet (before the recent conversation) suggest anything other than BVD? Were any of the abortions tested for neospora?

nothing ever tested, don’t own a dog and cattle are normally not near fields with footpaths so hopefully ruled out neospora, bvd was just suggest as it fits with all the symptoms and all my ways of previously doing things, cheers

 

[xmilkr]

Crikey, when you think of the hundreds of thousands , if not millions of cattle that mix in markets and hardly any cross infection occurs your infection and sheer numbers involved was awful back luck. Makes me wonder if animals that have been about abit get abit more natural immunity to bugs etc than a closed herd. I wouldnt take business advice from a vet.

I said ask your vet for vetinary advice not business advice, but ultimately his advice could help your business.

 

[biggles]

Just an update, tagged the first 8 calves and had these results back, am I now right to assume that the mothers to these cows are defiantly not PI’s and I can safely turn them all in together? What’s peoples thoughts about the one that states still pending?

 

[milkloss]

Just an update, tagged the first 8 calves and had these results back, am I now right to assume that the mothers to these cows are defiantly not PI’s and I can safely turn them all in together? What’s peoples thoughts about the one that states still pending?

Off to a good start. I would suspect the pending result either needs to be rerun or the sample had something wrong with it.

 

[biggles]

Just had an email saying that the pending one is inconclusive at a reading of 0.24.
0.2-0.3 being inconclusive, and over 0.3 positive, what’s people thought? Is this likely to be a PI or not? What’s the best plan of attack? Cheers

 

[Highland Mule]

I'd test again, but isolate in the meantime. Have never had that, but did get one where they couldn't get a sample from the tag core and asked me to to do it again.

 

[Limcrazy]

I'd get another tag and test it again. Doesn't really need isolated but keep it away from the in-calf cows.
If it is positive it would help the other calved ones build immunity.

 

[biggles]

It is in a pen with just one more family, so I’ll leave it there and test again when the next few calves arrive and I can make a lot up, fingers crossed as its out of one of my favourite cows, cheers

 

[DB67]

Dunno why they don’t make the tagging compulsory. It’s the easiest way to do it as all calves need tagged anyway. Country could eradicate it in a year.

 

[Agrivator]

Just had an email saying that the pending one is inconclusive at a reading of 0.24.
0.2-0.3 being inconclusive, and over 0.3 positive, what’s people thought? Is this likely to be a PI or not? What’s the best plan of attack? Cheers

Test again, but discuss with your vet regarding blood or tissue sampling. I would have expected a PI do have had a definite positive result.

Do you vaccinate? Are there neighbouring infected stock? Do deer of any kind come about?

 

[biggles]

Test again, but discuss with your vet regarding blood or tissue sampling. I would have expected a PI do have had a definite positive result.

Do you vaccinate? Are there neighbouring infected stock? Do deer of any kind come about?

No neighbouring stock most of the time, no deer and have never vaccinated anything with or for anything, will do another sample just out of curiosity and will also speak to the vet, cheers

 

[Jimfandango]

I frequently buy calves from market and hate the random nature of it. I would happily pay a premium on BVD free calves that would at least cover the testing cost. The sooner the classification becomes more widespread the better

 

[xmilkr]

Dunno why they don’t make the tagging compulsory. It’s the easiest way to do it as all calves need tagged anyway. Country could eradicate it in a year.

Exactly, thats how we cleared bruccollosis forty years ago.

 

[biggles]

Just thinking about this last night and would it be right to assume that if the calves come back as not a PI then the mother can’t possibly be a PI ? As all the ones that have calved are home bred and I still have there mothers in some cases too, does that also mean that they can’t be a PI ? In one case I have 5 generations, if this is correct then it’s only leaving a few potential candidates to be a PI, cheers

 

[Agrivator]

No neighbouring stock most of the time, no deer and have never vaccinated anything with or for anything, will do another sample just out of curiosity and will also speak to the vet, cheers

And it is vital that you also test the mother of the inconclusive calf.

 

[biggles]

And it is vital that you also test the mother of the inconclusive calf.

I’ll test the calf again and see if that comes back as all clear, should have another batch to send off in a day or to, if it’s inconclusive again or a fail I’ll do the cow , can I tag test the cow? Or is it a blood sample job, cheers

 

[Highland Mule]

I’ll test the calf again and see if that comes back as all clear, should have another batch to send off in a day or to, if it’s inconclusive again or a fail I’ll do the cow , can I tag test the cow? Or is it a blood sample job, cheers

Tag test the cow as well in the next batch, if you’re suspicious. Don’t think there are any constraints on age. Tags are cheap as chips, if they help you sleep easier.

 

[Sucklersnstores]

Tag n test the cow as well, easy and a cheap way of checking

 

[Henarar]

Dunno why they don’t make the tagging compulsory. It’s the easiest way to do it as all calves need tagged anyway. Country could eradicate it in a year.

Because in some herds there is no need to tag and test

 

[Cowabunga]

Because in some herds there is no need to tag and test

Indeed. All my cattle have been routinely vaccinated for the last 25 years or so and never had BVD previously and certainly not since. A blood test would surely test positive for all of them due to the vaccination. Milk test recently done for all kinds of bugs and blood tests on unvaccinated bulling heifers before their first vaccination, all clear. Only done all this as a routine surveillance precaution and all in 2021.
Next is the salmonella vaccination, which is worth doing here because of seagull carriers. This is done later in the year but all the vaccine is in the fridge already in case there is a shortage. There was one year when it was unavailable and I had to do a double course the next year to start over again.