Calving disaster

Henarar

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Somerset
I would say you have an outbreak of something, i doubt mineral/iodine problems would be so severe to cause precalving deaths after having no problems before. Test results will be interesting . Dog poo can cause abortion/stillborn calves
Iodine deficiency will cause pre calving death, we lost a couple when we had it plus a couple more dopey calves died a few days after being born, no problems the year before, bolus twice a year for it now.
Not saying that's what this is but its worth checking if there is another dead one the vet should be able to tell
 

Nenuphar

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Ireland
Iodine deficiency will cause pre calving death, we lost a couple when we had it plus a couple more dopey calves died a few days after being born, no problems the year before, bolus twice a year for it now.
Not saying that's what this is but its worth checking if there is another dead one the vet should be able to tell
Is the bolus expensive?
 

Yale

Member
Livestock Farmer
Since we’ve offered free access basic mag buckets in the months running up to calving it’s gone much smoother,

Never forget calving 2013 after making poor silage due to the weather calving was horrendous,still born calves and multiple uterine prolapse.

Since putting the buckets a marked difference,night and day,
 

Purli R

Member
Iodine,you can get your vet to weigh dead calfs thyroid to check for Iodine deficency,which may or may not be conclusive.Only way is to blood test mothers of dead calves (for Iodine) might aswell throw powdered minerals on floor for good theyll be, Bolus will help aswill pouring on there backs. Drenching with potassic Iodine is the Gold standard. @neilo knows about this. (y)
 

egbert

Member
Livestock Farmer
Isn't neospora more early pregnancy abortion
No we lost 3 calfs and a set of twins start of calving last year with it.
Vet fill us with dread of what could come. But not seen it since.

By the time we'd had it diagnosed....we'd seen repeat returns, and full term non-viables, but no visible abortions.
(Obviously, with cows adrift on a vast peat plateau- and being incompetent muppets-, who knows what we missed, but I didn't see any)

It is passed either from mother to calf (almost 100% of calves from infected cows are infected), or via dogs/foxes that've eaten infected foetus or cleansings.
We had 15% infected by the time we found out, and records show a whole slice of the belt herd, descended from one cow who always bred well, infected. But it was also suddenly mushrooming out fast.
A friend seems to have gone from zero to 90% infected in a matter of months....suggesting an infected canine crapping in a feeder or somesuch.

It's been gut wrenching to cull out entire families, inc some lines we've had for over a century. but culling is the only solution.
@Truenorth ....get your cows tested, and do what needs to be done. It will only get worse if you don't.

Neospora should be notifiable, and testing should be state funded.
 

Henarar

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Somerset
Iodine,you can get your vet to weigh dead calfs thyroid to check for Iodine deficency
thats what we done and as soon as we knew what it was we put iodine on their backs, you can get iodinised salt from brinicoms or mole valley to put on silage which is cheap as chips really
 

bluebell

Member
what about the himalayan rock salt? I years ago used to buy rumervite suckler cow blocks, but stopped and switched over to buying a tote sack 1.2 ton of the salt, that we have adlib in the yards and then outside in the grazing paddocks, also we always have a ring feeder with either some straw or hay in it, if the grass is lush we also may put out a mag bucket, young calves seem to like the salt?
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 77 43.0%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 62 34.6%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 30 16.8%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 3 1.7%
  • 75-100%

    Votes: 3 1.7%
  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 4 2.2%

Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

  • 1,286
  • 1
As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
Top