I was thinking neospora
Calving disaster
- Thread starter gavd
- Start date
- Location
- Essex
What effect would Schmallenberg have on calves?
Isn't neospora more early pregnancy abortion
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?
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,
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,
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.
Princess Pooper
Member
- Location
- East Mids
Not necessarily, can be late and some born alive and apparently healthy but PI's which will then transmit vertically if reared to be breeding females.
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. 
- Location
- Cheshire
nah, cheap enough. definitely no more than £15/cow. I do mine with Iodine/Selenium/Cobalt & Copper boluses in late jan too start calving late feb.
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.
- Location
- Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
Late pregnancy
Guiggs
Member
- Location
- Leicestershire
Much cheaper than a dead calf I'd have thought!
about 5 or 6 quid I think so 10/12 quid a cow, we don't use buckets any more though cos of badgers, so tis broad as it is long
yep save one and the job is paid for for the year
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
pgk
Member
- Location
- south warwickshire
Same for us with the ewes, expensive but overall think it well worth it, especially for the continentals.
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?
- Location
- Northumberland
Years ago we got some new land & sent the dry cows there.
Started getting probs as the OP
Low selenuim & Iodine
Bolus at drying off sorted the issue
Started getting probs as the OP
Low selenuim & Iodine
Bolus at drying off sorted the issue