Liver fluke incidence in fat cattle

[haymaker80]

We typically find that between 25% and 40% of our cattle are reported as having liver fluke at the abbatoir. Our agent says these figures are high compared to his other customers. I'm interested to know how these figures compare with other finishers?

 

[Northeastfarmer]

We typically find that between 25% and 40% of our cattle are reported as having liver fluke at the abbatoir. Our agent says these figures are high compared to his other customers. I'm interested to know how these figures compare with other finishers?

That’s a lot, don’t think I’ve had any....do you get the odd one with an abscess

 

[mo!]

Similar to ours. I was speaking to a vet who is sometimes on the line at our slaughterhouse and she said that the recording of fluke was very poor and we shouldn't take a lot of notice of what comes back on the kill sheet. We treat everything 2 weeks after arrival and they all get a good dose. You will see poor performance if there is a fluke burden.

 

[Dkb]

Next time you kill cattle make up a story about how important it is for them to be checked for liver fluke as your having big problems. Then you’d have to think the recording would be done spot on and you could see if there’s a drop.

 

[mo!]

Next time you kill cattle make up a story about how important it is for them to be checked for liver fluke as your having big problems. Then you’d have to think the recording would be done spot on and you could see if there’s a drop.

Your optimism is endearing.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Next time you kill cattle make up a story about how important it is for them to be checked for liver fluke as your having big problems. Then you’d have to think the recording would be done spot on and you could see if there’s a drop.

You don’t get paid for the liver so they won’t be arsed

 

[Woolless]

We typically find that between 25% and 40% of our cattle are reported as having liver fluke at the abbatoir. Our agent says these figures are high compared to his other customers. I'm interested to know how these figures compare with other finishers?

IME, those levels will be fairly typical of cattle that have been at grass for a period. In cull cows, it would be well over 50%.

I can only speak for myself and my team of meat inspectors but rejections are recorded pretty accurately. The current (and fairly new) rejection recording system was set up with communicating the most important conditions back to the farmer in mind. Speak to the abattoir, or better still the vet, and ask for an accurate report.

I have found that few people are interested. I phoned one supplier to tell him that his sheep were riddled with fluke (three condemned for anaemia!) and he never even called me back!

 

[haymaker80]

.do you get the odd one with an abscess

Don't think we've had any with abscess

We treat everything 2 weeks after arrival and they all get a good dose.

Do your cattle stay housed? Perhaps should have said all ours go straight off grass. We treat them in the winter about 8 weeks after housing, and again mid summer

 

[Grim Reaper]

I used to have most of our livers cut down regular, probably 75%. Then changed to a different slaughterhouse, after a year or so killing most weeks, I think the total cut down is 4.
I haven't changed the grazings or the fluke treatment in the last few years, so it must be inconsistencies at the slaughterhouses

 

[Old Tip]

I went to one of those live to dead days a few years back and there was a bunch of Hereford cattle obviously out of a shed as they had straw muck buttons on them. These cattle were fit and some nearly too good but the livers were riddled with adult fluke, couldn’t believe hoe they had got so good with that level of infestation.
Mine were all clear thankfully but I do does regullaly as we are wet here, get the odd lamb diagnoses but with the withdrawals so long they can have picked them up after the last dose

 

[marco]

couldn't you dung sample when they are in a month? a dose (of the right stuff) is alot cheaper than meal