Vet costs.

[Beef farmer]

Like the Danish red.

Not one for letting grass head. Kills out the sward. And if some seed drops and sprouts for next year, then you have a new sward bred from the earlier heading varieties, which is the opposite to what you'd want.

I disagree, it hasnt killed out the grass, the ley is thicker this year for self seeding.
The problem with it is, its not cool and gonna get you in dairy farmer magazine with some expensive dry cow diet.

Also Our swards will only ever see 5 seasons before there replaced.

 

[The Agrarian]

No that's fair enough. I'm not one for fancy stuff either. I personally couldn't stock them for long enough on a square of ground to make them eat it down due to the weather anyway. Best option up here is to nick that off with the mower and set the blocks in to them along with a shake of dry cow min. Seems to work, and means I have that kind of diet available at any time as I always have dry cows.

 

[Sid]

Dry cow pasture should be rotated every week for 4 weeks to help prevent pathogen build up. Easier said then done when you dont want them to have fresh grass!

 

[Einstien]

I've heard that anything less than a 1p is good for any system

rubbish.....

Have to look at what you/staff are doing vs vet, cull rate, longevity etc etc.... and fundamentally, is the farm profitable? and loads of other factors

Vet's cost of 3ppl is better if the farm makes twice the profit as a result if you ask me!

 

[jimmer]

rubbish.....

Have to look at what you/staff are doing vs vet, cull rate, longevity etc etc.... and fundamentally, is the farm profitable? and loads of other factors

Vet's cost of 3ppl is better if the farm makes twice the profit as a result if you ask me!

I suppose there are a few vets who own dairy farms !

 

[Einstien]

I suppose there are a few vets who own dairy farms !

;-)

 

[Sid]

rubbish.....

Have to look at what you/staff are doing vs vet, cull rate, longevity etc etc.... and fundamentally, is the farm profitable? and loads of other factors

Vet's cost of 3ppl is better if the farm makes twice the profit as a result if you ask me!

How they hell are you going to manage to spend 3ppl on the vet and make twice the profit.

Do explain your rationale and some more in depth figures to explain because i think even if you vaccinated for everything you would struggle to get to 1ppl even on a OAD 4000l herd on preventative vaccination. Majority of other expenses are due to an health issue on farm.

 

[Beef farmer]

How they hell are you going to manage to spend 3ppl on the vet and make twice the profit.

Do explain your rationale and some more in depth figures to explain because i think even if you vaccinated for everything you would struggle to get to 1ppl even on a OAD 4000l herd on preventative vaccination. Majority of other expenses are due to an health issue on farm.

Id imagine it was an example sidney. Chill mon

 

[Einstien]

Yes OK 3ppl might be exaggerating a bit, but my point is, I find it ridiculous to be comparing vets costs per litre.... especially when there is an argument that the more you spend with a vet the better you are/will be (I'm not sure I believe that, but you know what I mean)!!

You could run a dairy farm with zero vet cost if you wanted to... would that really be a thing to shout about?

Compare cull rate/avg lactations instead, something that perhaps correct veterinary/herd management reduces...

 

[Einstien]

How they hell are you going to manage to spend 3ppl on the vet and make twice the profit.

I read 75% of dairy farms make zero profit.... What's that doubled Sid?

;-)

 

[Sid]

Yes OK 3ppl might be exaggerating a bit, but my point is, I find it ridiculous to be comparing vets costs per litre.... especially when there is an argument that the more you spend with a vet the better you are/will be (I'm not sure I believe that, but you know what I mean)!!

You could run a dairy farm with zero vet cost if you wanted to... would that really be a thing to shout about?

Compare cull rate/avg lactations instead, something that perhaps correct veterinary/herd management reduces...

Perhaps vet costs should be split out in COP models.
So
Planned Preventative-teat sealant
Unplanned Necessity -accidents
Unplanned Fire brigade-fertliity

I just made those up btw.

I read 75% of dairy farms make zero profit.... What's that doubled Sid?

;-)

Disaster.

 

[Grassman247]

Just re-visiting this thread

Costs have certainly risen in the last 4 years

my vet spend is 1.38ppl 1100 cows, 7500 litres split block

we never have the vet out for calvings or disasters. 25 milk fevers which we treated ourselves

we fresh check every cow
PD
Small amount of pre movement testing
Vet techs do dis budding

bolus bulling heifers and cows
Vaccinate for
Lepto
Salmonella
IBR
Bravoxin 10
Rispoval 3 for calves

used very little draxxin this spring

have used some parafor which we need to eliminate.

How are others vet costs looking and is there anything others aren’t doing that we could remove

Have thought about buying my own scanner and maybe we do our own disbudding but it’s useful to have done while we are busy calving

 

[supercow]

Just re-visiting this thread

Costs have certainly risen in the last 4 years

my vet spend is 1.38ppl 1100 cows, 7500 litres split block

we never have the vet out for calvings or disasters. 25 milk fevers which we treated ourselves

we fresh check every cow
PD
Small amount of pre movement testing
Vet techs do dis budding

bolus bulling heifers and cows
Vaccinate for
Lepto
Salmonella
IBR
Bravoxin 10
Rispoval 3 for calves

used very little draxxin this spring

have used some parafor which we need to eliminate.

How are others vet costs looking and is there anything others aren’t doing that we could remove

Have thought about buying my own scanner and maybe we do our own disbudding but it’s useful to have done while we are busy calving

11k for 1100 cows is that right? Or have I calculated that wrong?

 

[lazy farmer]

11k for 1100 cows is that right? Or have I calculated that wrong?

Your decimal point is in the wrong place

 

[lazy farmer]

Just re-visiting this thread

Costs have certainly risen in the last 4 years

my vet spend is 1.38ppl 1100 cows, 7500 litres split block

we never have the vet out for calvings or disasters. 25 milk fevers which we treated ourselves

we fresh check every cow
PD
Small amount of pre movement testing
Vet techs do dis budding

bolus bulling heifers and cows
Vaccinate for
Lepto
Salmonella
IBR
Bravoxin 10
Rispoval 3 for calves

used very little draxxin this spring

have used some parafor which we need to eliminate.

How are others vet costs looking and is there anything others aren’t doing that we could remove

Have thought about buying my own scanner and maybe we do our own disbudding but it’s useful to have done while we are busy calving

No Draxxin allowed down here.
it’s the vaccines that add up. Are all the vaccines based on previous issues?

 

[Grassman247]

No Draxxin allowed down here.
it’s the vaccines that add up. Are all the vaccines based on previous issues?

Lepto is kinda a given with staff
Salmonella we had an outbreak 10 years ago
Bit of black leg in the calves one year made me use bravoxin 10
Don’t think we would get away without the pnuemonia vaccines. Only do IBR once a year as it is

 

[lazy farmer]

Lepto is kinda a given with staff
Salmonella we had an outbreak 10 years ago
Bit of black leg in the calves one year made me use bravoxin 10
Don’t think we would get away without the pnuemonia vaccines. Only do IBR once a year as it is

Unless you have autumn born calves then I would be looking at your accommodation to see if that could be improved before I was vaccinating for pneumonia.
What was the cause of your salmonella outbreak?
we had one 17-18 yrs ago didn’t make us vaccinate it went as soon as it came.

 

[Grassman247]

Unless you have autumn born calves then I would be looking at your accommodation to see if that could be improved before I was vaccinating for pneumonia.
What was the cause of your salmonella outbreak?
we had one 17-18 yrs ago didn’t make us vaccinate it went as soon as it came.

Came from muntjack deer. There still on one farm. Don’t get any abortions since doing the vaccine. We lost 50 pregnancies at the time wasn’t the nicest experience and one we don’t want to repeat

 

[FarmerWasty]

Kite average is 1.25ppl, so id say your pretty inline with the norm.

 

[ollie989898]

Just re-visiting this thread

Costs have certainly risen in the last 4 years

my vet spend is 1.38ppl 1100 cows, 7500 litres split block

we never have the vet out for calvings or disasters. 25 milk fevers which we treated ourselves

we fresh check every cow
PD
Small amount of pre movement testing
Vet techs do dis budding

bolus bulling heifers and cows
Vaccinate for
Lepto
Salmonella
IBR
Bravoxin 10
Rispoval 3 for calves

used very little draxxin this spring

have used some parafor which we need to eliminate.

How are others vet costs looking and is there anything others aren’t doing that we could remove

Have thought about buying my own scanner and maybe we do our own disbudding but it’s useful to have done while we are busy calving

On balance, do you think your vet spend is 'acceptable' given the condition/health of your cows, your system and your youngstock? Plus/minus calving incidents (outcomes) etc?

I have been on farms where they complain their spend with the vet is massive and yet they don't seem to equate that with hygiene in the parlour, foot bathing or the state of the cubicle house/beds? I mean you can't just do nothing and expect 100% results regardless?