Greetings from Doc Tom!
Autumn is upon us and thoughts turn toward prepping for the transition into winter, whatever that looks like in your part of the country. Here are some helpful health hints to keep in mind:
- Parasite Management - as the grazing season winds down it is a good time to administer a dewormer to lessen the worm load in our livestock. Depending on the farm and circumstances, not all animals need to be dewormed. Adult animals in good nutritional condition can be excluded. Calves, lambs, and kids of the year can benefit from a deworming as part of a comprehensive plan.
Using the Dr. Paul's Clean Start Pellets provides the additional benefit of improving gut health and enhancing the physical barrier to worm larvae and coccidia from the mucoid layer covering the gut lining, I favor the the 1 feeding once a month to optimize this benefit.
Other options include the S & G Pills for sheep and goats and CGS Remedy or Eliminate Boluses for cattle.
- Mannheimia - because of the severity of the Mannheimia pneumonias last winter and spring, I am advocating that all dairy herds provide protection for their animals. Mannheimia is a particularly deadly bacterial pneumonia that often starts in the milking herd and moves through the dry cows and young-stock. This can be done by using traditional vaccines - my preference is Endovac-bovi or nosodes, which are administered in the water. These nosodes can be sourced from me. The three nosodes that contain Mannheimia are the 4 Way + M, the 10 Way + M, and the Cattle BRD. Feel free to contact me with questions about appropriate use or look under "Blog" on the website home page.
- Bloat - many producers will graze their hay fields in the fall. If these fields contain alfalfa and clover it is important to be aware that frothy bloat can be a very quick killer of ruminants. Prevention is the key, as often there is not time to treat once it occurs. Here are some key points:
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- Make sure rumens are full before turning out on new fields. Having access to free choice high quality hay prior to turnout is best.
- Choose a time to turnout when forage is not wet from dew or rain.
- Never turnout for the first time when there is frost on the leguemes. Use extreme caution for the first 7 days after a hard frost.
- I have good success with feeding Farmatan for 5-7 days before and during the grazing period. Adult cattle should intake 35 grams per day (1lb per 13 animals). Young-stock, adult sheep, and goats should intake 15-20 grams per day (1lb per 25 animals) prior to turnout. Once they are accustomed to the leguemes, the dose can be halved. The Farmatan powder and granules are OMRI approved for the organic operations.
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- Though not approved in organic production, there are Bloat Blocks containing poloxalene which help prevent bloat when fed continuously.
I hope this information is helpful! Email, call, or text if you have a quick question or book a consult on the website for a more involved consultation.