Upping The Ante On Animal Health

NORTHERN IRELAND, UK - The initiative launched by the Cattle Health Steering Group to tackle cattle production diseases is an excellent step forward for animal health and farm profitability in Northern Ireland and one that is welcomed by the Livestock and Meat Commission (LMC).
calendar icon 13 January 2011
clock icon 2 minute read

As part of this initiative, the Cattle Health Steering Group has published a leaflet (right) on BVD, which highlights the problems caused by BVD and outlines the symptoms of this costly disease.

Ian Stevenson LMC Industry Development Manager said: "This new initiative is a definite step towards the reduction of production disease outbreaks and spread within the livestock sector.

"We at LMC would like to encourage farmers to consider the economic consequences of introducing and living with production diseases which in the case of Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) infection can cost the average beef herd up to £2,400 per year in lost productivity.

"It is not only essential that cattle farmers are aware of these production diseases and their symptoms, but also what to do by way of prevention and control”.

Ian continues, "This initiative presents an ideal opportunity for the Northern Ireland industry to work together on preventing diseases and reducing their cost impacts on farm businesses.

The new BVD leaflet encourages producers to think about the following questions:

  • Do you have animals that are not thriving for any reason?

  • Do you have more cows that are empty than you should have?

  • Do you have unexplained abortions?

  • Have you seen birth defects in your calves this year?

  • Do your calves have more pneumonia and scours than they should?

  • Do sick calves not respond well to treatment?

  • Has Mucosal Disease been diagnosed in your herd?

If the answer to some or all of these questions is yes, then active BVD infection may be in your herd. Contact your vet to discuss what actions you should take.

The Cattle Health Steering Group is currently developing a disease eradication programme to tackle several cattle production diseases in Northern Ireland.

For further details, download the full leaflet from the LMC website www.lmcni.com.

TheCattleSite News Desk

© 2000 - 2024 - Global Ag Media. All Rights Reserved | No part of this site may be reproduced without permission.