Stock yard health check

Have you assessed your stock yards recently – do your yards and crush area work well or do they need some tweaking to make them safe? Has that gate catch that was loose last time been fixed?

A farm’s stockyards are a hub of activity with concentrated animal numbers and sometimes agitated stock and this is where close encounters between animals, farmers and employees, agents and vets happen.

We get to visit many stock handling facilities and know how important stock yard condition and design can be. Cattle yards don’t need to be shiny and new, just tidy, strong and fit for purpose. They do need to provide a safe working environment for all people working in the yards and for the livestock being processed. 

Potential hazards to be on the lookout for include

1. Inadequate restraining equipment, broken gates, broken panels – animals need to be restrained safely and securely without being a danger to those handling them. An effective crush with head restraint is a great asset. 
2. Slippery or broken surfaces which are obvious slip, trip or fall risks – non-slip surfaces help to provide safe footing.
3. Loose objects – eg broken rails, gates off hinges, protruding nails or wire.

Poor design and unsafe work conditions are not only a risk to the safety of those working in the yards they also add time and therefore cost to routine animal health procedures such as preg testing. 

Winter is a great opportunity to assess your cattle yards for safe handling and to implement repairs or improvements as needed.

A useful resource for ideas and tips is the Australian Cattle Vets website article on Crush Design and Safety and for Yard design check out this DPI article. Our vet Andrew Denman would also be very happy to speak with you regarding yard requirements for safe stock handling. 

From 1 October 2017, biosecurity will be included in the Livestock Production Assurance (LPA) program. Every LPA-accredited producer must ensure biosecurity requirements are fulfilled both on farm and during the transport of livestock between properties and feedlots, including to slaughter and live export.

Integrating biosecurity requirements strengthens the promise made to customers, protects the industry and environment, and streamlines the process of record keeping and reporting for livestock producers.

Biosecurity practices will be auditable and will be part of the accreditation assessment process. More information is available on the MLA website.

There are several ways to create a biosecurity plan - here are our top 3:

• BIOCHECK® – a property biosecurity planning program developed by the Australian Cattle Veterinarians. You can talk to us about this, particularly if interested in maintaining a J-BAS of 7 or 8.
• The On-farm biosecurity plan template (fillable form, best opened in Google Chrome) is for producers to work through, with links to supporting documents to access and fill in as required. An additional action list, outlining biosecurity activities to be undertaken over the next 12 months, would help to make this a robust on-farm biosecurity plan specific to the property.
• The Livestock Biosecurity Network have developed the On Farm Biosecurity Plan (including Johne's disease), which is a detailed template that producers can use to custom build an on-farm biosecurity plan specific to their property.

A common skin problem seen during the wetter months, usually winter in the Orange area (we wish this year!), is greasy heel, also known as mud fever or pastern dermatitis.

This condition is painful for horses and owners alike. It can cause discomfort and lameness in the horse, and can be very difficult for owners to treat as the condition can be quite persistent and tricky to get rid of. Horses that have pink skin and white hair on their pasterns are the most predisposed to the infection. Another major predisposing factor is standing in constant wet and muddy conditions.

Presenting as painful thick, crusty, yellow scabs around the back of the heels and the pastern, greasy heel is most commonly seen on the hind feet but can occur on all four. In severe cases, it can spread around the front of the feet and extend up the legs, the skin becomes thickened and inflamed (red), and the legs swell up.

Greasy heel usually involves a bacterial infection in the skin. Cases that are not resolving with standard treatment may need further testing to ensure there is not another underlying cause such as mites, fungi or immune mediated conditions.

Treatment initially involves clipping the hair away and washing the legs to remove all mud, followed by keeping the horse housed in dry conditions. Soaking and scrubbing the affected areas with an antiseptic detergent such as chlorhexidine to soften and remove the scabs is critical for killing the bacteria.  Scab removal may need to be done in stages to avoid hurting the horse. Scab removal and washing should be followed by drying the legs and then applying a topical steroid based cream (please only do this under veterinary instruction). Pain relief should also be given.

If you're worried about your horse this winter, give us a call. 

On the 14^th June 2017, Animal Health Australia announced an important change to the transitional arrangements for the J-BAS. Here's an excerpt from the media release:

In an important update for producers, herds with a transition score of J-BAS 7 or 8 will revert to a  J-BAS 6 rather than J-BAS 0, if no on-farm biosecurity plan is in place by 1 July 2017. Producers have an opportunity to return their herds to J-BAS 7 or 8 by implementing a biosecurity plan straight away (overseen and signed by their veterinarian) and conducting the first of their triennial check-tests by 30 June 2018 with clear results. Read more here.

If you would like to return your herd to a 7 or 8, we are able to help with the assistance of new BIOCHECK® program.