It is well known that tail docking and lamb marking causes the lamb acute pain. This pain can be reduced by an injection of local anaesthetic, but until now this has demanded a second procedure which significantly slows the operation and has therefore not been practical. This problem has been overcome with a new tool called NUMNUTS. The tool provides pain relief to the testicles and tails at marking time, it applies the ring over the tail and scrotum while simultaneously injecting an optimal dose of local anaesthetic.

As lamb producers are well aware, some lambs show severe and persistent pain after marking which can interrupt weight gain and also cause management issues with returning stock to pasture and mismothering. Also end users of wool and sheep meat are becoming increasingly sensitive to animal welfare issues on farm and this tool helps producers be proactive on these issues by observing “best practice” procedures.

The applicator is available to purchase on line, but the local anaesthetic that comes in a tamper proof 100ml bottle is only available through veterinary clinics.

Please feel free to ring and talk to one of our vets in regards to this new innovative tool - 63618388.

This article is written with the dairy industry in mind however the same principles apply in beef cattle operations.

Rearing heifers is an investment in the future of your farm. When assessing farm expenses, heifer rearing often accounts for 15-20% of the input costs of running a farm every year. The major variation to the amount you spend on rearing your heifers is their age at first calving.

So how do you reduce their age at first calving, whilst maintaining a healthy, productive and fertile heifer?

The major variable which contributes to the health, productivity and fertility of heifers is the rate at which they grow and their weight and frame size when they finally calve. For every 1kg heavier a heifer calves, you can expect another 7L of milk. Or for every 50kg extra, she will produce another 350L of milk in the following lactation. When multiplied over the total number of heifers you are calving a year, you can see this is a dramatic increase in production in your herd.

Well-grown heifers are more fertile at their initial joining, and also in the subsequent breeding once lactating. Poorly grown heifers experience a longer post partum anoestrus, and subsequently achieve lower 6 week in-calf rates than well grown heifers. This weight effect is illustrated in the graph below taken from Dairy Australia's InCalf study.

To know if your heifers are measuring up to their potential, here are some targets to consider:

• Heifers production is >85% of the cow production
• >85% of heifers make it through to a second lactation
• Heifers are 85-90% of the mature cow weight at calving
• 60% of heifers are back in calf by 100 days in milk
• Heifers calve ideally by 22 months and the majority are calved by 24 months

A study commissioned by Zoetis has found that using ¼ inch needle and injecting at a 45-degree angle when vaccinating sheep will limit the risk of infection site reactions and carcass trimming at the abattoir.

Most vaccines in Australia are designed to be injected under the skin, not into the muscle. However, the recent study found that many experienced farmers and contractors are unintentionally administering the vaccine into the muscle.

The issue with intramuscular injections is that site must be trimmed in the abattoir while processing the meat, reducing the carcass value. In unfortunate circumstances, it can also lead to painful abscesses, loss of condition and even neurological damage or ‘staggers’ in certain cases.

The study’s conclusions were:

• Use a ¼ inch only when vaccinating sheep and lambs.
• Inject all vaccines approximately 5cm from the base of the ear. This helps to avoid hitting structures including bone, ear cartilage and glands whilst minimising the risk of damaging valuable cuts of meat.
• The only exception to the 45-degree rule is adult sheep with 80m of wool or more. In this instance, a ¼ inch needle at 90 degrees is the most successful way of administering vaccinations.

Leptospirosis is a contagious disease which infects both animals and humans. It is an occupational hazard for all people working with livestock (farmers, vets, abattoir workers etc). When humans are infected, it causes severe illness in some cases.

The bacteria take residence in the kidneys of infected animals, and the reproductive tracts of females. The bacteria are then shed in the urine. This makes dairy workers particularly at risk due to the risk of splashing urine while milking cows. Like most bugs, they can live in the host (for example a cows) kidneys without doing any damage. These apparently healthy carriers are the main source of infection for other cattle as well as humans.

How do you go about managing the risk?

Under occupational health and safety regulations, it is required that farmers provide a safe environment for their employees. This requires steps be taken to minimise the risk of leptospirosis being contracted by all staff on farm.

How is this done?

• The most effective way of protecting humans is to vaccinate cows regularly. Even if cows harbour the bacteria, it reduces shedding of the bacteria dramatically.
• Always wear waterproof gloves, aprons and boots while milking.
• Be especially careful handling aborted material.
• In dairy sheds, use splash guards, cover drains and move away from urinating animals.
• Keep children away from dairy sheds, or provide them with a safe area where they are not likely to come in contact with urine.
• Always wash thoroughly after handling cattle, before eating, drinking or smoking.
• Drain or fence off low laying, swampy areas.
• Control rodents and feral pigs.