Newsletter March 2003 LATEST NEWS
OLA is receiving good publicity for reaching the 80% mark for membership
and testing - but our impact would be even greater if we could reach our
target of 100%.
If you haven't already joined and started testing, please do so soon.
If you did not already know, Orkney Islands Council pay for the lab fees for whole herd tests - a saving of around 75%. All you have to pay is the vet for taking the blood, which is in the region of £2.50 per head.
This offer ends this year, and to qualify you must register your membership with OLA before 31 March 2003.
If you have any queries or concerns regarding the scheme, or if you want to join, please contact Karen Tait (numbers given above) or you can call past the OLA office any Monday.
ROSS FINNIE VISIT
We were greatly honoured when we received a call from Jim Wallace's
secretary asking if the Rural Affairs Minister Ross Finnie MSP could meet
with us.
On Monday 10 February 2003, he came to see for himself how OLA operates. He quickly realised the benefits for it's members and urged those who have not yet joined to do so, as the scheme would be easier to operate if we had 100% membership.
He has always been very impressed with Orkney cattle and Orkney farmers' pro-active attitude - two good reasons for him to enjoy coming here! It was refreshing for him to meet farmers who understood bio-security and disease prevention.
He said that the success of our BVD eradication programme together with the Level 1 Herd Health plan is the envy of farmers in the rest if the country.
REPLACEMENT CALVES
It has been brought to our attention by the local vets that OLA members
have been purchasing calves from farms that have not tested for BVD.
It is against OLA rules to purchase animals of an unknown status, unless they are strictly quarantined and tested before they are introduced to your herd.
Testing newly born calves is not an option, unless you can get a blood sample from them before they receive colostrum, which is not an easy task! That is why it is vitally important you know the status of the herd you wish to purchase your calf from.
A replacement calf from an infected herd can cause you more expense than it cost in the first place.
Here is an example of what can happen:-
You purchase a calf from a herd of unknown status, and put it in the byre with the rest of your stock. If the calf is a "red" animal, or has even been in contact with a "red" animal, it may become unwell. You then spend time and money nursing it back to health, just in time for it to spread disease to your own calves which are being born, so you spend more time and money nursing them back to health as well. If your purchased calf was spreading BVD, your own calves coming into contact with it will turn "green", so this also ruins your screen test when they become of age.
Remember that BVD (and other viruses) can live on cattle for up to three weeks - that is why you should quarantine any bought-in stock.
Do not be duped into buying calves if the farmer says that he is not a member but has vaccinated. Vaccination only works on animals that have never been in contact with BVD - so if he has not tested, how does he know which ones require vaccine? Vaccinating a "green" or "red" animal is a waste of time, effort and money.
VACCINATION
If your screen test was clear, you should vaccinate all your breeding cattle,
or your boundary fence should be at least 3 meters away from your neighbour(s).
If your screen test was positive, and you did a whole herd test, you should vaccinate all your "white" breeding cattle. "Green" animals have been in contact with BVD and are naturally immune, so they do not require vaccination.
The vaccine used to prevent BVD infection is called "Bovidec". It comes in vials which hold 5 doses, and each vial costs around £10 (£2 per dose).
The first time you vaccinate your breeding stock, they will require two doses, the second given 21 days after the first.
They will then require a single annual booster in following years.
Bovidec is injected under the skin, and the best time to administer it is just before your cows go out to the bull. Remember to vaccinate your bulling heifers and your bull as well as your cows.
If you are planning to sell any breeding stock at OLA sales, it is a good idea to vaccinate them before the sale, if they have not been done already, as buyers find this assurance more attractive.
We also advise this for animals being sold privately too, as they may have to travel on a lorry or boat with animals of an unknown status.
It has been suggested that "white" animals should be put in with a "red" animal, so that they turn "green" and will not require vaccination. This is a very bad idea, as any animal that has been in contact with BVD has reduced immunity to other diseases. A vaccinated "white" animal is a healthier beast than a "green".
Cattle that have been in contact with BVD may also have reduced fertility. One member could not understand why his cows kept going back to the bull. At first he wondered if it was because the bull was a good-looking chap, and his cows couldn't resist him, but then he discovered that BVD infection had hit the herd. What happened was that some of his cows had gone in calf early on, but aborted soon after. When they did eventually go in calf, this resulted in a later calving the following year.
SALESWe have already had one OLA sale this year that was very successful.
If you are an OLA member, and have tested animals for BVD, you are eligible to sell at OLA sales. We devised a grading system to suit the level of testing you have done.
OLA sales are held when you want them, so if you have anything for sale, or if you would like a copy of the grading sheets, just let us know!
You may have noticed by our early advert in The Orcadian that we are having a special sale of Bulling Heifers on Thursday 17 April 2003. We are also having a sale of OLA breeding stock the following Thursday (24 April 2003).
If you have any for sale, please contact Karen as soon as possible, so that we can advertise and attract buyers. We want to promote Orkney's breeding stock, but buyers will not travel from south unless we have a good number on offer. It is also very beneficial to have catalogues ready at least a week before.
Here are our sale entries so far:
Bulling Heifers - Thursday 17 April 2003
Wilson, Howequoy, Holm (Accred) 7Groat, North Myre, Sanday 5
Firth, Langskaill, Rousay 5
Hagan, Skaill, Westray 18
Byers, Millhouse, Eday 1
Newstead, Crook, South Ronaldsay 3
Flaws, Ringesta, Shetland 15
Breeding Stock - Thursday 24 April 2003
In-calf HeifersFoubister, Netherton, Holm (Accred) 10
Firth, Langskaill, Rousay 6
Jenkins, Upper Stenaquoy, Eday (Accred) 6
Fersness Farms, Eday (Accred) 1
Further entries invited to both sales-Contact Karen Tait
KEEPING YOU INFORMEDWe have enclosed a special edition Newsletter about our Johnes scheme, and a list of accredited farms up to the end of February 2003. There are more farms aiming to become accredited in the near future. Updated lists are found on the OLA office window and on the doors to the sale ring in the mart. Buying from an accredited herd gives you the confidence that you are buying animals that are not "red".