Heifers coughing

theroad

Folks, I have a group of bulling heifers, a year old. They're in good condition - right weight, good coats and so on. They were outwintered on kale and have been at grass since. They're bulling well. But they're also coughing, no snotty noses, just coughing.

I'm wondering if there's something they need. They were wormed regularly last year and got a fluke dose last winter. I'd have thought it's a bit early in the season for worms and I had planned giving them a single worm dose in the summer.

Any advice/suggestions as to what the cause might be? Ta.

Bodacious

theroad wrote: »

Folks, I have a group of bulling heifers, a year old. They're in good condition - right weight, good coats and so on. They were outwintered on kale and have been at grass since. They're bulling well. But they're also coughing, no snotty noses, just coughing.

I'm wondering if there's something they need. They were wormed regularly last year and got a fluke dose last winter. I'd have thought it's a bit early in the season for worms and I had planned giving them a single worm dose in the summer.

Any advice/suggestions as to what the cause might be? Ta.

Hi Fella,

As outwintered they may have worms/hoose since last dose unike housed animals... i'm no expert but id use different product completely to what you have been using i.e drench or different injection/pour on to what you have used in the Winter:) just imo

theroad

Thanks for that. You were right. I dosed them the day after and they've been fine since. I never reckoned on them carrying worms over the winter like that. Cheers.

Bizzum

theroad wrote: »

Folks, I have a group of bulling heifers, a year old.............. They're bulling well.

Glad to see you got on top of the cough.
Are they cycling well or are you bulling them at a year old?

theroad

Well, both, I guess: they're a year old and they're bulling ok. I'm following the thing about synchronising heifers - watch them for a week, mate the ones that come bulling, then estrumate the others and watch again. It will be two weeks on Friday since the start of mating and I've done 32 out of 37 so far.

It's the first time I've done DIY AI on the heifers so I'll probably be busy again in three weeks :rolleyes:.

Bizzum

You were busy with 32 out of 37 in 12 days!
What sort of heifers are they and what are you putting on them?

I think 15 or 16 mths is the youngest I'v bulled a heifer. I have to say I never heard of anyone bulling yearlings to that extent. But then you live and learn!

theroad

Well, I was a bit inaccurate, they're between 13 and 15 months old, so hopefully they'll calve at 22-24 months. I've been looking after them because they can't really afford to have any major setbacks if they are to be ready to breed on time. That's one of the reasons I like outwintering - after being on the kale they really thrive from the day they go to grass.

Min

Bizzum wrote: »

You were busy with 32 out of 37 in 12 days!
What sort of heifers are they and what are you putting on them?

I think 15 or 16 mths is the youngest I'v bulled a heifer. I have to say I never heard of anyone bulling yearlings to that extent. But then you live and learn!

I heard yesterday of a surprise arrival, a neighbour went out and saw they had an additional animal, turns out a heifer was bulling at 8 months and she had gone in calf.
From what I am told both mother and calf are doing fine.

I suspect the Department will be asking questions :pac:

leg wax

theroad wrote: »

Well, I was a bit inaccurate, they're between 13 and 15 months old, so hopefully they'll calve at 22-24 months. I've been looking after them because they can't really afford to have any major setbacks if they are to be ready to breed on time. That's one of the reasons I like outwintering - after being on the kale they really thrive from the day they go to grass.

yes i have to agree about the kale and thrive i was looking at my own heifers this morn and was thinking bull or wait till oct,they are along side of the main road and a few people have been keeping a eye on them and are very impressed with growth and body condition.growing 15 acres of kale/swede mix this year.

snowman707

leg wax wrote: »

yes i have to agree about the kale and thrive i was looking at my own heifers this morn and was thinking bull or wait till oct,they are along side of the main road and a few people have been keeping a eye on them and are very impressed with growth and body condition.growing 15 acres of kale/swede mix this year.

any problems with the kale in the severe frost?

theroad

snowman707 wrote: »

any problems with the kale in the severe frost?

The kale here did not do well in the frost. There were two bad frosts, one before Christmas one after, and by the middle of January the stalks were rotting. They came off it at the end of Jan, which was a bit sooner than planned, but February was dry so it worked out ok.

reilig

Min wrote: »

I heard yesterday of a surprise arrival, a neighbour went out and saw they had an additional animal, turns out a heifer was bulling at 8 months and she had gone in calf.
From what I am told both mother and calf are doing fine.

I suspect the Department will be asking questions :pac:

It happens, and has happened to 1 or 2 boards.ie contributors this year (Myself included). Last year was such a good year that saw strong weinlings - heifers were in heat very young and weinling bulls were strong enough to bull them.

I know a cattle finisher who bought 85 weinling heifers in October last year (All were early 2010 calves). 8 out of the 85 were in calf. He swears that he'll never buy heifers again. He had to do several sections on them too because he was feeding a lot of meal - trying to finish them for the factory.

What can the Department do about it? We can't control nature!!

leg wax

snowman707 wrote: »

any problems with the kale in the severe frost?

as already said above,big stalks broke in the snow but i found that the cattle still ate them when finishing up in feb,the cold snap helped to slow down the decay.

vanderbadger

yep weanling heifer i sold last oct came back to me she was a year old last nov and she calved back there in mar I think..
hard to believe she went in calf so soon, i think with weanlings getting a good bit of creep it can maybe be an issue

leg wax

reilig wrote: »

It happens, and has happened to 1 or 2 boards.ie contributors this year (Myself included). Last year was such a good year that saw strong weinlings - heifers were in heat very young and weinling bulls were strong enough to bull them.

I know a cattle finisher who bought 85 weinling heifers in October last year (All were early 2010 calves). 8 out of the 85 were in calf. He swears that he'll never buy heifers again. He had to do several sections on them too because he was feeding a lot of meal - trying to finish them for the factory.

What can the Department do about it? We can't control nature!!

2 things that should be done by the farmer in both cases,bulls and heifers run in different groups if this is not possible he should at least scan the heifers before sale,the finisher should scan the heifers 30 odd days after arrival,its only 3 euro a head for peace of mind.

49801

we get the vet to admin estrumate to weanling hiefers 4wks after they have been all separated from stock and weanling bulls.
have an august born hiefer that is still being reared by mother still running with stock bull and have seen in heat. will be administering estrumate next time they are through the crush.