PAWS FARM NEWSLETTER SUMMER 2012
Are Your Rams Fit for Breeding?
Early lambing flocks will already have rams at work, but for the majority now is the time of year when it is essential to
make sure the rams are in top condition ready to ensure maximum breeding success. A breeding soundness
examination should be carried out at least six to eight weeks before breeding to allow time to treat any problems or
purchase any replacements. There are several factors which should be included in a ram breeding soundness exam.
History
Teeth and Body Condition
The breeding history of the ram is very important; this
will give you an indication of whether he has worked
before and worked well. The age and experience of the
ram will affect the ram: ewe ratio that is recommended.
Poor teeth, particularly in older rams, leads to loss of
condition due to reduced feed intake and subsequent
reduction in breeding performance. Rams need to be in
their best body condition at the start of the mating season
to allow for a decrease in condition throughout the season
(approx 10-15%BW), aim for BCS 3.5-4. Beware that over
fat rams can be lazy and can also have reduced fertility
due to excess fat in the scrotum.
Lameness
Foot and lameness problems affect the ram’s ability to
work and mount ewes. Feet should be picked up prior to
the tupping season to allow time for carrying out any
trimming or treatment needed. Any pain will reduce the
ram’s willingness to work, so check for any interdigital
inflammation and growths that may cause problems
later on as well as foot rot and scald.
The confirmation of the ram should also be taken into
account on purchase; rams with very straight, upright
hind limbs can be predisposed to weakness and
lameness in the hind limbs, affecting their ability to
mount ewes.
Any ram with a history of lameness should not be
retained for breeding in subsequent seasons.
Susceptibility to foot problems can be inherited;
remember that the ram provides half the genetics for
the progeny that may be your future replacements.
Check for a full set of teeth that are in good condition and
for occlusion of incisors with the dental pad.
Reproductive Tract Exam
Careful examination of the external genital tract should be
carried out by a veterinary surgeon. PAWS offer ram
fertility testing which involves examining the external
genitals and collection of semen sample for the evaluation
of the morphology and motility of the sperm. By using this
service the quantity and the quality of the sperm the ram
is producing will be known. Please contact the surgery if
you are interested in this service.
Vaccinations
It should not be forgotten that rams also need to be up to
date with Clostridial vaccinations.
PAWS FARM NEWSLETTER SUMMER 2012
IBR,BVD, Leptosipirosis and Johnes Disease
Change of IBR Vaccine
Are you aware of whether the infectious diseases
IBR, BVD, Lepto and Johnes are affecting your
herd? Have you checked to see whether they are
present and having a detrimental affect to your
productivity? There are many ways in which we
can check to see whether these diseases are
active within your herd.
We will shortly be changing our Bovine IBR
vaccine to the Rispoval IBR Marker system. The
reason for this change is that, as long as the
protocol shown below is followed, the whole
herd vaccination interval is 12 months. This
differs from other vaccines on the market which
all recommend a 6 month dosing interval for
maximum protection. Therefore, changing to the
Rispoval IBR Marker system will give you the
maximum protection for the lowest cost, with
less handling of cattle.
For dairy herds, then testing a bulk milk sample is
the initial starting place to assess whether the
diseases are present. This can then be followed
up with additional blood testing if necessary
depending on the milk results.
For beef herds, blood sampling a selection of the
herd will enable a general picture of health
status.
There are also numerous CHECS health schemes,
e.g Biobest HiHealth Herdcare, which are
designed to identify the health status of your
herd and used ultimately to help eliminate
disease from the herd. By identifying any
diseased animals then appropriate action can be
taken, whether it be removing the animals from
the herd, vaccination, or changing their
management. This will reduce animal loss,
increase productivity, and increase the sale value
of breeding animals because they can be
accredited as ‘disease free’.
The recommended vaccination protocol for the
Rispoval IBR Marker system is:
1st dose Rispoval IBR Marker LIVE followed by a 6
months 2nd dose Rispoval IBR Marker
INACTIVATED, followed by 12 monthly annual
boosters of Rispoval IBR Marker INACTIVATED.
What this means is that when your next herd IBR
booster is due, you can start the above protocol
by giving the first dose of the live vaccine.
The LIVE vaccine is a 2ml dose given into the
muscle, whilst the INACTIVATED vaccine is a 2ml
dose given under the skin.
We recommend that infected herds vaccinate all
animals intended for breeding each year. Cattle
over 3 months of age can be vaccinated using this
system. Both vaccines are available in 10 dose
and 50 dose packs.
If you are unsure of your herd’s IBR status, please
speak to one of our farm vets. Dairy herds can be
easily tested by sampling the bulk milk (this test is
currently free of charge whilst bulk milk testing
kits last). Beef herds will require blood sampling
as previously mentioned. An estimate for this
testing is available upon request.