Dr Enoch Bergman, Swans Veterinary Services
The Cattle Subcommittee of ASHEEP & BEEF is continuing to run three Meat & Livestock Australia Producer Demonstration Sites (PDSs) and produers in the Esperance region can still be involved.
One of those projects is now in its second year: Preventing Bull Preputial Breakdown by Vaccination and participating producers can receive free vaccine and bull breakdown investigations.
Last year’s dataset showed a 5% reduction in the incidence of penile and preputial breakdown of virgin bulls during their first mating experience, however, we saw an unusually high incidence overall. Project participants will be contacted after the joining season ends to find out how their bulls fared, and what pre-joining strategies they may have employed.
In the meantime, whether or not you received free vaccine as part of the PDS, if any of your bulls break down during joining and the cause is penile in nature, please contact the surgery. Bull examinations including travel are covered by the PDS.
Some of our clients who have been employing additional tactics appear to have fared well and this year we have more clients exposing their new bulls to cull cows as well as continuing to implement pre-joining vaccination. We are looking forward to sharing any information we are able to learn from the project, however, the quality of that information is dependent upon your participation!
Please reach out to Enoch (Swans Veterinary Services) or Sarah Brown (ASHEEP & BEEF) for more information.
Cheers!
Enoch, Katie, ASHEEP & BEEF, and the Swans Veterinary Services Team
Contact Swans Veterinary Services: 08 9071 5777, admin@swansvet.com
Comments