Identifying & Preventing Staggers in Cattle & Sheep

Staggers is caused by low blood concentration of magnesium and affects both sheep and cattle.  It is most commonly seen in adult lactating animals grazing lush, fast-growing grass pasture but we do see a number of cases in housed animals every year.  Magnesium isn’t stored in the body and therefore the main source is from food.  Absorption will vary with how quickly food passes through the digestive tract and there will be a higher demand during lactation. If feed intakes are reduced due to stress, illness or poor weather then this will also affect magnesium absorption.

Magnesium is important in normal neurological function. Clinical signs therefore include:

• Sudden death
• Initial excitability with high head carriage, twitching of muscles and incoordination.
• Separation from the group. Animals may have startled expressions, exaggerated blink reflex and frequent tooth grinding.
• Rapid progression to periods of seizure activity

Animals found with clinical signs require immediate treatment with subcutaneous Magniject whilst waiting for veterinary attention to administer a combination of calcium and magnesium slowly into the vein. Stress should be minimised during this time and unfortunately there is always a risk during treatment that the extra stress could kill the animal. If treatment is successful, animals should be offered concentrates and good forage to prevent relapse.

In cases of sudden death, we can confirm the diagnosis by measuring magnesium concentration in the fluid around the eye soon after death. Blood sampling a few other animals in the group can also be useful as the majority of the group may be affected without showing obvious clinical signs.

Factors influencing the availability of dietary magnesium include magnesium levels in the soil and grass which vary considerably.  High levels of potassium or ammonia on pasture inhibit magnesium absorption.  Lush pastures are low in fibre and increase the rate of passage of food material through the rumen reducing time for magnesium absorption.

In terms of prevention, options include:

• Medicating the sole water supply with soluble magnesium salts such as chloride, sulphate or acetate. These salts aren’t very palatable so follow directions for use carefully.
• Intra-ruminal boluses which give a reliable slow release of magnesium into the rumen over periods of high risk.
• Magnesium buckets though these may not be used by all animals in a group and problems can still occur.
• Supplementation is particularly important during stormy weather when roughage, such as straw, can be beneficial by slowing rumen throughput and allowing time for magnesium absorption.
• Feeding concentrates containing magnesium will also help to provide sufficient amounts.

Newborn Cria Care

Summer is an exciting time for new arrivals! Whilst most camelids manage this period without any problems, by keeping a close eye on newborns, any problems can be spotted and treated early ensuring happy, healthy babies.

Vaccination

Most herds will booster vaccinate pregnant females in the run up to unpacking (between 2 and 8 weeks prior). This aims to boost the level of antibodies in the colostrum conferring protection to the cria. Crias can then be vaccinated around 3 months old with a full primary course.

Newborn care

Newborn crias should be standing within the first 30-60 minutes and nursing within 2-4 hours. Mum should also pass her placenta within 2-4 hours of birth. Navels should be dipped in iodine tincture to help to dry it and to reduce the risk of infection via this route. If crias aren’t nursing within this time frame then they may need help to suckle or try to milk the mum (we appreciate this isn’t very easy!) and feed this to the cria by bottle. Any cria that is struggling should be checked carefully for potential problems such as a cleft palate. Hernias are also quite common so check the umbilical region carefully. Monitor crias to ensure they pass their first poo within 24-36 hours.

Failure of passive transfer (FPT)

Crias are born with no antibodies, making them extremely susceptible to infection. Young camelids get the important antibodies from the colostrum of their dam so ensuring they get their first drink is really important to protect them from infections. Crias should consume 10-20% of their body weight in the first 24 hours of life (equating to 700-1400ml for a 7kg cria).

Crias can fail to absorb antibodies for a variety of reasons but certain situations put them at higher risk. If any of the situations on the list below apply, then we recommend checking your new arrival for failure to absorb enough antibodies, called Failure of Passive Transfer (FPT).

• Low birth weight (<6KG in alpacas and <7kg in llamas )
• Evidence of prematurity (curled ears, unerupted incisors, socks on feet)
• Difficult birthing or caesarean
• Congenital defects (e.g. cleft palate)
• Maternal issues (first time mum, no bond between mum and baby, no milk, mastitis)

Crias should be weighed daily during the first few weeks of life to and crias that aren’t thriving or aren’t putting on weight should also be assessed. They should generally gain 0.1-0.45kg daily.

Crias with FPT are at risk of life threatening infections so it’s important we check early enough that we can correct the problem before this happens. We recommend checking when the cria is around 24-48 hrs old. The check is a quick and easy blood test that can be performed at the surgery. Crias who are shown not to have enough antibodies can then receive a plasma transfusion to boost antibody levels before infections can set in. If your herd does not currently have any plasma available then do let us know and register your interest for our next Blood Drive Day (2023)

Feeding crias

If mum doesn’t have enough milk then supplementation with other products will be needed. In the first 24 hours, colostrum is vitally important. If camelid colostrum can’t be sourced (this may be unlikely!) then goat’s colostrum is the closest alternative, followed by cow colostrum. If sourcing colostrum from a farm, do be aware of the risks of TB, Johne’s and BVD and only source from herds free of these diseases. Powdered colostrum supplements are available but they generally contain very few antibodies in comparison to camelid colostrum so crias who receive these are at much higher risk of FPT. The product with the highest amount of antibodies is called Immucol Platinum and can be sourced via the Camelid Veterinary Services online shop.

If bottle feeding, aim to feed 10-15% of bodyweight over 24 hours split into 2 hourly feeds initially. Crias feed little and often so this aims to replicate this behaviour. Overfeeding can result in milk entering the wrong stomach and can lead to problems. After 24 hours, milk can be used for feeding as crias are no longer able to absorb colostrum, goat’s milk is the closest alternative to camelid milk.

SCOPS Nematodirus Forecast, Risk factors, Action & Treatment

The SCOPS Nematodirus forecast predicts the hatch date for Nematodirus based on temperature data from 140 weather stations throughout the UK.

At Towcester Farm Vets we monitor the three weather stations in our area and put a notification on our Facebook Page if the forecast status in our area changes.  The stations we monitor are Church Lawford, Bedford & Woburn.  If you follow us on Facebook we’ll let you know as soon as one of those stations indicates a change in its status.

The information below is based on the material on the SCOPS website and is designed to be used in combination with your grazing history (more below) to assess the risk of your lambs becoming infected.

Using the SCOPS forecast

1. Use the SCOPS map to locate the station(s) closest to your holding.Use knowledge of your farm and the surrounding area to choose a weather station that is most relevant to you. In most cases this will be the nearest station but if, for example, there is a large difference in the height above sea level between your holding and the nearest weather station, then look to see if another station further away may be more representative. If you click on a station on the SCOPS map, it will give the height above sea level. Alternatively take a view across a combination of stations in your area.
2. Click on the station(s). Each station has more detailed information on the current risk level, guidance on what to do next, and information on when the forecast was last updated.
3. Carry out a risk assessment and take action if needed.  See below for more information on how to assess risk and what action to take.
4. Consider additional information to the forecast map. 
   • The map predicts hatch date on temperature data, but the risk will vary from farm-to-farm and from field-to-field. When deciding whether or not to act, it is important to assess the risk to each group of lambs based on the history of the field, its aspect and altitude.
   • South-facing fields tend to have an earlier hatch and, as a guide, every 100m increase in altitude will delay hatching by about seven days. So, for example, if your nearest weather station on the map is at 200m above sea level and your farm is 100m above sea level, hatching could be around seven days earlier than the forecast.
   • You can also click here to see a table capturing data from the map over the previous weeks, so you can see when the dot indicating your nearest weather station changed colour. You will need to know the name of your nearest station to find it in the table, so click on that station on the map above to check the name.

Understanding Nematodirus  

Nematodirus is a particularly nasty disease in lambs, causing a high number of mortalities and stunting the growth of many others. It is caused by the Nematodirus battus worm, which has a different lifecycle to other sheep worms. Under certain climatic conditions it can strike very quickly, with little or no warning. The main difference in the lifecycle of Nematodirus battus compared with other parasitic worms is that development to infective larvae takes place within the egg and infection passes from one lamb crop to the next year’s crop. Cold weather delays hatching so when we get a sudden change in temperature it can trigger a mass hatch. If this coincides with the time when lambs are starting to take in significant amounts of grass (over about six weeks old), the result can be devastating.

Nematodirus can strike very quickly so you can’t afford to have a ‘wait and see’ policy. And because the damage is done by large numbers of immature larvae that are not producing eggs, faecal egg counts (FECs) are not a reliable indicator of risk. Rapid action is often required and this has to be based on a risk assessment and the forecast for your area.

Main risk factors

If your lambs are grazing pasture that carried lambs last spring and you answer yes to one or more of the four questions below, then your lambs are at risk.

1. Are your lambs old enough to be eating significant amounts of grass? (generally 6-12 weeks of age but may be younger if ewes are not milking well)
2. Do you have groups where there is also likely to be a challenge from coccidiosis? For example, mixed aged lambs are a higher risk
3. Has there been a sudden, cold snap recently followed by a period of warm weather?
4. Have you got lambs that are under other stresses e.g. triplets, fostered, on young or older ewes

Recommended actions

• If possible, avoid infection. Move at-risk lambs (as determined by the risk assessment) to low risk pastures (i.e. pasture that was notgrazed by lambs the previous spring).
• If you cannot avoid high risk pasture grazed by lambs the previous spring and decide you need to treat for Nematodirus, SCOPS advises farmers to use a white (1-BZ) drench. Check that treatment is effective by taking a FEC 7 to 10 days after treatment. Remember, it may be necessary to treat lambs more than once depending on the spread of ages in a group and subsequent weather conditions.

The timing of a potential problem will vary from region to region. In the south of England for example, it is likely to occur earlier in April/May; in northern England and Scotland it may be early June.

Treatment

As explained above, SCOPS advises farmers to use a white (1-BZ) drench when treating. These are normally highly effective against this parasite and suitable for young lambs. However, the first confirmed case of Nematodirus resistant to the 1-BZ group was reported in 2011 and so farmers are advised to follow the SCOPS guidelines on correct drenching technique and dose carefully to the correct weight of the lambs and to check afterward if the treatment has been fully effective. If in doubt speak to one of our vets by calling us on 01327 350239.

What do you get for your levy?

Last month we published an article on why our beef and sheep clients should Register with AHDB to help shape the future of beef and lamb. This month we have another article from AHDB that explains what you get for your levy.

Register to shape the future of AHDB

AHDB wants beef and lamb farmers to succeed and thrive in a rapidly changing world. The Shape the Future campaign is not only to demonstrate the services and resources which AHDB make available but is to ensure that levy payers are right at the heart of every decision we make.

AHDB are committed to being more transparent about how the levy is spent. To do this, spend will be broken down into priority areas for each sector. The purpose of the vote is to allow levy payers to become more involved in what work AHDB do and how the levy is spent.

Get the AHDB infographics

Find out more about how the levy money is invested and how it makes a difference to your business by

1. Clicking on this link https://ahdb.org.uk/beef-and-lamb-what-do-i-get-for-my-levy
2. Downloading ad reading
   1. The Beef infographic from AHDB that explains what you get for your levy
   2. The Sheep infographic from AHDB that explains what you get for your levy

Please note: Prices listed on the infographics are per head for cattle or lamb.

Register to vote now

In April this year AHDB levy payers will be able to have their say and influence the work AHDB does across the beef, lamb, dairy, pork and cereals & oilseed sectors. They will also be able to voice what they think are the major challenges across the industry.  We’re encouraging beef & lamb clients to register in order that your opinions can be sought and heard by AHDB.

Register to shape the future of AHDB