6 CUMBRIA FARMER February 2009VetsTalk
PRACTICE NOTES
Paragon Veterinary Group aims to provide
a compassionate and caring service for all
species of animals, plus comprehensive,
up-to-date treatment in all fields of
veterinary medicine and surgery,
including advanced breeding techniques.
The group is a three-centre mixed veterinary
practice. Its Dalston-based Caldew Veterinary
Hospital has "tier three" status � the highest
level awardable by the Royal College of
Veterinary Surgeons. Paragon encourages
professional development of all its staff. As
well as its 17 vets, many of whom have further
qualifications, it employs six qualified
veterinary nurses and two trainee nurses.
Townhead Veterinary Centre is a fully
equipped centre with specialised large animal
operating facilities and in-patient care as well
as a small animal and referral centre.
Paragon is a founder member of XLVets, a
new initiative of veterinary practices in the UK,
working together to bring the highest possible
standards of knowledge and skill to our clients.
It aims to work with farming clients to promote
health, productivity and profitability.
Keeping costs down and
profits up on dairy farms
Three vets from the Paragon Group offer some helpful advice
BY VICTORIA DIXON
H
eat detection seems to
be the buzz topic of
conversation on most
farms today.
Increasingly, farmers are
adopting new methods of heat
detection to improve overall
profitability.
Current UK heat detection
rates are only 35 per cent. Com-
bine this with a conception
rate of 35-40 per cent and it
becomes clear that each cow in
a typical herd has only a 20 per
cent chance of getting in calf
when she is ready to be served.
All dairy farmers are aim-
ing to improve herd profitabil-
ity. One of the simplest and
most effective ways of doing
this is to improve heat detec-
tion rates.
The more cows that are seen
bulling, the higher the number
of services performed, which
finally translates to more cows
in calf.
Calving intervals in the UK
have been steadily on the
increase for some time and are
not uncommonly more than
400 days.
High-yielding Holsteins
show fewer signs of heat over a
short time frame. Increasing
cow numbers and declining
labour availability mean that a
bulling cow only has a slim
chance of being seen.
The most recently reported
figures suggest that the cost of
keeping a cow whose calving
index exceeds 365 days is
between �3 and �5 per day.
Using the lower figure of �3
per day, by reducing your calv-
ing interval from 410 to 400
days in a 200 cow herd, you
could save more than �6,000
per year.
There are many methods of
improving heat detection on
farms: tail paint and kamars
being the cheapest, right
through to computer-linked
electronic recording devices.
It is important to find the
tool that works best for your
system. However, do not forget
that even the most advanced
heat detection aids rely on
healthy cycling cows.
Is she ready? Each cow in a typical herd has only a 20 per cent chance of getting in calf
Mobility scoring is
worth all the hassle
BY JEMMA REEDIT SEEMS like a hassle, so
why bother with mobility
scoring in your dairy herd?
Time's precious enough, never
mind watching cows walk out
of the parlour!
The reality is that lameness
costs money. As well as the
financial impacts, there is the
welfare of the animal to con-
sider � and a happy, healthy
cow is a much more produc-
tive animal.
Several studies show an
average lameness case will cost
around �150 due to indirect
costs such as increased culling
and impaired fertility and
direct costs such as reduced
yield and costs of treatment.
For example, in a herd
where 25 per cent of cows are
lame per year, it would equate
to a loss of around 0.7ppl of
milk produced. For a million-
litre producer, this is �7,000.
Added to this is the inclu-
sion of mobility scoring initia-
tives in milk supply contracts,
further illustrating the need
for an easy-to-apply system.
DairyCo has launched a new
mobility scoring system,
which aims to become the
industry standard. The new
method is based on a four-
point score ranging from 0-3.
A cow with score 0 will have
good mobility, walking with
even weight and rhythm on all
four feet with a flat back. A
score 3 cow will have severely
impaired mobility, with
uneven weight-bearing, short-
ened strides, arched back and
an inability to keep up with a
healthy herd.
The aim, by regularly scor-
ing cows, is to catch them at
score 1 or 2; in turn, reducing
the financial losses incurred
by a severely lame animal.
Are you missing crucial
signals from your cows?
BY KATH APLINDAIRY farmers spend many
hours every day among their
cows. However, with expand-
ing herd sizes, increasing
workload and the increasing
need for detailed knowledge on
every aspect of farming, it's
possible for farmers and their
advisers to lose sight of the
cows.
Both farmers and vets spend
a lot of time looking at cows,
but sometimes they fail to see
the cows in an objective way
and fail to pick up on the sig-
nals they're sending out. It's
easy to start accepting what
we see every day as normal
when it may not necessarily be
so.
Dairy cows actually work
even harder than dairy farm-
ers. The metabolic rate of a
hard-working farmer would be
about 1.3 x maintenance, com-
pared with a 30-litre cow work-
ing at 3.5 x maintenance.
This is why it's vital to pro-
vide everything that a cow
needs to keep her comfortable,
healthy and productive � and to
observe carefully for signs that
indicate whether or not this is
being achieved.
Cowsignals is a concept
developed to help farmers and
their advisers look at cows sys-
tematically and objectively,
and act on what they see.
Workshops and books are
available which focus on open-
minded observation of cows,
analysis of these observa-
tions, and simple, practical
solutions to problems � in
short, asking the questions:
"What do I see?" "What does
this mean?" and "What can I
do about it?"
Start asking these questions
today � or better still, attend a
Cowsignals workshop.
Paragon Veterinary
Group
Caldew Veterinary Hospital
Carlisle house, Townhead Road,
Dalston Tel: 01228 710208
Townhead Veterinary Centre
Newbiggin, Penrith
Tel: 01768 483789
Frame Swift &
Partners
The Veterinary Centre,
Penrith
Tel: 01768 862454
Fax: 01768 867163
The Green
Veterinary Surgery
Skelton, Penrith CA11 9SQ
Tel: 017684 84258
The Capontree
Veterinary Centre
Greenhill, Brampton
Tel: 016977 2318
Borders Business Park,
Brampton Road, Longtown
Tel: 01228 791245
4 Station Court, Haltwhistle
Tel: 01434 320705
www.capontreevets.co.uk
Border Vets
Livestock Services
Unit 24, Brampton Road,
Longtown, Carlisle
Tel: 01228 792999
Paragon Veterinary Group
provide a compassionate and
caring service for all species
of animals.
Offering comprehensive and
up-to-date treatment in all
fields of veterinary medicine
and surgery. www.paragonvet.com
Townhead Veterinary Centre
Newbiggin.
Tel: 01768 483789
Caldew Veterinary Hospital
Dalston.
Tel: 01228 710208

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