1h ago
Almost two-fifths of survey respondents were not vaccinating against clostridial disease, but more than 90% said they would seek veterinary advice.
Chris Simpson
Job Title
Vets have been encouraged to discuss clostridial disease with their farming clients as fresh figures show mixed vaccination uptake.
A recent survey by Zoetis UK of 51 beef farmers revealed 38% of respondents were not vaccinating against clostridial disease, despite it being categorised among the highest priority vaccinations for beef by NOAH’s livestock guidelines.
Almost one-fifth (19.5%) did not realise that annual boosters were required and only 39% said that they always gave the second dose of the initial vaccine course when they should, with 17% unsure.
Just two in five (41.3%) purchased clostridial disease vaccines through the veterinary channel, but 92.2% of the farmers said they would speak to their vet for advice on clostridial diseases.
Simon Wilson, veterinary surgeon and director at Cain Farm Vets in Llansantffraid, north Wales, said his practice saw clostridial disease cases “every few weeks”, most commonly blackleg and tetanus.
He continued: “We find that farmers have a variable threshold of what losses they will tolerate before investigating deaths.
“Some farms will investigate every death, which ensures that we can act quickly to prevent further losses while, sadly, others tolerate sporadic deaths and a few animals may be lost before we are contacted to identify the underlying cause.”
Nearly half (46.8%) of the survey respondents reported time and labour was the top barrier to vaccination, while more than a fifth (21.3%) highlighted cost.
Mr Wilson said clostridial disease vaccination is “cheap and cost-effective” and that in a small to medium-sized suckler herd the financial loss from one death can cover the cost of herd vaccination “for years”.
He added: “We are pleased to say that our practice actively promotes vaccination for clostridial diseases to our clients, which reflects how important we view it.
“It is discussed as an essential part of herd health plans and farm assurance reviews, but in a more targeted way we question farmers on vaccination status before surgical castration, as it is such a big risk for tetanus.”
Ally Ward, veterinary surgeon and national veterinary lead at Zoetis UK, which manufactures the cattle and sheep vaccine Covexin 10, said pregnant cows are often given a booster two to eight weeks before calving to pass immunity onto calves via colostrum.
She concluded: “Now is a good time of year for farmers to vaccinate those calving in the autumn to provide protection in the longer term.”