Scours, navel ill, joint ill and environmental mastitis are all infections commonly linked to indoor lambing and calving. Not only do these conditions have a detrimental effect on animal health, welfare and lifetime performance, the treatment and losses associated can also have a huge impact on profitability.

Speaking with Randall Mathers from Meadows Vets recently, he explained that “within the first 6 weeks of life, a lamb or calf will meet 80-90% of all the bugs they will ever meet, so every small detail counts to protect them from harm, while still allowing them to develop their own immunity.” There are several considerations which should be given to minimise their impact this spring.

NUTRITION

It is well understood a dam’s immune system dips around birth, so making sure she’s fully supported with a well-balanced diet, including good quality forage is essential. Any dam with a negative energy balance and lack of quality protein will struggle to fight infection. In addition, any which are not milky enough may be over suckled, causing udder damage and allowing infection a route in, resulting in mastitis. Poor quality colostrum and lack of sufficient colostrum will result in a newborn with poor passive immunity, especially before 4 weeks of age and will leave them vulnerable to any bugs they come across in the environment.

MANAGEMENT

Along with dipping navels to reduce infection uptake, reducing the stocking density can help reduce infection pressure in lambing and calving sheds. When it comes to individual pens, best practice is always to muck out between animals, however this is not always practical during busy periods. Traditional methods of disinfecting pens usually involve a water-based disinfectant and while this is certainly better than nothing, the introduction of water can actually increase
the ideal conditions for bugs to thrive and good intentions are wasted. The use of Biosuper dry bedding conditioning powder at a rate of only 50g per metre squared is enough to freshen up pens and reduce the breeding ground for bacteria.

Anecdotal stories of those using Biosuper include elimination of joint ill completely. Its unique formulation means it works by:

✔ Absorbing its own weight in water, meaning moisture for bacteria growth is removed and bedding lasts longer.

✔ Releasing sulphuric and phosphoric acid on contact with moisture to lower the pH to 3.4 which means bacteria cannot grow in these acidic conditions.

✔ Neutralising ammonia, resulting in improved air quality.

With blanket treatments of antibiotics being phased out, there are a range of methods which can be used to minimise infection pressure this spring and get the young off to the best start possible, and Biosuper can be a crucial part of that plan.

Robert Paterson from Upper Auchenlay has seen the benefits firsthand:

“I’ve been using Biosuper in my lambing and calving pens for 4 years. The pens are far drier than before, cases of joint ill have fallen to virtually zero and watery mouth has been eliminated. I think Biosuper is a tremendous product and is definitely saving lives at Upper Auchenlay.”