🐮 Bull fertility Testing 🐮
It’s that time of year again and our vets have been busy making sure the boys are in tip top condition ahead of the breeding season 💥
Each bull gets a clinical exam to check their general health; feet, testicles, teeth, eyes and heart. Their semen is then analysed to check its progressive motility (how it wiggles) and morphology (any abnormalities with the tadpoles) to make sure their firing on all cylinders! 🚀
We recommend testing bulls annually pre breeding as many factors including diet and injuries can result in a reduction in fertility.
Looks like we’ve got some lucky ladies 👀
There was some excitement around our stand today when HRH Prince of Wales walked past.
This Dexter cow and vet Alex were very grateful for the parasols, keeping them shaded whilst undergoing a caesarean section in a field.
🐄☀️🐂Heat Stress in Cattle🐄☀️🐂
Knowing the signs:
🔥Panting and increased respiratory rate
🔥Reduced feed intake
🔥Reduced rumination
🔥Reduced milk yield
🔥Increased SCC
🔥Increased rectal temperature
Reducing the risks:
✅Provide plenty of shade and access to water 💦
✅Switch on fans or increase their speed or try to turn out to any windier fields where possible 💨
✅Only handle cattle at cooler times of the day 🌅
✅Minimise the time spent in holding pens or their walking distance between parlour and fields if possible 🐄
✅Have water sprays or sprinklers on 💦
✅Clip hair off backs ✂️
✅Ensure they have adequate fly prevention on as fly infestations can make the cows bunch together more 🪰
Other things to consider:
❗️The heat also causes an increased risk of mastitis
❗️Worm larvae can become trapped in faeces during the hot and dry weather. Beware that when the rain returns, it could cause a release of larvae on to the pasture leading to outbreaks of PGE (Parasitic Gastroenteritis)
❗️Blue Green Algae: Pay attention to fields with ponds or fields where the water troughs haven’t been used for a while. Make sure all troughs are regularly checked and that you can see to the bottom
If you have any concerns or questions, please give our team a call on
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