Adhere to strict touch points in livestock farming

Agriculture Reporter

STRICT adherence to critical touch points that cement the Going4Growth mantra in 2023 will ensure the continued positive growth in the livestock sector, as the country pushes to rebuild the national herd and increase it from the current 5, 5 million to 6 million by 2023.

Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development permanent secretary Dr John Basera said this in his festive season message to livestock farmers when he spelt out a number of critical touch points the farmers need to do to boost production.

Dr Basera urged farmers to be deworming their animals at the moment. Deworming helps reduce chance of developing resistant parasites while cutting down on operational expenses for livestock producers as well. It will also reduce the use of drugs in food animals.

In most herds, 20 percent of the animals shed 80 percent of the parasite load. Therefore, in small herds it is more economical to treat only the most infected animals, this practice is used in equine and small ruminant operations. In larger production herds such as cattle, animals should be treated as management categories and each category be treated according to their risk. In large small ruminant production systems, a percentage of animals should be tested to determine if the herd needs to be treated.

However, deworming protocols for every operation should be developed with a veterinary consultant. Protocols will vary based on the type, location, herd, and individual animals of an operation.

Summer treatments, especially those with larvae inhibitors, are highly effective in reducing overall pasture contamination and fall re-infection rates. Summer treatments should use products such as Panacur at double dose (fenbendazole), Ivomec (ivermectin), Valbazen (albendazole), or Synanthic (oxfendazole) as these are the approved cattle dewormers that inhibit larvae development.

Animals treated with fenbendazole or oxfendazole can return to grazing pastures 8-12 hours after treatment. Animals treated with ivermectin should not be returned to grazing pastures for at least 48 hours after treatment. If animals treated with ivermectin are returned to grazing pastures before 48 hours have passed viable eggs will still be shed in manure and will lead to re-infection/pasture contamination.

Weaned calves should be treated when they are first placed on pasture.

“Farmers should also be vaccinating livestock against Anthrax, Black Leg, Botulism and Lumpy Skin Disease at the moment while they must not forget that they have to religiously dip their cattle every week in all areas. This is also the time for them to adopt the 5-5-4-day dipping system in areas where January Disease is common.

“This is also the time to be doing seasonal bulling when breeding should be encouraged. Breeding takes place throughout the year but the normal practice is to leave the bulls with the cow-herd all the time. Heifers can also be introduced to the breeding bulls,” observed Dr Basera.

He, however, urged farmers to desist from kraaling livestock in muddy kraals/paddocks, as this has negative effects on the hooves and often causes foot rot problems in animals.

Supplementary feeding is also necessary for first calvers, Dr Basera told farmers.