![farm animal age farm animal age](https://st3.depositphotos.com/1009587/17658/i/450/depositphotos_176586194-stock-photo-sixteen-mosaic-photos-farm-animals.jpg)
![farm animal age farm animal age](https://i5.walmartimages.com/asr/b7e2f139-0452-42c1-b709-357111fc1afa_1.be688ae5867069d69a9d55eb9369efda.jpeg)
Therefore, post-purchase management of incoming animals, as well as management of the home herd, are important control points. The ability of tests to find the presence of a disease (sensitivity) is limited, so testing alone does not eliminate the risks inherent to purchasing animals. Use pour-on or other insecticide upon arrival, if indicated.
![farm animal age farm animal age](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/kc4AAOSwp1Rf-cXv/s-l400.jpg)
#FARM ANIMAL AGE SERIES#
Booster or initiate a vaccination series to match your herd vaccination program.Ask for records of initial vaccination series and boosters for respiratory diseases, leptospirosis, bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) in cattle, clostridial diseases (CD Tet in small ruminants), and rabies.Isolate and treat any problems upon arrival. Inspect for hairy heel warts (cattle), foot rot, foot scald (small ruminants), and lameness.Purchase open or bred heifers to minimize the risk of mastitis (but recognize the risk will not be zero).
#FARM ANIMAL AGE PLUS#
Conduct a series of three bulk tank or individual cultures plus somatic cell count (SCC). The key point is to determine the vaccination and health status not for just the individuals you are buying, but also of the herd of origin.Īsk specifically about the following conditions: Organic livestock farms will recognize that careful examination of animals is needed since treatment options are more limited.Īsk your veterinarian to contact the source herd's veterinarian. Review the following checklist before purchasing new animals.
![farm animal age farm animal age](https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1668/24208297973_8303231712_b.jpg)
Organize chore routines to feed and milk isolated cattle after the main herd.Provide adequate feed bunk length and water trough access per animal.Provide adequate pen, stall, or bedded area per animal.Milk mastitic, treated, or sick cows last, and disinfect the milking claw between such animals.If overwintered on pasture, move cows to a clean pasture for calving.Separate dry dairy cows from milking cows.Separate replacement heifers from cows.House yearling and breeding age dairy heifers separately.House 4 to 8-month-old dairy calves in small groups separate from older heifers.Place hutches away from dairy barn exhaust fans.House each dairy calf in an individual pen or hutch.Separate pre-weaned dairy calves from all other age groups.Although the following recommendations are written for cattle, similar principles apply to all livestock: Younger animals need time to develop immunity to diseases. To minimize disease transmission, housing and management systems should minimize contact between youngstock and older animals. Young animals acquire infectious diseases primarily through exposure to older infected or carrier animals.