Tuam Mart hears of need to vaccinate and dose cattle
THE importance of vaccinating and dosing cattle from an early age was highlighted at last Thursday’s animal health and welfare seminar in Tuam Mart.
Those in attendance heard from guest speakers such as IFA President Francie Gorman, Tuam-based vet Brian Burke, Darren Carty of the Irish Farmers Journal, and cattle dealers Hubert Maxwell and Leo Colhoun. The event was overseen by Brendan Nestor, the Chair of the Tuam Mart Committee.
Producing cattle at marts that are fit to be exported to international markets, or for movement on the home market, was one of the themes to also emerge from the seminar, as live cattle exporter Hubert Maxwell commented on the issues that come with unvaccinated animals.
“There are very little problems with calves that are vaccinated and dosed. If calves are not vaccinated, they normally give a lot of trouble and trouble means death,” said Hubert Maxwell from Roscommon.
“Weanlings are under pressure when they’re being weaned and when they’re being transported, and stress opens the door for pneumonia.
“You can see the difference in calves that are vaccinated and dosed when they come to the mart. It’s no good vaccinating them a week or ten days or a fortnight before selling them. They won’t be immune.”
Maxwell also mentioned the need to dose calves to ward against fluke and worms.
Stress was highlighted as a major cause of illness in cattle at the seminar. Leo Colhoun, a cattle buyer's agent for the home market, said that farmers should have a proper vaccination and dosing system for their livestock.
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NIALL Rhatigan and Pat Joyce.Image 2 of 6
DENIS Joyce, Ursula Kelly and Michael Cunnane.Image 3 of 6
TUAM Mart Committee members John Lynskey, Carmel Greaney and Ger Hoade, with Saoirse Loftus (Tuam Mart assistant manager), IFA President Francie Gorman, and Marion Devane (Tuam Mart manager.Image 4 of 6
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HUBERT Maxwell speaking at the seminar, with Tuam Mart Committee Chair Brendan Nestor and Leo Colhoun to his left.Image 6 of 6
IFA President Francie Gorman addresses the animal health and welfare seminar at Tuam Mart.“It’s very important in the first six months of an animal’s life that a vaccination programme is put in place to start their lives off well. You can consult with your vet to get a vaccination and dosing programme put together,” offered Leo Colhoun from Donegal.
“Cattle are harder to treat and take longer to recover from sickness if they are not vaccinated properly.
“Stress is one of the biggest causes of sickness in animals. This reduces when they are vaccinated. Cattle that are vaccinated outperform unvaccinated cattle over the fattening period.”