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July 4, 2021 7:00 am
While the standard of external biosecurity is very high on Irish pig farms, internal biosecurity i.e. the ability to break the circulation of pathogens that are already present on the unit, usually requires improvement.
This is according to Dr. Allison Kirwan, a veterinary practitioner with Highfield Veterinary Group, who specialises in pig health.
Better internal biosecurity on pig farms
Animal Health Ireland (AHI)-funded biosecurity assessments, carried out by specially trained vets, have helped verify that high external biosecurity standards are usually present on Irish pig farms.
However, internal biosecurity measures, especially on those pig farms that use in-feed medication, need to be more closely analysed with “all potential shortcomings identified and addressed as practically as possible”.
Could contract rearing be used to control Johne s disease? agriland.ie - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from agriland.ie Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
July 3, 2021, 6:10 am
Autumn-calving cows are approaching the end of their lactations and are now at the point where farmers may be considering drying off some of the cows.
A dry period is important for the following reasons:
It allows for cows to build up body condition score (BCS) for calving and early lactation;
To regenerate mammary tissue in preparation for milking again;
To optimise the benefits of hormonal changes that occur around calving.
Selecting cows to dry off
When selecting cows for drying off it is important to identify first lactation or cows not in the desired BCS.
These cows will require a longer dry period to have a chance to get in the right BCS score or recover after their first lactation. It is advised to give these cows up to a twelve week dry period.
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) was notified of 2,917 new badger setts across the country in 2020. This information was obtained