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Keep a close eye on cattle for signs of lice bothering animals housed for winter, even if animals were treated in late autumn.
Cattle that have lice will not be thriving to their potential.
If the burden is severe enough, cattle will be losing weight due to the level of irritation.
When treating cattle for lice, it is important that all animals under the same roof are treated on the same day.
If cattle are treated over a couple of days, due to time constraints or weather, there is a risk that lice on the animals dosed last will migrate through the shed and back on to the first batch treated.
Signs of lice
Cattle scratching on gates or barriers, as well as persistently licking at their coat, are tell-tale signs of lice and result in the loss of hair.
Use a product that targets biting and sucking lice. Pour-on drenches are commonly used and often have a fixed volume for every application. Be mindful of withdrawal dates if treating animals on a finishing diet.
While moving animals to the handling unit allows for accurate application, it is possible to walk behind cattle and treat animals standing at the feed rail when offered meal or fresh silage.
This avoids the need to remove heavily pregnant cows from group pens so close to calving. Clipping cattle will keep coats cleaner, free of dust and dead skin, reducing the burden of lice present.
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