Animal health is important at all times of the year but there are a few pinchpoints where raised awareness is needed to avoid any animal health issues.

Spring and autumn are probably the most critical times. In spring, newborn calves are susceptible to disease and this brings with it issues.

In autumn, the transition from outdoors to indoor housing can be problematic on some farms, especially where immunity isn’t to its maximum. Ironically, it is probably back in the previous spring where some of the work starts in terms of avoiding problems later in the animal’s life.

Pneumonia incidences peak in autumn and if you have had issues in the past, it’s critical that you have a plan in place to avoid any issues during this autumn/winter.

Stress is a big factor in disease outbreak, so reducing stress as much as possible is very important. This could be as simple as making sure animals are dosed for parasites in advance of housing to reduce stress levels when housed.

Vaccination has a big role to play and where there have been issues in the past, vaccination should be looked at as an aid to avoid outbreaks.

In our AHI article this week, we take a look at IBR, what it is and how best to control it.

There was a massive reaction to the inclusion of IBR testing in the National Beef Welfare Scheme but there is a lot of misunderstanding around the disease and how we control it. There are also massive implications for live exports in the future if we don’t get its control right.

Finally, we take a look at lying space and the importance of a good environment for cattle during the winter housing period. Cramming animals into slatted pens is a recipe for problems and animal performance will be below target if lying space is insufficient.