Blue tongue vaccine
- Thread starter Deutz638
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bruceythom
Well-Known Member
I have it ordered.
The vaccine will effect the animals so best done before breeding.
Talking to my Dutch Colleagues, it is going to run across the country and has a serious effect on cows so I'm not going to take chances.
It will be worse for sheep.
We will be much wiser in 8 months time.
What are the thoughts on it for bullocks? When you say it effects the cows, in what way does it do so? From a breeding or fertility point of view?
What's the rough cost per animal, assuming 400kg average bullocks which would be a bit on the optimistic side. Whatever the cost is it would be a lot less than losing even one animal but I'm just interested to know before we go down the road.
What's the rough cost per animal, assuming 400kg average bullocks which would be a bit on the optimistic side. Whatever the cost is it would be a lot less than losing even one animal but I'm just interested to know before we go down the road.
kverneland es 80
Well-Known Member
Ordered here as well hopefully have it tomorrow not taking the chance . Just over 4 euro a shot i was quoted and 2 shots needed the first yr and we are just doing cows and bulling heifers
thefarminglad
Well-Known Member
I am no expert but if i use it, it will only be used on breeding stock.
What effect had it on Dutch cows?
What strains are you vaccinating for?..I think there’s 14 different strains.
€8 a shot here.
What strains of BT are you going to vaccinate against?
eire23
Well-Known Member
What is the general train of thought on how it effects sheep? I know the mortality rate is worse than cattle but exactly how bad? 200 euro for 50 doses so it's not cheap and then will the vaccine cover against the active strain. No one around here seems to be taking about it but I think there's going to be non advoiding it
josh
Moderator/IT Guy
The virus seems to be evolving to not be as hard on sheep in terms of clinical disease, at least that appears to be the case in the UK but there is still mortality on the continent from what I hear. More to be understood in terms of how it affects fertility and other traits. I agree, I don't think it can be avoided at this point.
We ran a very insightful webinar recently on it with Alan Murphy of Moredun, which covers cattle and sheep.
gooey_oleary
Well-Known Member
200 euro across 1.5 weaned lambs on 50 sheep,is working out E2.66 a lamb
It would want to be giving lifetime immunity to get good value....i got an awlful doing with smallenberg,but vaccine couldnt be got the following year,so had to press on and never issue again with it
Any word on how bluetongue goes over a medium term of 4 - 5 years....or will it weaken like covid did
jay gatsby
Well-Known Member
I couldn't get a clear answer on the strain(s) that we have in the country currently and which ones the vaccine will be active against. Without clarity on that it seems difficult to push on with a vaccine program
AYF
Well-Known Member
Did all the sheep here.
If BT reduced my lambing percent by as little as 2% it would have paid for the vaccine.
No brainer compared to the stories from the continent.
I'm involved in a sheep group that's run by a vet who is involved in government policy, she is on the "front line" as it were. And a farmer herself, she was saying do it!
Now BT didn't actually make it to this area as was expected, but it was good insurance. Ill keep an eye on proceedings to see if I do them this year. I predict it is likely I will.
Didn’t do fat lambs or cattle, as I was told that fertility is the big issue.
And yes, do them well ahead of breeding. Iirc we did them as we were weaning. Knew by then who would be culled so didn't have to do those.
Do bulls and rams first. If fertility takes a hit they will get time to recover.
In ewes and cows a couple taking a hit won't show up the same as a bull or ram unable to do his job.
As the chief UK government vet said to me, the vaccine is very unlikely to cause fertility loss. But BT is guaranteed to!
Unreal the amount of conspiracy theories surrounding vaccinations now! Has been very prevalent with BT especially.
If BT reduced my lambing percent by as little as 2% it would have paid for the vaccine.
No brainer compared to the stories from the continent.
I'm involved in a sheep group that's run by a vet who is involved in government policy, she is on the "front line" as it were. And a farmer herself, she was saying do it!
Now BT didn't actually make it to this area as was expected, but it was good insurance. Ill keep an eye on proceedings to see if I do them this year. I predict it is likely I will.
Didn’t do fat lambs or cattle, as I was told that fertility is the big issue.
And yes, do them well ahead of breeding. Iirc we did them as we were weaning. Knew by then who would be culled so didn't have to do those.
Do bulls and rams first. If fertility takes a hit they will get time to recover.
In ewes and cows a couple taking a hit won't show up the same as a bull or ram unable to do his job.
As the chief UK government vet said to me, the vaccine is very unlikely to cause fertility loss. But BT is guaranteed to!
Unreal the amount of conspiracy theories surrounding vaccinations now! Has been very prevalent with BT especially.
Any reason why? I'm not doubting you, I'm just wondering the rationale. I'm small scale with only 21 bullocks, so the profit is small anyway. For that reason, I'd rather spend the extra €200 for the vaccine than lose even one animal which would blow whatever profit was in it for the year anyway.
We are in marshy enough ground too, so I'd suppose the midget activity would be high enough.
AYF
Well-Known Member
Not that I'm aware of?
The current vaccine is for BTV 3. Which is a nasty variant.
There are a few other strains, (12?) But they aren't all equal in terms of the effect they have on the animals. Most are very mild with no real effect.
They have found a few cases of other variants, but I think it's a case of finding it as they test for btv3. "Look and you will find"
BT 8 is in cornwall and its a very bad strain of bluetongue as it affects the feet causing the crubes to rot away in bad cases, thats what we were told at a meeting organised by our vets
FIAT 450
Well-Known Member
And what strain does the vaccine that we can get here fight against. Will it do that strain?
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DaDonegalLad
Well-Known Member
Enquired with my vets yesterday, she told me there is a very small uptake on the vaccine in England, they are NI based and said only vaccine available to me is for BTV-3, I don't know if she meant it's the only one available in uk also.
As far as I know if you get BTV-3 vaccine that's what it covers, nothing else.
As far as I know if you get BTV-3 vaccine that's what it covers, nothing else.
Bit about it in the farming independent yesterday. Apparently it has been in the country since at least last September. Spring calving herd's would need to be vaccinating now.
Sorry about the shite photo, camera is fucked from years of the phone being dropped, driven on, or worse.
Sorry about the shite photo, camera is fucked from years of the phone being dropped, driven on, or worse.
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FIAT 450
Well-Known Member
So is there much point going with the btv 3 when there is a btv 8 strain in England now? Is that the same strain that was in NZ a few weeks ago?