With the current seasonal conditions it is all the more important that you prepare early to minimise losses associated with pinkeye infections.
Pinkeye is painful and debilitating for cattle but also time consuming and costly to treat once your herd is infected. Up to 80% of a mob can be affected in a bad pinkeye season.
Contributing environmental factors are:
- Dry dusty conditions
- Freshly cut grass or long grass and grass seeds
- Feed stubble or hay
- UV light
- Close confined yarding of cattle
- Flies
Cattle under two years old are highly susceptible to pinkeye. These are some of your most valuable animals, the future of your herd and should be protected. Cattle confined for drought feeding and transporting are at high risk too.
The costs of pinkeye are higher than what you might think. The direct costs of
production losses and the treatment costs you realise, but have you thought about:
- A decrease in average weight gain of up to 10%
- Reduction in sale prices or inability to sell
- Decreased milk production due to reduced dry matter intake
- Negative effects on fertility
- The welfare of the animal
- The time and effort required to treat affected cattle
Coopers Piliguard vaccine can help control an outbreak of pinkeye associated with the Moraxella bovis strains and minimise the severity of an outbreak.
Piliguard is an important part of an integrated pest management approach to reduce pinkeye. It is important to vaccinate 3-6 weeks prior to the onset of the pinkeye season. Other things you can do to reduce your risk of pinkeye is to eliminate fly breeding and feeding sites, dampen down yards when dry or dusty, cut grass prior to the beginning of the fly season and at the onset of the fly season, apply a fly control product like Coopers Easy Dose. Don’t forget that if some of your cattle get pinkeye, it’s important to promptly segregate and treat them.
To give producers an incentive to vaccinate before the onset of pinkeye season, Coopers are offering a $50 cash back* if you purchase 3 x 100mL of Coopers Piliguard before 31st October 2018 (Max $200 cash back per farm).
*Terms and conditions apply
Visit www.coopersanimalhealth.com.au or your local CRT store to find out more.
1 Meat and Livestock Australia (2006). Assessing the economic cost of endemic disease on the profitability of Australian beef cattle and sheep producers.
MLA final report
