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Posted: Thu May 15, 2008 12:01 pm
by tim z
i have my tb test due in two weeks ,i am wondering if it's a good idea to have the blue tongue vaccination done at the same time (save their call out charge)
tim z
Posted: Thu May 15, 2008 1:25 pm
by Rutherford
Duncan can probably advise on this one, but my suggestion would be, do it on his second visit, to avoid any repercussions to the test.
Beryl (Woodmagic)
Posted: Thu May 15, 2008 10:09 pm
by Duncan MacIntyre
The one to discuss this with is of course your own vet. I think Beryl is probably right - if your are in a TB sensitive area probably not a good idea to use a little known vaccine at the same time as the first test day.
Do also remember that DEFRA or whatever they call themselves this week pay vets to do Tuberculin testing on a headage basis. Things which slow down the test may well make what is not a very good earner on an hourly basis into a farce economically, so do ask tactfully how your vet feels about it. I think the rate for TT is based on a throughput of 40 animals per hour. Recently I did one where I had managed to test 3 animals in the first hour and ten minutes.
Did you intend to do the vaccination yourself or get the vet do do it? If there is any likelihood of certification being needed to move animals then the vet should do it and record what has been done, but if this in not needed then you can do it yourselves.
I am just wondering what thought has gone into the distribution of the vaccine in Scotland. It is to be compulsory here, which means I am likely to have to supply something like 60,000 doses. Our local office don't know if there are any plans for how it is all to be handled. I could get a few hundred doses in my fridge, maybe even a thousand, but not 60000 if it all has to come at once!
Duncan
Posted: Fri May 16, 2008 10:00 am
by moomin
The advice we have had in our workshops is not to do the BT at the same time as other procedures [apart from the Butox Swish pour on to keep the flies off]. The lectures we had were quite specific about this. As Beryl and Duncan say we know very little about this vaccine so it is best to take every precaution.
You do not need to have the vet do the BT in England unless you need certification for export or to go into free zones.
Vaccination is not compulsory, I wish it was as one of my neighbours is a dealer and is apparently not bothering. Have heard of lots of others, mainly dealers, who have adopted the same attitude. They don't keep the animals for 3 weeks anyway! The people with pedigree herds are all doing it. It will be interesting to see what the figures end up like, I wonder if we will have 80% coverage?
However I understand why Defra have not made it compulsory. We in the South East have been able to get vaccination done quickly. We haven't got enough large animal vets to go round anyway so it would have taken ages and the rest of the country would have been held up.
Posted: Fri May 16, 2008 12:27 pm
by tim z
i spoke to my vet this morning and they have not been issued any vaccine yet and at this time are only taking "orders" for vaccine .i only have 12 cattle and 18 sheep ,so i might have a go myself when it becomes available. thanks for all the replies . tim z
Posted: Fri May 16, 2008 2:21 pm
by bjreroberts
I was quite surprised that when I asked my vet he was very dismissive and said he did not think it was worth bothering due to the fact it is for only one strain of the virus and the relatively low mortality in cattle.
I don't see how they can wipe out the virus unless it is made compulsory.