TB Testing during calving - TB Testing

carole · Post by **carole** » Sat Mar 25, 2006 2:34 pm

We are new to keeping dexters and have just received out notification of testing, however 5 of our cows are due to calve during the tb testing period. We would welcome advice on whether to organise the testing for before the first calving or after the last calf is born.

Duncan MacIntyre · Post by **Duncan MacIntyre** » Sat Mar 25, 2006 5:10 pm

As a vet usually on the other side of the equation I would always go for doing the test before calving begins - I know the calves will be under age but they have to be handled as well, either separated during the test or at risk of injury if they are with the cows when strange people are doing strange things. If your cows are halter trained and quiet you may not need much in the way of handling facilities, whilst they are at all fractious they might need a crush. Remember; TB testing involves reading the test on the 3rd day, and most Dexters have a memory of much more than 3 days so try to have some sort of system that they do not get too stressed going through. It need not be fancy as long as the vet chan get good access to their neck, still not jumping around, and read the ear numbers.
I am including a lot of stuff here which you may not need to be told, but I am thinking of others reading this who may also be in the same position - remember that vets are paid per head for tb testing and in veterinary terms it is generally a poor earner unless they are doing large numbers in very good facilities - if they have to spend all morning doing a few cows they will not be happy. I think DEFRA base the rate on us being able to do 40 per hour, much more than is possible in most small herds. Then of course we have to go away and do the paperwork or computerwork if using the "Vebus" system. The Vebus system lets us download the ear numbers and ages of all cattle on the holding in advance and then we just have to enter the measurements against the ear number, speeds things up and reduces mistakes with numbers, but sometimes entering the results on line can be very slow.

If you have any doubts on procedure or facilities needed your own vet practice would, I am certain, much rather answer questions before the big day.

My own test is due before the end of May and I will have it done before they go out simply because I use 3 different grazing locations and that just gets too complicated. I do not have a crush but most of mine will stand quiet on a halter whilst I hold their head. Any jumpy ones are run between two parallel gates about two and a half feet apart and the head controlled with a halter. They will be blood tested for Brucellosis at the same time and without a crush it is easiest to get the blood from the vein on the underside of the tail, so they need to be held from jumping from side to side.

I hope all goes well.

Duncan

carole · Post by **carole** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 9:14 pm

Hi Duncan
Thank you for your advice it is all really helpful, you even answered the questions that we thought of as soon as we had posted. 40 cows an hour is a bit of an eye opener, it makes our few a bit uneconomic. Our current cows are not halter trained but I would like to halter train the calves when they are born, but that's a whole different post and I think I've read other posts about it, lets get through the testing and calving first.
Thanks again your help is most appreciated.
Carole

groubearfarm · Post by **groubearfarm** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 9:20 pm

I would like to put the other side of the equation to you because I have a friend that was in a similar postion to you and her cow very sadly was tested as positive just before calving and she had to have her put down but when the testing was done after her death she did not have TB, therefore was the calf's chance of life lost for the sake of a few days.
I have a TB test due in a month but also three cows due to calve in the next six weeks, I will therefore go on a standstill for a couple of weeks and have my cows tested after they have calved. Although my cows are not all halter trained, I would prefer the slightly increased stress of testing after they have calved rather than risk the calves chance of survival.
It is a very hard decision but until the TB testing is more accurate I prefer not to take any chances.
Good luck, Fiona

Duncan MacIntyre · Post by **Duncan MacIntyre** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 9:41 pm

Very valid points, Fiona, I work in an area where there has only been one genuine TB reactor in 30 years, and perhaps three or four others taken on false positves and our cattle population is something like 15 thousand. I realise it must be different in areas where TB can rear its ugly head much more often. I was thinking more of the physical side of puting the cattle through the handling needed for the test.

Duncan.