worming cows

helen salmon · Post by **helen salmon** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 9:47 pm

My husband and I have been having a discussion on how you would administer tablets to a cow. After a very nice bottle of red wine we have come up with some amusing answers (no, I'm not going to repeat them!).
So, how do you go about it?
Helen

Issy · Post by **Issy** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 10:04 pm

Pour on wormer is much easier :D so we only have to worry once a year when we drench for liver fluke and they usually take that ok with the help from a crush (well apart from Pumpkin who will take any drench if there is a bucket of nuts in front of her nose).

helen salmon · Post by **helen salmon** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 7:48 pm

Thanks Issy,
Helen

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 8:15 pm

We take dung samples every now and again for testing for worms, fluke etc, and then we only worm if they have worms. We have virtually never wormed. Same with our sheep, we use almost no wormers.

The last time we appeared to have worms which was a few weeks ago because the cattle were very runny, after a test it proved we hadn't got any worms to speak of at all. It was dietary.

Edited By Broomcroft on 1233861423

Saffy · Post by **Saffy** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 8:11 am

I agree with Broomcroft here - if you take samples you may get a pleasant surprise.

When one of the calves was scouring a few months back the vet sent a sample off and she was clear - a big surprise! We didn't expect that as she had been grazing from a day or so old with the herd and we would have dosed the young ones - lesson learned.

Turns out she is SO greedy she was guzzling the milk straight into the wrong stomach, the vet did well to diagnose it on the cow- (I had that happen once or twice with a bucket calf and you give it a teat, not alot you can do for one on the cow!!!) I take it her Mum is an easy and good milker but anyway she settled a few weeks later and is doing really well.

Stephanie