Janssen Animal Health has just released the results of the Vecoxan® Coccidiosis Survey 2009. This is the second year the survey has been carried out and it canvases the opinions of farmers and their experience of coccidiosis on their farms.
- Over 700 respondents
- Distinct patterns emerging on age at infection and seasonality
- Bad weather consistently identified as key disease trigger for calves and lambs
Key Findings from 2009 Vecoxan® Coccidiosis Lamb Survey
- The 4 to 8 week age range was the most likely to be affected, with 4 week old lambs identified as the most vulnerable.
- The most important predisposing factors were ranked as bad weather (45%), no obvious factor (35%) and poor or overstocked pasture (6%). This is a very consistent result – in the 2008 survey 45% of farmers also identified bad weather as the most common trigger.
- 78% treated all lambs for coccidiosis, suggesting a good level of awareness of the disease, and a significant increase from the previous year when just 68% said they treated all lambs. This year 20% still reported that they treated only those lambs with clinical signs. Lambs can be affected without showing obvious signs but may experience significantly depressed weight gain, resulting in longer finishing times. Early treatment is essential given that clinical signs are only seen once the coccidial parasite has already caused gut damage.
- Some 29% said that they treated for coccidiosis every year as part of their routine. Another 45% treat intermittently and 24% had treated just once. Coccidial parasites are widespread in the environment and although good management practices can help lower the challenge, last year’s survey showed that 27% of farms experienced repeated outbreaks of the disease every year.
Janssen Animal Health vet, Nigel Underwood, points out that the consistency of the results suggests that the surveys really illustrate what is happening at farm level, “Last year we identified a very clear profile – very young lambs, kept at pasture characteristically affected 2-3 weeks after bad weather. Results this year tell exactly the same story, so it is very heartening to see that farmers are increasingly treating all lambs, not just those with clinical signs. It’s such an important step to prevent pasture contamination and protect the next batch of lambs.”
Key Findings from 2009 Vecoxan® Coccidiosis Calf Survey
- Calves are vulnerable to the effects of coccidiosis as passive immunity wears off. It has been accepted for some time that most clinical cases are seen at 6-8 weeks, although animals can be affected up to 6 months of age. However for the second year running the survey identifies peak numbers of calves are affected at 4- 8 weeks but the disease also peaks again at 12 weeks of age. When this is split out it becomes clear that although all calves can be affected later, this effect is more commonly seen in dairy calves, with over 22% first affected at 12 weeks. In fact the survey found that 12 weeks was the most common time for a dairy calf to show signs of infection with coccidiosis. This finding challenges accepted beliefs and the rationale for this later stage disease is hard to identify. It may be related to the timing for turn out on to pasture although turn out is ranked low on the list of predisposing factors (see below). Early infections prior to 4 weeks are also seen in dairy calves, presumably related to a lack of colostrum and low levels of passive immunity.
- Coccidiosis is accepted as an all year round disease though peaks sometimes seen in Summer months have been attributed to ‘turn out’ acting as a stressor, or to management practices that mean peak numbers of young animals tend to be produced in these months. The survey results indicated that farmers felt that spring was the most common time to see disease (45% of cases in 2009 and 50% of cases in 2008), followed by Summer (20%) and Winter (19%). So there is an all year round pattern but with low levels being reported in Autumn. If the results from beef farms and dairy farms are split out, a slightly different picture emerges with over 70% of cases in Spring (56%) and Summer (21%) on beef farms, possibly related to management practices favouring spring calvings. In contrast, dairy farms most often see disease in Winter (30%) and Spring (26%), though generally there is a more consistent pattern through the year.
- Predisposing (trigger) factors were ranked in order of importance: bad weather (23%), housing/rehousing (19%), castration/disbudding (17%), weaning (13%), no obvious stressor (10%) and turn out (7%). Signs of disease can be seen 21 days after a stressor event, in line with the parasite lifecycle and it is recommended that animals are treated 10-14 days after a stress trigger that has been previously identified on the farm.
- 53% treated all calves but 39% treated only those calves with clinical signs. Treating only those that are obviously affected can result in considerable economic loss and many calves show negligible clinical signs yet have significant gut damage that impacts upon growth. Economic loss due to coccidiosis may amount to £25 to £60 per calf plus treatment costs, so these untreated calves could represent significant financial loss on these farms3. Of those taking part in the survey, 89% treated with Vecoxan®.
Nigel Underwood commented, “There is a lot to think about in this year’s results. Last year we found that in general we are looking at a slightly older age group of animals with peak cases being seen in Spring. This year we have seen the same picture and it’s interesting to look at the differences between dairy and beef farms. Housing has been a more commonly reported trigger event and I’d suggest farmers look out for scouring two to three weeks after housing or other obvious triggers. While sheep farmers seem to be more aware of the need to treat all animals in the batch, fewer cattle farmers are treating all the animals (53% in 2009 compared to 60% in 2008). Vecoxan® can be given to calves at any age and does not interfere with the development of immunity. Failure to treat calves early may provide some explanation for this late peak we are seeing around 12 weeks of age. Our results suggest that dairy farmers in particular should stay alert to the risks of coccidiosis when rearing calves as replacements or for finishing, as we had some reports of calves being affected up to a year old.”
Vecoxan® contains diclazuril 0.25% w/v Legal Category POM-VPS
Further information is available from Janssen Animal Health, 50-100 Holmers Farm Way, High Wycombe, Bucks, HP12 4EG Tel 01494 567555 Fax 01494 567556 Email: ahealth@jacgb.jnj.com
Reference
- Vecoxan Coccidiosis Survey 2009
- Vecoxan Coccidiosis Survey 2008
- The costs of coccidiosis, Dr Tony Andrews, Veterinary Practice, August 2008
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