A spike in calf deaths this spring has sparked concerns among vets who are blaming the massive expansion in Ireland’s dairy sector for stretching farmers ‘too thin’.
New data from the Department of Agriculture shows that stillbirths in the first quarter of 2016 increased by 33pc compared to two years ago.
While the national herd has increased in number by 16pc since 2014, most of this has been concentrated on dairy farms where numbers calving during the first quarter have increased by 156,000.
However, vets are worried that animal welfare is being compromised by the increase in numbers.
However, vets are worried that animal welfare is being compromised by the increase in numbers.
«You can’t deny that there’s a large problem here, and my read of it is that farmers are over-stretched,» said Cork-based vet Bill Cashman, who is also the president of Veterinary Ireland.
«We saw it on the ground, and the knackeries in our area were under pressure,» he said.
«We saw it on the ground, and the knackeries in our area were under pressure,» he said.
While the number of heifers calving in the dairy herd has increased from 19pc to 21pc between 2014 and 2015, vets said that it was unlikely to have significantly affected results.
Labour
Labour
«Vets are concerned about the rate of expansion on dairy farms, not just in terms of structural facilities, but also in terms of labour,» said Offaly vet Donal Lynch.
He is seeing the compromised health status of cows showing up in pregnancy scans, where up to a fifth of herds are not cycling.
He is seeing the compromised health status of cows showing up in pregnancy scans, where up to a fifth of herds are not cycling.
Limerick vet James Daly said that this year was the busiest since the fodder crisis in 2013.
«Vet costs per cow were up by as much as 30pc this spring,» said Mr Daly.
«Vet costs per cow were up by as much as 30pc this spring,» said Mr Daly.
«Back in 2013 it was just one problem – hungry stock. This time it was all the usual problems, just amplified by increased numbers.
«Part of the problem was that calving started three to four weeks earlier this year, but continued on as late as ever, which meant that infections had longer to build up and farmers were more tired than ever by the end,» he said.
«Part of the problem was that calving started three to four weeks earlier this year, but continued on as late as ever, which meant that infections had longer to build up and farmers were more tired than ever by the end,» he said.
Mr Daly also pointed to the drive by the dairy sector to maximise grazed grass over feed supplementation as a contributory factor in animal health at farm level.
«The biggest problem I encountered was the incidence of left and right displaced abomasums, especially among farmers determined to follow the grazing doctrine of getting cows out immediately after they calve,» he said.
«The biggest problem I encountered was the incidence of left and right displaced abomasums, especially among farmers determined to follow the grazing doctrine of getting cows out immediately after they calve,» he said.
Source: Independent
