Dairy and Small Ruminant

Dairy Herd Services

We focus on a whole herd approach and prevention.

Herd health and dairy management have always been a specific area of interest for our practice. Our goals are to provide quality advice and service to maximize the potential of your herd. We focus on a whole herd approach and prevention based medicine which includes reproduction, vaccination protocols, sick animal management, diagnostic testing, surgery, nutrition consultation, milking protocol, and financial considerations.

Regular reviews of production parameters compared to national and provincial standards. proAction Assessment, CQM preparation (including prescriptions), working with DHI to monitor and improve your herd.  Keeping you abreast of new information that will improve animal health and your bottom line. 

Regular examinations are not just about identifying pregnancies but ensuring proper cycling and timing of the herd. Proper reproductive management will be rewarded with fewer cows open, less semen used, lower average days in milk and a more profitable herd. 

Keeping cows healthy is a priority of every producer. Many diseases can cause abortion or debilitating disease that can be disastrous. Many conditions can be prevented with a proper vaccine and deworming protocol. Remember, not every dewormer is approved for lactating cattle. Our standard vaccine protocol for lactating Dairy includes.

  • Bovi-Shield Gold FP5
  • Clostridial vaccine (Ultrabac 7/Somnugen or Ultrachoice 8)
  • J-Vac or Enviracor (optional E.Coli Protection)
  • Vit A and D
  • Eprinex or Cydectin Dewormer

Mastitis can be environmental or contagious, and it is important to know which. Routine testing through DHI or lab culture help identify problem areas. Somatic cell count investigation helps identify and eliminate this issue by encouraging routine testing, implementing appropriate treatment protocols, and evaluating current milking protocols.

No matter how hard we try, surgery is always a part of life on the farm. C-sections, twists, castrations, and teat lacerations are a few of the common procedures we perform. We also train our clients on proper nerve blocks and dehorning techniques.

Too often, nutrition is overlooked or downplayed when looking at the herd as a whole. We work with your nutritionist to find a balance between diet, cow comfort, and production that best fits your herd. We help troubleshoot areas such as ketosis, milk fever, retained placentas, and reproductive issues that may have a nutritional component. Many of these issues can be subclinical but affect your bottom line. Early detection and treatment are important to managing and monitoring these issues, but prevention is key. 

Small ruminants include sheep, milking goats, and meat goats. We offer herd health services that include vaccination and deworming protocols catered to each individual herd or animal. Individual animal care includes physical examination and assessment, depending on the issue. Notable infections, diseases, and conditions of sheep and goats in Manitoba include:

  • Heamonchus contortus (barber pole worm) – can cause severe anemia
  • Casseous lymphadenitis – Swelling of lymph nodes often around the mandible
  • Coccidiosis – diarrhea in young sheep or goats
  • Foot rot – infection of the feet leading to lameness
  • Mastitis (in milking goats)
  • Dystocia – difficulty giving birth
  • Roundworms and hookworms – common parasites found in pasture