​SUNRISE VETerinary SERVICES
​CATTLE  Producer ​NEWSLETTERS​

​CURRENT INFORMATION THAT YOU CAN USE
​TO MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS
REGARDING YOUR HERD'S HEALTH AND WELL-BEING.

Sunrise Vet Services  December 2018 Producer Newsletter ​​
​      Wow, deer hunting with toe fungus was not a great option.  Needless to say the biggest baddest bucks out in the woods are still running away from seeing and smelling the toughest toe fungus out there.  But it’s all good because I figure they’ll be that much bigger next year, so by then I’ll need the red tractor to get them out of the woods!       Hey, what's up with this white stuff on the ground?  By gosh, I am not quite ready for this stuff yet. Can I bring it over to your farm? Seeing as it’s December already, I guess we should not be too surprised by snow showing up. ​

Well, it does bring out the Christmas spirit in everyone. HO-HO-HO, Merry Christmas to everyone!  

Do you know how cold it is outside right now?  Let me tell you it’s dang cold even though it is still just barely below freezing right now.  How many calories do your newborn calves need to survive and grow in this weather?  I’m betting more than what you are feeding right now.  How can we help your calves thrive in colder temps?

• More feedings: 3x per day is a great way to increase calorie intake and maintain growth.
• Or 2x per day feedings, but increase the amount fed by 35%, again more calories.
• Add fat to the milk replacer as an extra energy source… Don’t use donuts though.
• Use high quality calf starter. If it is old or moldy, pitch it and use new stuff.
• Give water at a temp of 102 degrees after feeding milk to promote more water intake.  Warm water is much better than cold.

TB Update:  Dr. Jim and I attended a TB meeting last week and this is the latest information we have.  Over 2000 animals were tested (age 2 months and up) and all reactors and positive animals that have been identified so far were sent to slaughter.  Additional culture results are pending on the reactor animals.  Two more farms are under quarantine as they had gotten steers and female cattle from the infected farm. The DATCP is expecting more farms may be placed under quarantine as they trace out where all animals went in the last 3-5 years. Because Wisconsin has a plan and containment, Wisconsin is still is listed as TB free per the USDA.  Several things I have learned from this TB outbreak.

1. Our slaughter facility surveillance system is working.  The cow with TB was found at slaughter by an inspector.  
2. The farm used 840 style tags which made traceback very simple to the farm of origin.  These are the ones that have RFID in them.  
3. Having your premises registered makes contacting everyone in the nearby locations very easy instead of having to track down and find all the other farms in the area.  

Speaking of having your premises registered... Have all of you gotten your Premise ID number for your farm through the Wisconsin Premises Registration program? All farms should be registered so that in case of an outbreak or emergency producers can be notified quickly and easily. It’s very easy to get registered. Simply go online to https://datcp.wi.gov/Documents/PremRegApplicationForm.pdf  and print the form, or come to the clinic and we’ll give you a copy that you can fill out and mail in. Or simply call the WLIC at (888) 808-1910 and they'll register you over the phone. Once you have a Premise ID number, they’ll be able to notify you if important information becomes available. More info is available here: https://datcp.wi.gov/Pages/Programs_Services/PremisesRegistration.aspx

Speaking of going online… I was recently talking to a client who brought to my attention that starting in January of 2019, there will be some auction buyers that are now only bidding on cattle, including culled dairy cows, that come from farms that are certified under the “Beef Quality Assurance” program (BQA). I’m sure that this is for marketing purposes so that they can say that the beef that they supply all comes from sources that raise their animals humanely. To get certified so that you can stay ahead of the game, there are online courses that you can take and test on. (Unfortunately, there are no in-person courses being offered in our area.) Once you’ve passed the online test, you’ll be able to print a BQA Certificate. Your certification will be good for 3 years so a copy of this certificate should accompany your cattle to the sale barn and you can ask that they keep a copy of it on file for you. More information is available at https://bqa.beeflearningcenter.org/  You will want to choose the right course as they have ones for

• Cow/Calf
• Stocker/Backgrounder
• Feedyard

ANNOUNCEMENT:     As of Jan. 1st, 2019, ALL PET SERVICES will need to be paid for at the time of service… no more “on account” delayed billing for producers pets. Unfortunately, we have the business set up with two completely separate operating systems, one for our farm service division, and a completely separate operating system and software for our pets division.  We cannot merge them which is why we’ve had to insist on a separate pet bill and a separate check.  Even if we provide pet services on your farm, we’ll need to be paid for that pet service before we leave the farm.  The reason for this change is to eliminate problems & misunderstandings with the two separate divisions of Sunrise Vet Services. Thank you for your understanding.

Again, Merry Christmas to everyone! Now if anyone is wondering, here are a few ideas for Christmas gifts for certain hard working veterinarians.  1. Any of us would be happy to work on our tan lines with a trip to Fiji.   2. A massage chair for Dr. Natalie.  3. A class for me on acceptance of farmers who use green tractors : )

Sunrise Vet Services  November 2018 Producer Newsletter ​
      Well hey there! It’s getting to be that time a year again!  Yep! It’s John versus the thirty point buck again.  That big one may have gotten away last year, but John has some new tricks this year.  According to John, his new secret weapon is toe fungus.  Yep that buck is going to smell that stuff and fall over dead. He won’t even need to pull the trigger! And that’s straight from John’s mouth…. Yup. We hear ya.

      Fine fall days are here again and it seems that John the weatherman has once again worked his magic! He’ll admit that it took him a while to shut off the water about a month ago, but this time he swears he’s got it figured out!  So the weatherman guarantee is still in effect and is good until you’re done with this newsletter!

      Scary Breaking News;  TB (tuberculosis) has been found in a dairy herd in Dane County.  What does this mean for you? Great question. We can give you a few answers.  TB is a “reportable” disease which means we veterinarians must report it to the state of WI if it’s found.  TB is highly transmissible between animals and humans.  We know that this farm had an employee 3 years ago who tested positive for TB and we know that TB has a long incubation period.   The farm is under quarantine and cannot ship cattle off the farm. What happens now? We can’t know for sure, but we would speculate that the state vets will be investigating and seeing if the former employee’s strain of TB is a match to the strain the cattle have.  If that is the case, we should be ok. If not, then crap may hit the fan. Let's discuss that only if we need to.  For right now, this is what you need to know: If you are planning on moving cattle out of the state, we will need to contact that state to see if they have made any changes in regulations as they may start to require TB testing on cattle being shipped from Wisconsin. We’ll keep you posted on all new information.

      Minerals.  Are your cattle getting enough?  Approximately 1-1½ years ago there was a fire at a mineral plant in Germany. That fire created a worldwide shortage of cattle minerals. China increased production to fill the demand. The quality of the minerals may have been different, plus nutritionists have been under a lot of pressure to reduce feed expenses any way they can.  The question is: Do you have minerals in your feed? And if so, what quality are they?  If cattle don’t get the right balance of minerals, it has a very negative effect on immune systems... Sick cattle, poor doing, bad hair coats, etc.   Please talk with your nutritionist about what minerals your cattle are getting.  Don’t skip on minerals. It will cost you in the end.      ***Dr. Darren’s Rule of Thumb for Minerals: 4 oz. per head per day.  

      Proper Dosages for Cattle Medications; Do you know the size/weight of individual cattle in your herd? And do you take that weight into account when dosing?  It’s time for BET THE VET!!! Yep. Now is the time to put the money on the table so to speak. We are getting cattle weight tapes for our trucks and we are accepting challenges on who can be more accurate at estimating cattle weight.  Talk with your vet to see what’s on the betting table.  For example; John likes to win donuts!
Speaking of proper dosage... What is the proper dosage for Excenel in a cow with a uterus infection?  2cc per 100 lbs of body weight IM or SC with no more than 15 cc per injection site once a day for 5 days.  What about Excede? 1.5 cc per 100 lbs body weight and repeat in 72 hours.

      New Information:  Based on a conversation we had with an industry rep, it has come to our attention that condemned cattle are regularly being tested for antibiotics.  If your cow looks poor and she is at the end of the withholding period, there is a good chance she may be condemned and then be tested.   If she is positive, you will be put on the violators list. What does this mean for you?  Sick cows do not process antibiotics the same way healthy cows do, and drug companies test only healthy cattle when they are establishing meat and milk withdrawal periods. So... If she is looking poor, maybe you should not ship her. Or maybe you should hold her for several extra days to be sure the antibiotic has cleared.  It’s sellers beware out there.

      AG Plastics Recycling Day for Sauk County residents will be on Wednesday, Nov. 14 from 10-Noon at the Sauk County Highway shop located at 620 Linn St., West Baraboo (behind Walgreens). Even though they won’t accept bale wrap in the Ag Plastics Recycling Dumpsters on your farms, they will accept it at this recycling event. In fact, they will accept: silage bags, bunker covers, bale wrap, plastic feed bags, and hoop film. You can bring these items in TIGHTLY tied tight manageable bundles or they’d prefer that you use the supersacks available for free at Reedsburg Farmer’s Co-op, McFarlanes in Sauk, United Co-op in Reedsburg, or United Co-op in Reedsburg & Prairie Du Sac. We will scan the Recycling flyer and post it on Facebook in case you want additional info or addresses, or you can call Sauk County Conservation at 355-3245. Note: It seems that nobody is accepting the bale wrap netting for recycling anywhere. It has to go to the landfill. Dang!

      We want you to know that we appreciate all of you and that we will continue in our efforts to help you gain the knowledge you need to improve your operations and to make ends meet in these tough agricultural times.  As such, we are working on scheduling a couple more producer education meetings in the coming winter months. There will be more information on what we’ve got up our sleeve in the next newsletter.

      Enjoy the fall weather and stay safe out there!              SVS    ​

Sunrise Vet Services  October 2018 Producer Newsletter 

​     Well… John’s away and you know what they say about the mice will play. He should know better than to leave us on our own. Right?  YEEHAW!!!!   If he’s slacking off, why shouldn’t we? Don’t tell John, but we might actually be behaving ourselves. And don’t tell John, but we might actually miss him a little… just a little. Definitely don’t tell him. 

​   ​     With John gone and not on task, our newsletter might be a bit shorter than usual. It’s not our fault that he’s slacking on his job. But we didn’t want to leave you empty handed and wondering why we dropped the ball so here it goes...​​​
​
​       Fall feels like it is definitely here and so we wanted to remind you about our ANNUAL FALL EPRINEX SALE here at Sunrise. Nobody can beat our price plus if you get it from us, we can help you get the 10% Rebate from the manufacturer to sweeten the deal along with the Eprinex Satisfaction Guarantee! 5 Liters is now $301.45 plus with the rebate that WE SEND IN FOR YOU, your final price for Eprinex is $271.31 plus a free application gun with every 5L bottle purchased.That’s a heck of a deal! Offer ends Oct. 31st so don’t wait to get yours.  

      Last month we went through our recommendations for Fall Processing. We’ve told you that studies show that when you invest in vaccines and worming for your cattle feeders going to the sale barn, that the investment usually pays off plus leaves extra money in your pocket. So we wanted to remind you, that if you follow our guidelines for vaccinating and dosing young cattle that are going to market, to remember to take proof of all that they’ve had done to the sale and make sure the announcers are talking that up. That adds value to YOUR cattle and buyers will pay a premium for your cattle over someone else's that didn’t have all the back-work completed.  

      Speaking of processing, get your appointment for Fall Processing made as soon as possible. As time goes on, our appointment time slots get pretty filled up, so to get your choice spot and not just what’s left over, make sure you get on the books before someone else does.

      Just a reminder that if you suffered any agricultural losses from the recent flooding, that you need to contact your county Farm Services Agency.

• Sauk County: (608) 355-4420 ext. 2  
• Juneau County: (608) 847-7221
• Vernon County: (608) 637-2183
• Richland County: (608) 647-8874  
• Columbia County: (608) 742-5361
• Adams County: (608) 296-2815

      And because we all forget sometimes, here’s a reprint of a message we sent out in April. This seems like a good time for this as people might need a reminder not to revert back to their old ways:

      Please remember to call the office any time you have questions for individual doctors or if you want to set up a visit. Do not call the doctors directly!  Calling the office allows us to put you in contact with a veterinarian in the most timely manner. Doctors are often tied up on herd health visits or with other clients for extended periods of time. Poor cell service, limited resources, and availability of time make it difficult for doctors to answer and respond to calls in the field during the day. It is quite common for them to find several messages on their phones at the end of their day. (52 missed calls is the record.) By calling the office, you allow us to serve you promptly and efficiently. Most days, our veterinarians discuss any ongoing or unique cases. Rest assured, that this communication between doctors allows for your animals to receive excellent follow-up care by any of our very capable team. In addition, calling the office number rather than their individual numbers gives our doctors a chance to enjoy some much appreciated, uninterrupted personal time on the occasions that they take some time off or are not on call.
So again, please, please call the office, not a doctor directly.

      If you are trying to reach the on call doctor after hours and don’t hear back from them fairly quickly, it may mean they are already on another call so please be patient. However, if it seems to have been quite awhile and you still haven’t heard back, please call again as the delay might mean that with cell service being unreliable in many areas, your message didn’t get through.  Keep trying occasionally until you get  a call back.

        Happy October and take care out there!   Sunrise Veterinary Services

Sunrise Vet Services  September 2018 Producer Newsletter ​​

     
​      Not often does Dr. John have great news, but I hope everyone will be excited by this!  As of today, Dr. John is putting his naked rain dance business into semi-retirement. Granted, John thought he never got paid enough for his rain dance results. (He never got paid at all truth be told.) However, the old saying of, “You can never have enough of a good thing,” may not apply to this record breaking rainy season!  
​      We would like to say thanks to everyone who helped during this challenging time. Hats off to county workers, first responders, fire departments, town patrol people, mail carriers, delivery people, willing volunteers, etc. On Tuesday, I was helping fill sandbags and was impressed with the young people of Reedsburg who were there help.  It gave me hope that the next generation can put their back into a problem and help fix things! ​

 
     Don’t forget to report all your agricultural losses to your county Farm Services Agency.
Sauk County: (608) 355-4420 ext. 2,   Juneau County: (608) 847-7221,  Vernon County: (608) 637-2183
Richland County: (608) 647-8874,   Columbia County: (608) 742-5361,  Adams County: (608) 296-2815

     Well, now that the weather is getting better, what should you be working & concentrating on getting done?  CORN SILAGE!!! Chipper days completed about 10 days ago were getting moisture levels of 68-75%. Yes, it only rained 12-24 inches in the last 10 days, but most of that rain ran off the corn plant!  You get one chance to make great first crop hay and corn silage. Now is the the time for the corn silage. Don’t sleep, eat little, and use the red tractors to get through the wet fields. For bunkers, keep packing, but you need to keep a steady supply of feed coming in.  If the chopper stops, do not continue to pack, as it will result in an area of over compaction there. Create slow gradual slope faces to prevent rollovers. For baggers, minimize the cable wear on the sides of the bags.

     Recently we met with a rep from Zoetis and they, along with Compeer Financial, identified six specific dairy production factors to improve profitability.  The study looked at a ten year review of hundreds of farms to get the data.

• SCC: Goal of less than 200,000.  Improved breeding and milk production with this level. Every increase of 100,000 in SCC results in a 5.5 milk yield decrease.
• Energy Corrected Milk: High production from cows requires healthy cows in their prime. Older cows make more milk and the last fews pounds of milk are the most profitable.
• Death Loss:  Minimize it to the lowest level possible. Dead cattle take it right off the top for profit.  No one wins with dead cattle.
• Herd Turnover:  It costs money to replace an older cow with a heifer.  Heifers produce 15% less than 2nd lactation animals and 25% less the 3rd lactation cows.
• Preg Rate: A measure of how many cows are getting pregnant in 21 days out of all those who could become pregnant. Herds in the top ⅓ averaged 27.5 % preg rate while those in the bottom ⅓ averaged 18.1%  Getting more cows pregnant more quickly results in them getting to the next lactation more quickly, more calves being born, and more milk production.
• Heifer Management: Getting heifer’s calves to survive and grow quickly improves profit.  Breed them to calve at or before 24 months old. Every day of feeding them without getting milk from them costs money.  Also, should you be raising all your replacement heifers? Genomics testing at a cost of approx $50 per head is less than one month of feeding an animal.  Sell off the bottom 10-20% and have more room and feed for the better cattle.

FALL CATTLE PROCESSING: Your goal is to make the best cattle you can to sell or to retain as replacements. Here are our recommendations of what to use, when, & where to be able to maximize your dollars invested into your cattle. Studies have shown that this investment ends up paying for itself and more.
                        
CALVES TO BE SOLD AT MARKET
Vaccine or Product        Used For                 Dose            Repeat in 4 Weeks
Bovishield OneShot       Respiratory        2cc SC in neck                Yes
  Or
Vista Once                       Respiratory        2cc SC in neck                Yes
Inforce 3                          Respiratory        2cc in one nostril           No
BarVac CD/T                    Tetanus              5cc SC in neck                Yes
Eprinex                            Dewormer          5cc/110 lbs                      No
Alpha 7                             Clostridial          2cc SC in neck                 No
Multimin                             Mineral           1cc/100 lbs SC in neck    No
Band Bulls Calves         Castration           done at 2nd time thru the chute with 2nd dose of BarVac CD/T
If young heifers are big enough to have been bred by any bulls:
Lutalyse HC/Synchsure    Abortion         2cc IM in neck           +/- talk with vet

RETAINED CALVES (BULLS & HEIFERS)
Vaccine or Product         Used For           Dose            Repeat in 4 Weeks
Bovishield Gold 5L5      Respiratory        2cc SC in neck            Yes
Inforce 3                          Respiratory        2cc in one nostril       No
Alpha 7                             Clostridial          2cc SC in neck            No
Eprinex                             Dewormer         5cc/110 lbs                 No
Multimin                              Mineral          1cc/100 lbs SC in neck     No
Ear tags                            Identification
If heifers are big enough to have been breed by any  bulls:
Lutalyse HC or Synchsure   Abortion      2cc IM in neck          +/- talk with vet
    
COWS & BREEDING BULLS
Vaccine  or Product      Used For           Dose             Repeat in 4 Weeks
Triangle 10                     Respiratory       5cc IM in neck             No**
(**If first year vaccinating with product, booster in 6 months, if it’s a repeat vaccine, it’s good for 1 year)
Alpha 7                            Clostridial          2cc SC in neck            No
Eprinex                           Dewormer          5cc/110 lbs                 No
Multimin                           Mineral             1cc/200 lbs SC in neck     No
Ear tags in ear            Identification    

Eprinex versus Epizero (a new generic dairy cattle dewormer):  After reviewing both products, we are recommending using Eprinex.  Why? We’ve used it in the past and have been very happy with the results. Also, it may cost a little bit more, but the manufacturer of Eprinex offers rebates on Eprinex purchases and they also have a very good guarantee on their product.  We have had several people who have utilized the guarantee to cover costs of diagnostics and re-treatment.  We believe in this product 100%.  We recently purchased a limited quantity that we are selling at $301.45 for a 5L bottle.  Free application gun with every 5L bottle purchased.

Take care out there!   Sunrise Veterinary Services

Sunrise Vet Services  August 2018 Producer Newsletter ​

      Well, the weather has finally started cooperating with the area farmers. The really hot weather we’ve experienced since Memorial Day hit the cattle hard. We saw its impact with a lot of open cows in the last few weeks. With the cooler temperatures, we’ve started seeing an increase in conception rates in dairy cattle. So... Keep the cows cool, supply them with good nutritious food to eat, and milk them on time.  Damn, this dairy farming is easy stuff! ​
​

       Congratulations to all the hardworking and dedicated youth showing cattle at our Sauk County Fair this year! Your animals looked great and your hard work paid off!  We especially want to do a shout out to the youth that participated in the Ultrasound Carcass Show sponsored by Sunrise Veterinary Services.  Dr. Onan (pictured below) scanned over 100 animals presented for the Ultrasound Carcass Show! ​

DR. GARY ONAN WORKING WITH AN ULTRASOUND IMAGE.

​    
Here are the winners of the Championship Trophies:

• Champion Beef: Evan Thompson
• Champion Dairy-Beef: Logan Sprecher
• Champion Swine: Marshall Mitchell
• Champion Goat: Will Mikonowicz
• Champion Lamb: Sophie Larson

Again, CONGRATULATIONS!!!
​

​      Hopefully, Pinkeye has not swept through your cattle as it has for some this year.  I can tell you, even I am having some pinkeye in my own cattle, and I am not happy about it!  How can it be that when we vaccinate with the hot rod Pinkeye vaccine from Sunrise that I still get Pinkeye?  Is John just selling me snake oil or maybe he’s diluting the vaccine by 75% to be able to sell more of it? No… There’s a little bit more to this story, so please keep reading……..  Every year we see Pinkeye in cattle. We take samples and send them to the lab. The lab grows out the samples and examines each one to see what bugs are causing the disease in our area. We have those samples made into a specialized autogenous vaccine specific to this area. We had thought we had all of the kinds of bugs that cause Pinkeye in our vaccine, but Ta-Da, I was wrong.  Dr. Darren, who is in charge of this project, was quite surprised also. Our newest and baddest enemy in the Pinkeye war is called Mycoplasma bovoculi. Innocent name, nasty bug! We have seen explosive outbreaks in the last month, and based on the samples, this is the new player in town. The lab has grown a sample of it from our summer swabs and it is being put into the next batch of vaccine being made.  We still have a very limited supply of the vaccine we had been using on hand. We will inform you when we get the next batch of vaccine in, however it will not be available for the next several months.

      It’s hard to think about, but corn silage season is just around the corner! Looking at some of our corn, it may be a great year, but the stuff planted later will be quite green for the bunker.  Make sure you talk with your nutritionist and feed mill for chipper days and when to harvest. You had one chance to make great first crop hay, which was a huge challenge this year. Now is the time to prepare for this years corn silage.  Get the knives sharpened up, everything greased, and your red tractors fueled up. Leave those green ones in the shed.

      For those of you with cattle you’d like us to process this fall, let’s take a look at the calendar.  Yes, it is only August, but it’ll be gone in a blink of an eye, and September, shucks, that’s the time to go squirrel hunting, not work cattle.  Then October rolls around and it’s time to get corn done. Soon it's Christmas and cold as sin. Maybe you're getting my point. Call now to set up and reserve a time when we can come out to your farm.  

      Speaking of processing cattle, what does processing even mean?  To us, it means vaccinating all cattle with a respiratory vaccine which is the most important disease in cattle. Examples would be Bovishield 5L5, Vista Once, Bovishield Gold OneShot.  Next would be a clostridial vaccine like Alpha 7. Deworming with a topical or injectable product would be strongly recommended after several killing frosts. Castration of bulls should be done when in the
chute.  Implants make you money!  If you are going to retain your cattle for more than 75 days, an implant will put more pounds on your animals prior to being sold.  Usually people get a 10:1 to 20:1 return on investment with implants. Make them grow faster! Next month I will give a complete breakdown of when and where to give vaccines.

REDUCED COST SPAY/NEUTER FOR FARM CATS IN AUGUST
      As a thank you to just our farm clients, Sunrise Vet would like to offer low cost spays & neuters for barn cats on Thursdays during AUGUST 2018! We will not be advertising this service to the public; It will only be available to you - our dedicated clients.
Because we will continue regular business at our small animal hospital during this time, there will be a few stipulations. We need to assure that all of our clientele, staff, and patients stay safe and healthy.

1. All cats must be in a carrier. Live traps are acceptable.
2. Any fleas or internal parasites noted at the time of the procedure will be treated at an additional cost to the owner. (Approximately $17)
3. To keep costs low, no pain medications will be included in the price of surgery. Owners may elect to have their cats receive pain medications at an additional cost based on the weight of the cat.
4. Proof of Rabies Vaccine needs to be provided. If no vaccination has been performed, the cat will receive a Rabies Vaccine on the day of surgery. We will also be reducing the cost of this vaccine, as part of this August promotion. (See prices below)
5. If you choose, a Distemper Vaccine can also be administered to your pet on the day of surgery. If this is their first vaccination, a 2nd booster vaccine should be given 3-4 weeks later. The booster vaccine can be dispensed to you, for administration at home.
6. To receive this special pricing, payment for these services is expected at the time of service.

Special Prices for Farm Cat Surgeries:
Female spay- $45.00    
Male neuter- $30.00
Vaccine Prices for Cats Participating in the August Farm Cat Surgery Special:
Rabies $5.00
Cat Distemper $10.00
★Note: Bring in 3 or more cats on the same Thursday & receive an additional discount of 10% off your cat’s surgical bill.

Sunrise Vet Services  July 2018 Producer Newsletter ​

      Well, there goes John down the drain because he sweated himself away. Dang we’re going to miss him! Smart, intelligent, handsome, and strong as an ox.   Oh shoot, complements made him rematerialize into his normal self! Maybe if you have him out to the farm you could work him hard enough to see if we can get him to sweat a little too much again!
​​
      This past month has seen a huge increase in the number of pinkeye cases we have been seeing and treating.  One of our producers asked if our vaccine is really doing anything, as he used it and still had pinkeye.  We improve our vaccine every year by incorporating samples we take from your farms. Is it the best? We believe it is much better than commercial vaccines, but nothing is 100% perfect.  New strains of Pinkeye move into our area every year. There may be years when it is more effective and other years when it is less effective, but regardless, you should get some protection from our vaccine.  If we have a new strain of Pinkeye in the area, we need samples to be able to get it into the next batch of vaccine.  So, if you’ve got Pinkeye in your cattle, please give us a call so we can get new and fresh samples. The cattle cannot be treated prior to sampling. There is no cost to you for the sample taking or testing.
      And remember that vaccine is only one piece of the Pinkeye puzzle. Environmental factors such as fly control, keeping your pastures clipped and out of their eyes, and preventing cattle from grouping together during the excessive heat are also important. We are happy to help you brainstorm solutions.

      Sunrise Vet understands the very challenging economic times we live in, and we appreciate the business you do with us; however we wanted to remind everyone of our credit policy. Payment in full is expected within 30 days of receiving the billing statement. You can save by getting 2% off your bill if you pay in full within 7 days of receiving your charges.  Payment is greatly appreciated as soon as it is possible.  Any balance over 60 days old will be charged 1.5% per month / 18% per annual interest rate or a $20 per month service fee, whichever is greater.  Any accounts that go over 90 days without being paid will be required to pay in full at time of service going forward. This is a line of credit that we extend to our valued customers; however, if you do not pay us, we will not be able to continue to come out and we will no longer be able to serve you as a veterinarian.
​

      On a cheerier note... It’s that time of year again! Oh ya!  Time for Deep Fried Oreos and maybe even trying Deep Fried Snickers! You guessed it. It’s time for the 2018 Sauk County Fair running from July 9-15 with a free walk in gate.  Animals will be arriving on July 11th and will leave Sunday afternoon…. Cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, poultry, rabbits, and even horses.  We haven’t seen any turtles yet, but maybe this year. If you have time, come on down to the fair, and enjoy the food and fun! If you see John sleeping in his chair, he has asked that you please let him get his beauty sleep.  Right. ​

      Anyway, multiple sales will occur, including the Dairy Basket Sale and the Meat Animal Sale.  Please join in and support the hard working kids at the fair! 
July 11: Sheep Show
July 12: Swine, Beef, Poultry and Rodeo at the Grandstand
July 13: Goat and Dairy Shows
July 14: Meat Buyers Luncheon at 11:30am followed by Meat Sale at 1pm
​

John just received Hoard’s Dairyman Magazine and was reading it with his breakfast.  There are several articles well worth reading, but he found the one at the front talking about how everyone survived 2009 very informative.  If you get a chance, please give it a read.  They made several important points. 
1. Don’t keep non-profitable cows. 
2. Know the cost of production.  
3. Control all expenditures.   
      If John needs to make a breakfast for you to be able to sit down to read the magazine, let him know.   Blueberry pancakes with bacon is his specialty! 

Stay cool everyone!

Sunrise Vet Services  June 2018 Producer Newsletter ​

      Happy Dairy Month to everyone! Yep! We live in a great state with a fantastic industry that keeps our bodies strong.  We are proud to work with such hardworking people each and every day.  To help us celebrate June Dairy Month, stop in for some free cheese stick snacks before John eats them all! ​

    
      We have been having issues on drugs that go on backorder.  Why don’t they make enough stuff to keep selling it?  Some drug companies do not manufacture the drugs they sell.  Instead they contract out the drug to another company to make.  This is where we have some issues. The USDA may come and inspect and if any issues are found, they can stop the entire manufacturing line immediately.  If the company has enough in the supply chain, we won’t see any shortages; however, there are times when they do not have enough pre-made and this is when backorders occur.  If we hear about a possible backorder, we try to stock up; however, we cannot buy 27 cases of stuff just because of a possible backorder. Usually we hear about it when our distributors start running low on the product.  As product comes back into supply, we stock our trucks first to use on your farms, then we will fill up our inventory in back, and then we’ll have some available for you to purchase up front. Please be patient with us as we work though the backorder issues. Everybody’s in the same boat. Thanks.

      The time for LongRange is getting limited! So is our supply, if you want some, come and get it.  If you use it now, you will have parasite protection for the rest of the grazing season with this product. By the way, although not on the label, many clients report a reduced incidence of flies when using this product.

      Flies are out bothering cattle. John whines about getting bugged also, but he just needs to whine less! Anyway, now is the time to think about your fly defensive strategy.  
Here are some recommendations for your fly strategy:
1) Fly Sprays: But what to use and on what?  Last year we used StandGuard Fly
Spray on beef cattle and had outstanding results. Because it worked so well, we are recommending you stick with that for one more year.  Unfortunately, it should only be used on beef cattle. For dairy cattle, we recommend Cylence or UltraBoss. You should rotate these every year.  Use one for the whole season, then use the other next year.

2) Pinkeye Vaccine: Yep! We’ve got our vaccine...the best there is.

3) Fly Tags: Every year we recommend people use a different class of fly tags. By switching every year, it helps reduce resistance in the fly population.  Fly tags should be removed every year. Just because you leave them in does not mean they will keep working for 3-5 years. Most tags last for about 3 months and start losing their effectiveness they day you put them in.  This year we are suggesting you use the Tri Zap Tag made by Y-Tex. We have these in stock.
 
      Dr. Darren will be gone for the week of June 4-10.  Historically, when Darren has gone on vacation in the past, rain falls from the sky in buckets... big buckets!  So far it is looking like we might get by without having to build an ark, but with Darren you can never be too careful!

      The Bender Family is hosting the Sauk County Dairy Breakfast on June 9th from 7-11 AM at the farm located near Rock Springs on Hwy 136.  Shuttles will be bringing people from the parking area at Nishan Park in Reedsburg and running every 20-30 minutes.  Door prizes will be drawn every 30 minutes and live entertainment will be on hand to help dance off any calories you ate in the morning.  A big thanks to the Bender Family for hosting the breakfast! I know it takes a tremendous amount of work to prepare for the breakfast. Also, a big THANK YOU to everyone who works every year to make the breakfast happen!

  Sunrise Vet Services  May 2018 Producer Newsletter        
    
Dang!  When I make the weather change, I do a great job!  Snow and winter weather conditions two weeks ago and now I’m out on the front lawn in my swimsuit getting great tan lines!  Maybe someone from the office could get a picture of this to put on Facebook. I asked but everyone ran away when they saw the swimsuit!  I don’t get it. Maybe it’s the color of the swimsuit?

With springtime weather finally here, let’s talk about what to look forward to.  

• It’s time to take off any and all calf jackets.  Even if it does get cool at night, those calves will have enough reserves to make it through an evening of cooler temps.  
• Open up the curtains, let that fresh air blow through the barns and sheds.  Why should curtains be open now? The more fresh air the better!  Even with cooler temps coming back?  Well?...What is the average age of the cattle in your barn?   I would suspect it is less than 4 to 5 years of age. That means we have a lot of younger cattle that cool temperatures will have little to no effect on.  These are the equivalent of a bunch of 15-25 year old kids that can handle cooler stuff. Don’t keep the barn closed up to keep you warm, have it be cool for the cows.  And make sure the curtains are as clean as they can be prior to long term storage.
• Now is also the time to check fans. Again, the more fresh air the better!  Do they need new belts? All bolts and set screws tight? Are they hanging properly?  Are they in the right place? Clean the blades clear of all dust, dirt, and debris. A dirty fan will move 30% less air.  How do the air intake areas look, dirty? Do the fans even turn on?  If not, don’t call me!

For our farmers with too many cats, in an effort to curb cat populations, we offer reduced spay and neuter prices for your feral farm cats (not personal pet cats) in both March and in August. If you have any questions, please feel free to give us a call.

LongRange time is almost upon us. Ideally I would suggest using it during the month of June, as it lasts up to 150 days depending on which parasite we are talking about.  The good news… This stuff works great as an extended release dewormer. The bad news... It is only available in limited supply this year. We have some as does our supplier, Zumbro Vet Supply, however; we will not be able to get any more for the foreseeable future. If you want some, come in and get it quick or order it from the Zumbro catalog.  

Speaking of availability, sadly, First Defense Tri-Shield is off the market and unavailable. A great product and concept, however it is off the market with no date given as to when or if it will be available again.  What products should you use instead? I am a big believer in several: These are products designed to be used as soon as the calf is born as a addition to colostrum.

• First Defense Bolus: For Corona Virus & E. coli protection.
• First Defense Gel Tubes: For Corona Virus & E. coli protection.
• Epic Newborn Calf Support: Feed supplement with proteins.

All of these products work well, and we carry all of them.  Give us a call if you have any questions.

Have you heard about our Autogenous Pinkeye Vaccine? Should I tell you about it?  Okay, you're still reading this, so I guess I will. Now is the time to start vaccinating cattle for pinkeye... prior to exposure, and in plenty of time to get a response from the vaccine. Our pinkeye vaccine contains locally sourced Moraxella bovis, Moraxella bovoculi, and new this year is Mycoplasma! Damn, three big guns in one vaccine!  Pinkeye better watch out now. Two doses give you the maximum protection, and they should be given approx. 1 month apart. If you give only one dose, you will not get great results.
 
Not often will I talk about things I am not an expert in, but this time I think I will.  If you haven’t noticed, spring is a little late this year. And I know feed may be in tight supply, but please don’t cut your first crop based on the calendar. May 20th is rapidly approaching, but the alfalfa is just starting to grow.  Talk with your agronomist as to when to cut your first crop.

“John The Rock Expert”  is looking for volunteers to come help pick rocks out of his fields.  This is a great experience and character building. Think of it as “The World’s Greatest Rock Festival!  As a bonus “John The Rock Expert” will even let you keep all the rocks you pick! Yep! Bring the big trailer for hauling rocks home. Darren said he will gladly accept any help with his rocks too, as they are way bigger than John’s!

Happy Spring, SVS

Sunrise Vet Services  April 2018 Producer Newsletter
                                                                                
       Ah, the green grass is just beginning to come up out of the ground.  Spring is almost here, but it sure is slow in showing up. However, I think that we may have had one of the least muddiest March’s ever! Not that mud is a problem for farmers with red tractors!  Dr. John has decided that the other young whipper snappers need to be taught what being a real vet is all about, so he is going to be off the on call rotation for the next 6 months. You will be able to see him during the day, but at night he will not be coming out to your farm.  

       A big thank you to BI and those who came to our latest client education meeting.  Dr. Socket from the WI Diagnostic Lab gave a great talk and even John learned a bunch of stuff.  Please feel free to ask us about these topics next time we are at your farm. Here are some of the major subjects that were covered...

1.Water Quality: Do you have clean water going into your calves? Dr. Sockett said that every time he has to examine sick calves, he will pull a well water sample.  He will have a quantitative level of bacteria checked (they count the number of colonies, not just say if they are there or not), and also have the levels of the following checked; iron, sulfur, manganese, sodium.  If any of these are high, it can cause calves to be sick.  Please talk with your well specialists as to how and where to pull samples for this.  They will have the proper bottles to obtain the samples and know where to send them.

2.Water Softener: Is your water softener putting too much salt into your milk replacer?  Water softeners are great tools to remove excess minerals from our water, and do so by utilizing ion exchange within the system.  As a result, it’s possible to get higher levels of salt out of the softener, but only during the regeneration cycle if the softener is working correctly.  Please contact with your water softener company to ensure it does not regenerate shortly before you start to mix up milk replacer and that it’s not adding salt to that water coming out.

3.What is Clean? John’s truck? No way!  How about your calf feeding equipment?  Are those brushes well past replacement time?  How about the walkway between the hutches? The gravel under the hutches...Have you cleaned that recently? We could spend the entire newsletter talking about cleanliness, but we’ll try to limit it to one paragraph.  
       OK, what is clean?  Clean is the mechanical removal of material from the surfaces and the significant reduction of bacterial and viral bugs where we are cleaning.  How do we do this? With what products?  Dr. Sockett strongly recommended using a chlorine dioxide product to ensure the best cleaning possible. Mixing and having the proper concentration is vitally important when using these types of products. For those of you using bleach, Dr. Sockett had one line of advice: “My pee has more killing power than your bleach!”  It’s true! Bleach does have its place in cleaning, but we need to have the surfaces cleaned of organic debris with a detergent first and then you can use bleach after that.   Bleach is a disinfectant, and will be inactivated by organic material and it requires at least 10 minutes of contact time.  
       Kraft Foods uses a brush only one time and then discards the brush because they can never get it completely clean. Please remember to disinfect them and do not use your brushes until there are no bristles left.  
       The rubber or plastic buckets you use for feeding should be replaced as often as your calf nipples. Dr. Sockett suggested using stainless steel pails for feeding calves as they will last up to 10x longer and the are much easier to clean and disinfect completely.

4.Let’s Start at the Beginning: The Calving Pen.  Clean using Dr. Sockett’s protocols listed on our sunrisevet.net website under Farm Services. Or type this into your browser…  http://www.sunrisevet.net/proper-cleaning-of-trailers--pens.html After calves are moved out of hutches, use the same procedure.  When planning out what surface to put your calf hutches on, remember to keep in mind that whatever you use, can you clean it?  Gravel, screenings, breaker rock; None of these can be cleaned well unless you’re willing to use your toothbrush!  Concrete with a sealant is the gold standard for cleaning.  Concrete will be easier to clean with the bobcat also.  

5.How Much Urine Does a 150 lb Calf Make?  Each calf will generate about 2 gallons of liquid every day.  If you have a pen of ten animals, that means you’ve got 20 gallons per day being made.  Where does it all go? If the floor is not sloped, it stays under the calves in or under the bedding.  Do you know what ammonia smells like? Imagine having to sleep on wet bedding with ammonia coming up out of the rotting bedding? BAD BAD BAD! Clean bedding is a great thing, but remember if the base is bad, clean it out completely and put in new material.

       PNEUMONIA: Lots of it’s being seen and being treated. Proper vaccinations substantially reduce pneumonia.  For newborns we strongly recommend Inforce 3, in the nostril. Once PMH IN also can be used for Pasteurella protection. Both provide “protection” in 24-36 hrs after being given. Bovishield Gold 5L5, Bovishield One Shot, Vista Once SC are all good vaccines to be used once calf is >3-4 months old. Please talk to us about the right vaccine to use & when.  

       Please remember to call the office any time you have questions for individual doctors or if you want to set up a visit. Do not call the doctors directly!  Calling the office allows us to put you in contact with a veterinarian in the most timely manner. Doctors are often tied up on herd health visits or with other clients for extended periods of time. Poor cell service, limited resources, and availability of time make it difficult for doctors to answer and respond to calls in the field during the day. It is quite common for them to find several messages on their phones at the end of their day. (52 missed calls is the record.) By calling the office, you allow us to serve you promptly and efficiently. Most days, our veterinarians discuss any ongoing or unique cases. Rest assured, that this communication between doctors allows for your animals to receive excellent follow-up care by any of our very capable team. In addition, calling the office number rather than their individual numbers gives our doctors a chance to enjoy some much appreciated, uninterrupted personal time on the occasions that they take some time off or are not on call.
       If you are trying to reach the on call doctor after hours and don’t hear back from them fairly quickly, it may mean they are already on another call so please be patient. However, if it seems to have been quite awhile, please call again as that might mean that your message didn’t get through with cell service being unreliable.  Keep trying occasionally until you get a call back.

       And by the way, just kidding… John isn’t actually off the on-call rotation for the next 6 months. He has to keep up with the young whipper snappers! Happy Belated April Fools Day!!!

 Sunrise Vet Services  Mar. 2018 Producer Newsletter
                                                                                
      Ah, another month gone and spring is coming soon.  The season of mud for the next 68 days is upon us.  Yep, red tractors will show how great they are again! Mud, snow, floods, hail, thunderstorms, blizzards, drought, and great weather, those tractors keep going!  
     *A big thanks to all those who attended our meeting in Feb with Zoetis with Dr. Wallace. Remember the new recommendation for colostrum is 6 quarts within the first 12 hours!

New Products Alert:

1. Banamine Transdermal from Merck.  This is a brand new product that is available as of March 1st.  It’s the first FDA approved pour-on for pain control.  It’s labeled for topical use in beef and dairy cattle less than 20 months of age for the control of fever associated with pneumonia and control of pain associated with foot rot.  This is the first product ever to have a label for pain control.  Meat hold is 8 days. Dosage is 3cc / 100 lbs poured along the topline of the animal.  No more giving a shot of Banamine in the muscle, just pour them.  For calves with pneumonia: give them a shot of antibiotic and pour them with Banamine Transdermal.  Damn, this is a great time to be a sick animal!  You cannot use this product in dairy cows over 20 months of age.  
2. First Defense Tri-shield from Immucell.  Released in Dec. 2017, this is a USDA licensed vaccine for E. coli, Rota and Corona Virus with antibodies derived from bovine colostrum.  From those of you that have used it, the results have been very promising.  However, the product is on backorder currently. However, we are happy to put you on our list of customers wanting more.  We highly recommend using this product for all your calves. It proved its effectiveness to the USDA, let it prove it to you!

Save the Date:
Thursday March 15th in the VFW hall on the east side of Reedsburg, Sunrise Vet Services along with Boehringer Ingelheim (BI) will be having Dr. Socket from the WVDL discuss Calf Hygiene and Health.   Dr. Kurt from BI will also be presenting information on parental (SC, IM) versus intranasal vaccines. If I was going to rate a meeting prior to it happening, I would give this one 6 stars!!  This is the one meeting I am pleading with you to attend.  Dr. Socket is an extremely enthusiastic speaker who will challenge you to rethink common assumptions about calf cleaning and health.  You think you’ve got clean equipment?... Bring your buckets & calf nipples along & Dr. Socket will test to see if they are as clean as you think they are.

The past few months we've been seeing a lot of sick calves with scours and pneumonia.  We can test newborn calves to see if they have received enough colostrum by checking total protein levels.  Total protein is measured from a blood sample and a passing level is 5.4 or greater.  Recently we have seen too many calves with total proteins under 5.0, indicating they did not receive enough colostrum or that the quality of colostrum they received was inadequate.

Let’s have the colostrum conversation:   
What is colostrum?  The first milk from a mammal after the delivery of their offspring.  However, bovine colostrum is very important because of the way the bovine placenta works.  Antibodies do not get across the placenta-blood barrier effectively in cattle while the calf is in the uterus, so colostrum is of vital importance to deliver the antibodies the calf needs.  Antibodies protect against a range of diseases. Along with antibodies, fresh colostrum is packed with white blood cells. The calf is able to absorb these white blood cells and use them to fight infections.
Quality of colostrum is determined by the age of the dam, vaccines given to the dam prior to freshening, body condition score of the dam, and how and what the dam has been fed, micro/ macro minerals and nutrients.   
How do we maximize the quality of colostrum?  Proper nutrition, vaccinating at optimal times with correct vaccines, having the right amount of minerals and nutrients in the feed, and providing a clean dry place for the cow to freshen with minimal stress. Typically adult cows will have higher quality colostrum than heifers.  Quantity of colostrum can also vary highly between animals, with heifers again usually having less than adult cows.  
How do we know if the colostrum is good?  The two main methods of testing colostrum are a Colostrometer or a Brix Refractometer.  The Colostrometer must have the colostrum at room temperature and can be fragile to use.  The Brix Refractometer uses a small amount of colostrum at any temp and you place it on the testing window and look through the view piece. Passing is above 22%.  The machine is about $125 and very easy to use.  If your colostrum does not pass, use a colostrum replacement that has at least 150 grams of IgG globulin protein. (We have this at the clinic.)  Any less means you must use 2 bags to reach the 150 gram level.
How much time do you have to get the colostrum into the calf? The standard time stated is 12 hours after birth; however, every minute does count, so get it in ASAP as more will be absorbed the sooner you get it into the calf. It’s best to get colostrum into a calf by 4-6 hours after birth. Once the 24 hour mark has passed, maternal antibodies will not cross the gut barrier.
How much colostrum should you use? We recommend Holstein calves receive 4 quarts of colostrum at the first feeding and then come back 8 hours later with 2 more quarts of colostrum. Jersey calves should receive 3 quarts of colostrum at their first feeding, then 1 quart of colostrum 8 hours later.  
Colostrum is the most important meal a bovine will ever receive for their entire lifetime!  Calves who receive the proper amount and quality of colostrum wean heavier, get sick less, breed earlier, milk more over their lifetime, breed back quicker, have less disease as a an adult cow, and even weigh more as cull cows.  Yes all this from one feeding of high quality colostrum (tested to make sure).  If in doubt, use the colostrum replacer of at least 150 grams of IgG globulin protein to ensure that your calves get the best start possible

Sunrise Vet Services  Feb. 2018 Producer Newsletter

       Alas, I, John, am not perfect!  Hard to imagine, but it is true. I screwed up the dosages for the new product we are carrying from Parnell.  GONAbreed (the GNRH product) is 1cc IM and EstroPLAN (the prostaglandin / Lutalyse-like product) is 2cc IM.  Well, I’m a good of enough doctor to admit my mistakes when I make them.  However, now that I made my one mistake for the year, I should be 100% from now on!    
      We are excited to announce two new producer meetings. Zoetis is sponsoring the first meeting to be held this coming Thursday, Feb. 8th at noon with Dr. Dick Wallace from Zoetis . His presentation will be Heifer Raising and Transition Cow Management.  The meeting will be at the VFW on the east side of town. In these tough economic times, every penny counts and this talk will be be sure to cover expenses and how to maximise your investments. Dr. Wallace was a dairy herd manager at the vet school in IL, so he has a lot of hands on experience with dairy farm operations.  He is a great speaker and will challenge you (in a good way) on how to run/improve your operation.   Please RSVP by this coming Mon. Feb. 5th to let us know if you are coming.  This will be a great meeting!
     The second meeting is sponsored by BI (Boehringer Ingelheim) with Dr. Don Sockett from the WI Vet Diagnostic Lab.   Dr. Sockett is one of the people who work up the cases when we send in samples from necropsies or sick animals.  I am in awe of this guy as every time I talk with him, he takes notes like he was back in school.   Dr. Sockett is a very motivational speaker and this will be a fun meeting to attend. We are planning on him covering Calf Cleanliness and Calf Health Issues. In addition, Dr. Kurt from BI will be talking about the difference between Intranasal and Injectable Vaccines.   What the pros and cons of each type are and when and where to use them. This 2nd meeting will be held Thursday, March 15th at noon. Location to be announced later.
     For those of you who bring your small animals (cats & dogs) into the clinic, as of Jan. 1st, we started billing these accounts through our small animal program, NEO.  We are doing this to help tie the animal records / payments / reminders together in one location / program. When you bring your pets in, you can either pay at time of service, or you can have us bill you for your pet. You will have to pay this NEO bill separately from your farm vet bill; 2 bills so 2 separate checks. If you have any questions, please give us a call & talk with Kathy.   
     Why are more cattle getting condemned at slaughter?  It seems we are getting this question asked to us more often as of late.  Darren had attended a  meeting in Oct. where some of the people attending were talking about this.  Meat inspectors have a very wide range of discretion when it comes to inspecting slaughter animals.  What would pass several years ago will not pass now. Inspectors will condemn an animal if they suspect the chance of infection or if they suspect the animal may pose a risk to the human food chain.  The end story is... If the cow is questionable, don’t ship it.  Yes, every cull animal check helps, but if YOU don’t want to eat it, it’s likely it will not pass inspection.  Instead of having the dead cow places charge you $50 for a pick up, composting dead animals is a great and inexpensive option.  Start with having a base of sawdust / pen pack under the carcass, and then cover with a substantial amount of manure over the carcass.  Wait 6 months and voila; animal is gone!
     As I stated earlier, I am not perfect.  However, everyone else at the clinic almost is!  For those of you on a regular herd health schedule, we call you 1-2 days prior to the vet coming out to remind you.  However, we are all human and there are times when we are trying to call you and get distracted, or something else comes up and we think we had called you but did not.  Courtesy calls are made by several people and we all work together to make it work for our clients.  If we accidentally did not contact you, we apologize, but we try our best every day.  Unless you hear from us that the vet is not coming, plan on us being there at the regularly scheduled time.  We have your herd health dates on our calendar...Please make sure they are on yours. If we are running late on your scheduled day, we will try and let you know and give you an adjusted ETA.
      With the challenging times in agriculture, we are constantly looking for how to help you improve your bottom line.  Several drug companies are running promotions on their products.  It may be time to discuss your current drug and hormone product choices and explore other options.  When one of us are at your farm, feel free to ask about what those choices are.
Don’t forget to RSVP for our upcoming meetings, hear some amazing speakers, and have lunch on us. We hope to see all of you there!  

Sunrise Vet Services  Jan. 2018 Producer Newsletter

      Thanks to everyone who agreed to John’s idea of needing more naps.  Someone woke me up just to write this newsletter! My gosh, I may have to go outside to get some peace and quiet.  Oh by the way, damn it’s cold out there! I think I may have to send some other people outside as there are a few people here in the clinic who have almost as much hot air as I do.
      With the cold cold and really cold weather, now is the time when you have to feed more energy to your cattle,especially baby calves.  Our goal for you is to feed 3 quarts of pasteurized milk/ milk replacer twice a day in order to meet the calf’s nutritional needs for growing.  You can also feed 3 times a day with 2 quarts per feeding. Calf jackets are a true lifesaver in this weather. Offer water, even if it does freeze in 10 minutes, if they drink it,they will grow more.
      FYI we are seeing a bunch of sick calves in the last 30-45 days.  Why? Weather changes are a big culprit, along with more calves being born/ overcrowding in maternity pen.  We have seen everything from Mycoplasma, Pasteurella, E. coli, Salmonella dublin (bacterial), Rota, Corona (Viruses) and cryptosporidium.  The end result is it takes management, cleanliness, attention to detail, and appropriate treatments to raise calves in the winter. Please ask us any questions you have when we are at your farm about this.      
      I had promised a client meeting in January, but it looks like in may occur in February or March.  We are continuing to work on the details and as soon as it is set, we will let you know.
      We are now carrying Parnell products. They only have two products 1. EstroPLAN ( a prostaglandin-like Lutalyse), 2. GONAbreed (a GNRH hormone).  They are priced at a very competitive level with other like products. The estroPLAN is a 1cc dose and GONAbreed is 2cc dose, both IM only with no holds.  If you need more information, please talk to us next time you see us.
      Milk prices suck! Cull prices are not much better, finished cattle (especially Holstein steers) are down, and we won’t even talk about cash crops.  How best survive this down turn in the agricultural economy? To reduce your vet expenses, please have everything ready to go when we arrive, the less time we spend at your farm, the less the bill will be.  Order from the Zumbro catalog, they are priced the same or better than Animart or Agriblenders. In addition, we do get a cut from your purchases which we use to help improve services to you. Agriblenders and Animart do not donate to Sunrise Vet truck funds, but Zumbro does. This benefits you in 2 ways, low catalog prices and better equipment for your vets to use.
      The 2 major expenses on farms are feed and labor. Feed expenses are something to talk with your nutritionist about. Have them sharpen their pencils and see if you can reduce your expenses a little. Don’t cut out too much as it will cost you a lot in the end.  Labor expenses: how do you reduce them? Well, how about instead of having the milkers wash down the parlor, you do. Yes it cuts into your day, but saving .5-2 hours per day x $10 per hour x 30 days =$150-600 per month. Yes, you are doing more, but it helps. Any other areas to help reduce labor expense will have a positive effect on the bottom line. Talk with your banker, is there something they can do to help? Rearrange loan payments, extend terms on a loan, etc. Scrap metal?  Yes it is frozen ground right now, but a few tons here and there and now we are talking some real money. No idea is a bad idea and the only stupid question is one not asked. Talk with everyone you work with to see if they have any ideas. Dr. Jim says sell the horses! Dr. John strongly agrees!
      We have just ordered our new autogenous Pinkeye vaccine. Guess what? It now has Mycoplasma in it!!!!!!!! We have been trying for the last several years to make this happen and we finally got it.  Based on past years and feedback from clients, this vaccine just is getting better and better. We are planning on having it in several months, in time for spring vaccinations.  I have talked with other vets in WI and they wish they had it in their vaccines. If you have had pinkeye in the past (any time of the year) this vaccine should significantly reduce the occurrence.
      I just got done reading a study done on Johnes transmission in young calves.  They took 32 calves and inoculated 16 with the Johne’s disease organism. The other 16 were housed with the inoculated calves.  The inoculated calves were culled at 3 months old and all were positive for Johnes at necropsy. The other 16 calves were feed for an additional 3 months and then were necropsied. During the study all calves were positive for Johnes on fecal culture and 50% of the non-inoculated calves were positive for Johnes at 6 months of age.  What does this mean? If you have a Johne’s positive cow, kill her! Do not keep her for the calf, as they will very likely infect at least 50% of the calves it is housed with.  No one should every keep a Johne’s positive cow for any reason, ever! Calves from Johne’s positive cows are a explosion of infection that will infect the rest of your young calves.  Johne’s positive= dead. ≥