The transport of dairy weaners onto young stock properties for grazing is a significantly stressful event for the weaners, and the management of the animals at this time will have a large impact on their future performance.
When weaners arrive on property, it is strongly recommended to weight and record each individual animal so that you can monitor weight gain, and identify any animals that are not performing as well as expected early.
It is also important to know the vaccination history of these animals, and to know if any additional vaccinations are required after the animals arrive on the young-stock property. Potentially some of these animals may require an additional vaccination within the first month of arriving on the property to be fully vaccinated.
When weaners arrive on farm, a quarantine drench is strongly recommended, to minimise the possibility of resistant worms being introduced into your farming system. The use of a double active oral drench alongside an injectable single active will be the best option to ensure the worms are being exposed to three different actives. At the very least, a double active oral drench should be used.
Trace elements are also essential for achieving good growth rates and maintaining good health in weaners. It is important to communicate with the animal owners to ensure a good understanding is in place as to who is responsible for trace elements, and how they will be given to the animals.
We strongly recommend having a young stock management plan put in place to ensure that all of the key animal health events are carried out at the correct time. This plan can be put together either by your vet, or the animal owner’s vet and will provide a calendar that will show what products need to be given at what time.