Spring has Sprung at last!! What a tough winter farmers have had and small block holders have suffered from similar problems as larger commercial farmers. This has included heavy gastrointestinal parasitism in ewes and young cattle, metabolic problems in pregnant cows and the typical calf rearing diseases. We have also seen the odd case of ‘grain overload' on lifestyle blocks where cattle have gorged themselves on supplementary feed namely apples.

So what have small block holders got to look forward to in the spring. If you've reared calves or are going to buy in a few 100kg calves, get them dehorned, drenched and vaccinated. Vet Services offers a calf dehorning service which includes sedation and local anaesthetic, this is becoming increasingly popular with larger calf rearers and dairy farmers as it more humane , quicker and easier than other methods.

If you have the odd skinny ewe or alpaca ( feel the loin under the fleece) check their teeth and consider their drenching history. We can check the alpaca teeth for you.

Speaking of teeth, get those horses and ponies teeth checked before summer with our specialized teeth equipment and power float system. Watch out for laminitis with those fat ponies. If you have a pony predisposed to laminitis we have a product that may help.

Lastly watch out for bloat in cattle especially after a light frost or if you have just shifted them to a fresh paddock.

Good luck!!