Advice on cows sheddingr hair now.

dasheriff

Over the last few days 6 of my suckler cows have started shedding their hair quite severely, I have never seen this happen before at this time of year.
I have them fully dosed,
Has anyone seen this happen or know what might be causing it?

reilig

dasheriff wrote: »

Over the last few days 6 of my suckler cows have started shedding their hair quite severely, I have never seen this happen before at this time of year.
I have them fully dosed,
Has anyone seen this happen or know what might be causing it?

Are they scratching the hair off to leave a bald patch or are they just losing their winter hair? If they're scratching, its probably lice and you therefore need a pour on for them (something like endospec) which is relatively inexpensive and easy to apply. Sounds like lice when they are all losing it at the same time. Pour on will also keep away ticks in the spring, summer and Autumn and reduce the chances of your cows getting red water.

pakalasa

If you do decide to do them for lice, make sure you do all the cattle in the shed. Otherwise those not done will infect the others again.

kfk

I have noticed my cows licking themselves a lot over the last few weeks, Could it be lice? I dosed them the beginning of December with Closamectin injection. Thought that would prevent lice!

dasheriff

reilig wrote: »

Are they scratching the hair off to leave a bald patch or are they just losing their winter hair? If they're scratching, its probably lice and you therefore need a pour on for them (something like endospec) which is relatively inexpensive and easy to apply. Sounds like lice when they are all losing it at the same time. Pour on will also keep away ticks in the spring, summer and Autumn and reduce the chances of your cows getting red water.

I did them with a pour on about 4 to 5 weeks ago, could they have got lice again already..
Is it not abit early to be losing their winter hair?

greysides

Losing hair from lice usually gives a patchy picture on areas that can be scratched.

Lice pourons these days are very safe to use..................particularly for the lice!

BTW:
Ivomec injection, and presumably other ivermectin-derived products, only claim to control sucking lice and aid in the control of biting lice. In other words there are two types of lice that may be present.
Sucking lice 'drill' for blood and get the full dose of ivomec present in the blood.
Biting lice nibble/bite at the skin surface and induce the secretion of fluid they then drink. This 'serum' comes from blood but does not contain all the elements of blood (to start with, it's not red) and I presume they then don't get the full lethal dose of ivomec.

dar31

kfk wrote: »

I have noticed my cows licking themselves a lot over the last few weeks, Could it be lice? I dosed them the beginning of December with Closamectin injection. Thought that would prevent lice!

the closamection injection dosent do lice, only the pour on dose them. think that equated some what to the differance in price between inj and pour on

snowman707

dar31 wrote: »

the closamection injection dosent do lice, only the pour on dose them. think that equated some what to the differance in price between inj and pour on

Lice

Linognathus vituli, Haematopinus eurysternus, Solenopotes capillatus

Mange Mites

Psoroptes ovis (syn P communis var bovis), Sarcoptes scabiei var bovis

Closamectin Injection may also be used as an aid in the control of the biting louse Damalinia bovis and the mange mite Chorioptes bovis, but complete elimination may not occur.

copied from

http://www.norbrook.co.uk/Products/ProductData.cfm/product_Key/482/CatKey/1/Section/Veterinary_Products/

blue5000

If they are getting maize silage they can lose hair, I think it is caused by min deficiency