Vaccine broach day gives smallholders a helping hand
For many smallholders, keeping a small flock healthy can come with significant costs. With this in mind, we recently organised a vaccine broach day to help keep the cost down and minimise wastage.
For those keeping only two or three sheep or goats or even alpacas, purchasing a large bottle of vaccine is often difficult to justify. Not only can it be expensive, but most of the vaccine may go unused, resulting in unnecessary waste.
The idea behind the broach days was to allow several smallholders to share a broached bottle, making vaccination more affordable and accessible for everyone.
It has proven to be very successful so far. Some owners opted for a visit, where I attended their animals and administered the vaccine for them, while others preferred to collect the required doses from the surgery.
The vaccine used was a clostridial and pasteurella vaccine, to help protect against several important causes of sudden death, disease and pneumonia. Some of the diseases covered are; Pulpy kidney, Blackleg and Braxy.
For unvaccinated animals, this vaccine requires a second dose four to six weeks after the initial course. As a result, there has been continued interest from both previous participants returning for their booster doses and new smallholders looking to take part in future vaccine days.
Biosecurity was also an important part of the day. Alongside vaccination, good biosecurity plays a huge part in protecting livestock and reducing the risk of disease entering and spreading through flocks. A change of needle after each injection not only between farms but between animals - I put the doses up for each animal in individual syringes and needles to ensure no cross contamination. For visits, I also made sure I disinfected after each smallholding, this includes myself, footwear and clothing/waterproofs.
Getting out and about meeting these smallholders and their animals has been a great experience. I have particularly enjoyed hearing about their way of life and their love for their animals. It is also a good chance for them to chat about any concerns or questions they may have.
Following the positive response, I am now hoping to organise a similar broach day for a Bluetongue vaccine. As the vaccine we are getting stock of is currently only available in 50-dose bottles and with the increasing number of cases, particularly in the south but now in Scotland too, smallholders should still have the opportunity to protect their animals without cost being a barrier.
If you are interested in joining our smallholders group or would like to find out more about future vaccine broach days and other livestock health initiatives, please get in touch with Jess on 01665 510999 or email [email protected]