Dealing with the Loss of Livestock

Mark KeplerPurdue Extension Educator

Bethany Funnell, DVMPurdue University

College of Veterinary Medicine

Lying, Head Uphill

"Gut-Wrenching" PainSouth Dakota 2013

PED

• Lost 1,000 piglets. • Most died within the first few days of • The anguish of finding so many dead piglets remains.• “It’s been tough, you’ve got to carry them out in

buckets. It’s not what you were designed to do.”• .“We know about life and death on farm, that's just

part of it. But this is ugly.”

T. R. Roosevelt

• Winter of 1886-87• Cattle ranch in Dakota was wiped

out by the severe winter• Prompting him to abandon his

ranching operations and instead pursue his political career.

Anticipate and Follow up

• Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda

Healthy vs. Sick

Symptoms

• Temperature• hair coat • isolation from the herd/flock• abnormal eating habits• depression• scouring or diarrhea,• abnormal vocalization, teeth grinding• other

Practical Importance of Body Conditioning Scoring

Should I call a Vet?

Preventing Livestock Death

Bethany Funnell, DVMPurdue University

College of Veterinary Medicine

• An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure– Benjamin Franklin

• It is less expensive to prevent than it is to treat

Animal Health: Areas of focus

• Vaccination protocols• Deworming Strategies• Nutrition/body condition• Grazing/pasture management• Isolation/quarantine protocols

Vaccination Protocols

• Viral pathogens– Modified live vs killed vaccines

• Bacterial pathogens– What are issues in your area

• Timing• Product handling/efficacy• Administration

Deworming Protocols

• What parasites– Internal vs external

• When• How often• What route• Inherent resistance?

Nutrition Program

• Carbohydrates• Fats• Proteins• Minerals• Vitamins• Water

Nutrition Program

• Young animals require more nutrient dense rations• Lactating females require higher nutrient density

(energy)• Ruminants require forages for proper rumen function• Protein and energy intake should be balanced

Nutrition Program• Minerals should be balanced

– Some areas are deficient of some minerals– Excessive amounts of a mineral can cause signs of deficiency

of another• High molybdenum copper deficiency• High Phosphorus calcium deficiency

Nutrition Program• Vitamins

– Fresh forages typically good Vit profile– Stored forages poorer Vit. Profile– Ruminants typically make enough B-Complex vitamins in

rumen

Grazing/Pasture Management

• Feed quality• Feed availability• Stage of production• Animal risk

– Grass tetany, bloat• Parasite load

Isolation/Quarantine

• New purchases• Animals returning home after exhibition• Sick animals on the farm

They got sick! Now what?

• Viral infections– Usually outbreak (many animals affected quickly)– “hard to get ahead of”– Supportive therapy

• Fluids, fluids, fluids• Supplemental nutrition• NSAIDS (flunixin, aspirin)

Viral Infections

• Viruses are fragile outside of the host

• Typically don’t survive in the environment long

They got sick! Now what?

• Bacterial infections– Onset due to compromised defenses

• Concurrent viral infection• Injury• Contamination of otherwise sterile organ

– Appropriate antibiotic, route of administration, and timing of doses can often treat bacterial infections

• NOT ALWAYS!!

Antibiotic Use on the Farm

• Hot topic!• Delivery – Injected, oral drench, in water, in feed, etc• Prophylaxis – before risk• Metaphylaxis – during risk• Therapeutic – treat disease• Veterinarian will know what is most appropriate!

“He didn’t make it, Doc.”

• Animal losses are not a total loss• Opinion: Necropsy is the most underutilized tool in the

kit• Animal is dead, can’t do any more harm• Work with your vet to learn normal vs abnormal

Necropsy

• What animal?– Recently deceased, fresh, untreated (if collecting samples

for culture)• Who will conduct the necropsy?

– Veterinarian– Pathologist at Diagnostic Lab– Farmer/producer?

Necropsy

• How?– Veterinarian and Diagnostic Lab have a specific protocol– Producer…open up and look for anything abnormal

Necropsy

• What’s abnormal– Area around the animal– Animal’s hide (evidence of struggle or thrashing?)– Bruising under the hide

• Keep in mind, blood congestion on the dependent (down) side

Necropsy

• What’s abnormal– Look at filter organs

• Lung, liver, kidney– Look at color

• Liver and kidney are dark reddish brown• Spleen is gray mottled• Lungs are light pink and puffy

Necropsy• What’s abnormal

– Look for off-colors, malodorous, excessive fluid (straw colored or blood tinged), foreign materials

– Be aware of what you are doing• Don’t confuse something you did to pathology• Wear gloves and eye protection

– Some bugs are zoonotic, you don’t want to get the same thing the animal had

Necropsy

• Take pictures as you go– If you come across something you don’t understand,

pictures will help your veterinarian identify the problem– Capture images from multiple angles and have something

in the image for perspective

Resources

• Local veterinarian• Specialty veterinarian• Extension Educators• University Faculty• Technical Services Representatives (MS, PhD)• Other experienced and knowledgeable producers

Ask the right people

• Don’t ask the high school kid stocking shelves how to treat pneumonia in your lambs.

• If it doesn’t sound right, it probably isn’t.• Don’t be afraid to get a second opinion.

Grief

• You are not perfect. • Even professionals get it wrong.• Use it as an educational experience. • What could I have done different?

Circle of life

Dispose of dead animals properly

http://defendingfarmanimals

Dead Animal Disposal

No person owning or caring for any animal that has died from any cause shall allow the body to lie about his premises. Any animal body shall be disposed of by such person within twenty-four (24) hours after knowledge of death so as not to produce a nuisance. Disposal must be by one (1) of the following methods:

Burial • Incineration • Composting

Burial The animal must be buried the owner's premises, to such a depth that every part of the animal's body is at least four (4) feet below the natural surface of the ground and every part of the animal's body is covered with at least four (4) feet of earth in addition to any other material that may be used as cover.

Ordinances. No person may bury the body of any animal within the corporate limits of any city or town, where the same is prohibited by law or ordinance.

Check with your local plan commission office to determine your local ordinances!

Incineration Thorough and complete incineration according to standards established by an appropriate governmental agency.

In this case, the appropriate governmental agency is the Indiana Department of Environmental Management. For more information call the IDEM Office of Agriculture Relations at 317-232-8587.

Composting Obtain a permit if manure will be used in the process

through IDEM. Call the IDEM Office of Agriculture Relations.

Cover the carcasses with one to two feet of damp base material.

Maintaining adequate coverage of carcasses is extremely important!