When is it most profitable to deworm cows?
Deworming needs to happen at the correct time to ensure the greatest economic benefit. While individual deworming programs are best, they’re not always practical. For dairy cows, planned treatments in the spring, fall and at freshening can help protect milk production.
Consider these key times of year to treat:
- Fall deworming
- control external parasites that become more active in cooler months
- Spring deworming
- knock down flies and internal parasites going into summer
- Freshening
- enable your cows to get the most from their nutrition and maximize production
Because they are growing, heifers have significant nutrient demands on their bodies. Adding parasites to that equation can slow time to mature weight and conception, which gets them into the milkstream late – decreasing lifetime production.
First-calf heifers + EPRINEX66 - McPherson WB, et. al. The impact of eprinomectin treatment on dairy cattle reproductive performance. Proceedings, 44th Annual Meeting American Association of Veterinary Pathologists. 1999;41.
• 12.9 fewer days to conception
• 19.9%
more pregnancies after first service (P<0.01)
Earlier first conception can have significant impact on lifetime milk production.
High-producing dairy cows are under considerable nutritional stress beginning at calving and continuing through the first months of lactation. While adults can develop a natural resistance to internal parasites, during the time following calving, the cow goes through a period of relaxation in that resistance and considerable losses can occur if parasites are present.
Cows treated with EPRINEX at calving showed an increase in milk production of 2.07 lbs. per day in the first six months of lactation compared to the placebo group (P<0.002).77 - Nodtvedt A, et al. Increase in milk yield following eprinomectin treatment at calving in pastured dairy cattle. Vet Parasitol. 2002;105:191-206.
A cow treated for parasites with eprinomectin that was first bred at 50 days post-calving required 25% fewer services per conception than a placebo cow.88 - Sanchez J, et al. The effect of eprinomectin treatment at calving on reproduction parameters in adult dairy cows in Canada. Prev Vet Med. 2002; 56:165-177.
A cow treated for parasites with eprinomectin that was first bred at 75 days post-calving required 11% fewer services per conception than a placebo cow.88 - Sanchez J, et al. The effect of eprinomectin treatment at calving on reproduction parameters in adult dairy cows in Canada. Prev Vet Med. 2002; 56:165-177.
External parasites such as lice, mange and flies cause obvious discomfort to livestock and economic effects due to weight loss and decreased milk production. EPRINEX controls biting and sucking lice, mange mites, grubs and horn flies and is the most popular endectocide with 99% control.
When a herd was given a single dose of EPRINEX after being diagnosed with Sarcoptic mange, milk production increased by 3.3 lbs. per cow, per day.99 - Watson CL, Forbes AB. An outbreak of sarcoptic mange in dairy cows. UK Vet Livestock. 2000;5:48-50.
