Dairy News April 30, 2013
30 // machinery & products
Scours vaccine at lower cost A NEW rotavirus scours vaccine
costing much less than usual will allow greater numbers of animals to be protected, says the supplier, Phoenix Pharm. The company’s veterinarian Bob Sadler says vaccination of pregnant cows and heifers to stimulate rotavirus antibody production in the colostrum has become a common way to help protect calves from rotavirus scours. Two vaccine options have been available in recent years, but this
year a third option is on sale: Rotagal is a vaccine containing the G6 strain of rotavirus antigen (the strain causing most rotavirus outbreaks in New Zealand), plus corona virus and E coli K99 antigens. Sadler says one of the constraints on farmers has been the cost on vaccinating. “A lot like to use vaccines to prevent scours outbreaks but there’s been a considerable cost attached to vaccinating the cost. “The main point of difference
with Rotagal is it is significantly cheaper. Some farmers have not been vaccinating because of the cost and some, for instance, only do half the herd to avoid costs. The cost has been up to $5 per cow and that can be quite a lot out of the animal health budget.” Rotagal, a registered veterinary medicine, comes from Europe, from a small, very focused vaccine manufacturer, says Sadler. www.phoenixpharm.co.nz 09 476 7391
Paul Anderson
Rotagal is made by a small, focused European vaccine manufacturer.
A good start...
More hands make work lighter AFTER SHIFTING a lot of round bales with his
front loader, Paul Anderson decided there had to be a quicker way. The result was Two Hands, a double bale grab that can pick up one or two round bales with the front loader, and up to four round bales with the rear linkage. “They can also carry square bales on their side,” said Anderson. He and his wife Michelle farm at Wyndham, Southland and after shifting a lot of round bales for themselves and neighbours came up with the idea of Two Hands.
“With a double clamp on the front and a double on the back I can shift up to 160 bales an hour.” It is attached to the loader with a Euro hitch and the Two Hands has a centre partition with an independently operated clamping arm on either side. Each arm clamps each bale to the centre partition independently for carrying and stacking. To operate It needs a third and fourth service. The arms open 1.56m and the overall width is 2.41m. The model on the rear linkage works the same way and with a backstop fitted can carry four bales stacked two high in the paddock. “With a double clamp on the front and a double on the back I can shift up to 160 bales an hour.”
www.2hands.co.nz Tel. 03 246 9556
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Manawatu and Wellington: Lely Center™ Feilding Ph: (06) 323 9660 sales@bromsdp.co.nz
Canterbury: Lely Center™ Ashburton Ph: (03) 302 6200 or 0800 00 77 66 office@winslowltd.co.nz
Southland and Otago: Lely Center™ Invercargill Ph: (03) 218 7174 reese.hegarty@jj.co.nz
Contact your local rural supplies merchant or phone 0800 266 258