One Year On
150 Friesian cows plus followers. Angus cross calves reared for beef. Rolling 12 month SCC -150 000, calving interval 405 days, successful first insemination 65%, average service 1.6.
Before coming to England to work on an organic dairy farm I had never heard of homeopathy for animals. Introduced to this form of treatment by my employers, Messrs Downes I was initially sceptical. The Downes’ sent me on the HAWL course and I started using homeopathic remedies in my work as herdsman. In a short time I was convinced of the value of homeopathy and isopathy to the stockman Over the last twelve months I have treated 49 cases of mastitis using various homeopathic remedies. The most dramatic was cow # 11. She came in one morning with a violently swollen and painful quarter. She was uncharacteristically nervous and fidgety and lashed out as I approached. I applied one squirt of belladonna resigning myself to weeks of arduous treatment and possible loss of that quarter. However that evening the swelling was down, there were a few clots, the cow was her normal placid self. I applied SSC, (sulphur, silica and carbo veg) for the clots and the following morning she was clear on the California mastitis test. A week later this cow tested 16 on somatic cell count in the monthly milk recording. We have of course experienced cases where the initial treatment failed to have the desired result but with a change in remedy success has been achieved.
We have had two cows which have been culled due to continuous infection and little or no success in treatment, Furthermore we have lost one quarter on four cows where treatment was either ineffective or where some underlying sustaining cause meant repeated reinfection..
We have not once resorted to antibiotics to treat lactating cows. Nor have we used any intrusive injections. This has meant a minimum of milk withdrawal.
Advantages of Homeopathy:
- No physically traumatic injections.
- Treatment in parlour at milking time.
- Minimum milk withdrawal. Only from affected quarter.
- No danger of anti-biotic contamination in bulk tank.
- No plastic pollution. Use re-usable squirt bottles.
- No dirty needles or disposal of used needles.
Furthermore we have many occasions to use homeopathy for the wellbeing of our stock. Aconite is used routinely for stressful operations such as dehorning, castrating, transport, freeze branding. Ignatia for removing calves from their mothers and caulophyllum for calving cows. I can only say that my impression, based on over thirty years of working with livestock is that these remedies work.
We buy our Homeopathic remedies from Messrs Crossgates as well as using herd specific nozodes made up from samples from this farm. We are happy with the product, service and advice from Crossgates.
STATISTICS
MASTITIS Total cases - 49
Cows treated successfully first time - 19
Success after change of remedy 9
Cows relapsing after apparent success 8
Cows requiring repeated treatment over weeks 4
Cows culled due to failure of treatment 2
Quarters lost to failed treatment 4
REMEDIES USED:
Belladonna, BBU (belladonna, bryonia and urtica urens), SSC (sulphur, silica and carbo veg), Phytolacca, herd specific mastitis nozode.
SUMMER MASTITIS: cases 1
Heifer treated over three weeks with Pyrogen aconite
BLOOD IN MILK: cases 4
Treated successfully in not more than four milkings with phosphorous
INJURIES: cases 5
All responded to treatment with Ipecac, AAA (aconite, ambras grisea, and argent nit),staphi sagria and pyrogen.
RETAINED AFTERBIRTH & METRITIS:
4 cows respond to pulsatilla
4 don’t respond. Treated with anti-biotic pessaries and or Iodine douche.
MILK FEVER & STAGGERS:
Treated homeopathically as well as conventional calcium and magnesium injections.
ANOESTRUS:
4 cows treated with sepia subsequently in calf.
EYES:
4 Successful with New Forest Nozode. Three swollen eyes treated with Apis mel.
DIGESTIVE DISORDERS:
5 treated with nux vom.
LETHARGY:
2 treated with calc carb
FEET
20 treated with AAA (aconite, ambras grisea argent nit), belladonna, thuja, hep sulph, and aconite.
5 needed 3 to 5 treatments.
NO antibiotics used.
Graham Mackay, (herdsman J Downes & s