 Cattle Lice Cattle lice are specific to Cattle and live in the
hair coat and on the skin.
Some lice are biting lice that feed on skin and others
are sucking lice that feed on blood.
Lice are usually a winter problem and this winter
many people are having problems with lice.
The economic impact of lice is underestimated, Cattle
that are lousy probably don’t do as well as
cattle that are not and cattle can damage fences etc
by continually rubbing up against objects to relieve
the itch.
Cattle with lice have hair loss particularly around
the neck and shoulders and look poorly.
The life cycle of lice is about one month and all
occurs on cattle. The lice lay eggs which stick to
the coat, develop into nymphs and then turn into an
adult.
Usually 1-2% of Cattle in a herd are carriers and
this is why lice persist from year to year despite
our best efforts. Carriers may be older cows or bulls
particularly ones with a longer shaggy coat. The enourmous
size of bulls makes it hard for them to groom themselves
effectively.
Cattle should be treated for lice in autumn and them
monthly over winter as required. All cattle need to
be treated for effective treatment of the herd
Treatment is usually by pour on or injectable insecticide.
Cattle Warts
Warts are caused by a Papilloma virus and are very
contagious from direct contact between cattle and
also by sharing leads, ropes and halters.
They are of no economic significance but are the
bane of people showing cattle as they often appear
in a herd when cattle are being broken in or prepared
for a show.
There are different strains of papilloma virus and
these tend to infect specific areas of the cows body.
The virus is inside the wart and not in the cows
body and so even though cattle eventually become immune
to warts, it takes a long time for them to do so.
Crushing or cutting off the warts to promote bleeding
may help stimulate the immune system to mount an immune
response to warts.
When you see warts on young cattle, crush or cut
them off as soon as possible.
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