While deer are stunning animals, cattle farmers shouldn’t get too taken with them. They could potentially carry many risks to their herd.
Deer have been known to spreading diseases like TB and Schmallenberg virus which have ravaged Irish cattle herds in recent years.
TB is a notifiable disease and tests for it are compulsory on cattle farms. Schmallenberg virus isn’t a notifiable illness, but it can cause devastating deformities in calves.
When we think of the spread of bovine TB, more often than not we think of badgers. They are the most commonly infected wildlife species.
However deer can also carry the infection. Although bovine TB is less widespread in them, a cow is a lot more likely to interact with a deer if they happen to be near one another.
While a badger could occupy a field with your cows, Deer would graze along with them for an extended time, and leave behind infected faeces.
As well as the risk of disease, they’re eating your grass and that will leave a noticeable dent.
Deer can be found all around Ireland, although there are different types.
Red Deer are common in Killarney, Co Kerry and Glendalough Valley and Turlough Hill in Co. Wicklow.
Wild herds also exist in the west and north west of Ireland in Glenveagh, Co. Donegal, Connemara, Co Galway and areas of Co Mayo.
Fallow Deer and Sika deer are widespread in most parts of Ireland too.
Much has been made of correlation between deer numbers in Co Wicklow and Bovine TB rates in the same county.
West Wicklow has a rate of bovine TB of 12.4%, which is four-and-a-half times that of the national average (2.75%), while in East Wicklow it is double the national average (6.3%).
There is also a large deer population in Wicklow who, according to reports, have increasingly come down from the uplands due to a lack of vegetation. Surveys by the Department of Agriculture showed 16% of deer in parts of Co Wicklow infected with TB in 2015.
All of this led to calls for a cull of 50,000 deer there. However that was viewed as overkill by deer experts who said that number was “finger in the wind guessing”.
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Dealing with deer
Prevention is the best cure with deer, or badgers who may carry TB. Ensure you have sufficient fencing to keep them out (although in the case of deer this can be difficult as some varieties of deer can jump fences taller than a fully grown man.
Deer may be hunted under licence obtained from the National Parks and Wildlife Service between September 1st and the last day of February.
Keep them apart
Fence off common watercourses, stagnant ponds, badger setts and badger toilet areas
If you are concerned about badgers or deer, don’t provide hand feeding to cattle where badgers or deer can share it, eg. circular deeders or meal troughs in fields.
Raise drinking or feeding troughs to over 84cm in height and locate them away from walls/ditches to prevent access.
Keep food storage areas, cattle sheds and yards closed so that wildlife cannot gain entry.
Check fields regularly for badger carcasses. This applies especially when moving your cattle out onto new pasture.
Being aware of unusual sightings of badgers e.g. in daytime. The badgers may be sick from TB. If you do catch a glimpse of a badger at an unusual time contact your vet.
If you are worried about TB, protect your herd and those of your neighbours by:
- Having adequate fencing so as to avoid nose-to nose contact between neighbours’ cattle and your own and to avoid giving wild deer access to your land.
- Providing drinking water for cattle from a clean source.
- Not sharing equipment, cattle crushes, pens, housing and farm roadways.
- Carrying out TB tests promptly and on every bovine animal on your farm when requested. The DVO will notify you when such tests are due.
- Ensuring a high level of nutrition for all animals.
- Practising good animal welfare.
- Disinfecting houses and transport vehicles regularly.
- Breeding your own replacement stock, or, if you must introduce animals, obtaining animals with a recent test and from known reputable sources. If buying through a mart, you can ensure that animals, and particularly potential breeding animals, are 30 day tested and/or have passed to export standard, by examining the details on the electronic display board. This will reduce the risk of introducing disease into your herd.
If you are worried about Schmallenberg at calving time
If your calf makes it to term, Schmallenberg Virus can still be devastating, and calf malformations have the potential to cause a difficult calving.
If you aren’t expecting a Schmallenberg calf, equipping the Moocall calving sensor means you will be down and ready to assist the calving to ensure maximum animal welfare.
