Coglavax - a vaccine sweet spot

Coglavax is a combined 8-in-1 clostridial vaccine. The benefit when compared to a 5-in-1 vaccine is that it provides added protection against different clostridial diseases (8 diseases vs 5.) Two shots, 4-6 weeks apart, are required for good levels of protection, which last for one year.

If an annual booster is given to ewes 2-4 weeks prior to lambing, then passive immunity is passed onto the lamb through colostrum. This will cover lambs for 3-4months (from the time of injection.) Clostridial deaths are commonly related to a sudden change in diet during feed transition. 

There is also increasing incidence as we use higher power feeds and crops, with deaths often affecting your best animals.

 Common situations that can lead to sudden death: 

• Anytime off feed that will cause animals to empty out and become hungry 
• Mustering and time into yards for drenching, dipping, vaccination 
• Time in woolshed for dagging, crutching, shearing 
• Stock transport, especially after sales or longer distance  
• Any sudden high food availability on an empty stomach or low feed 
• Stock movement from low-level or poor quality to high-power feed or lush pasture.

Often farmers accept lamb losses that they don’t attribute to clostridial disease because they have a good 5-in-1 programme in place. Many farmers across NZ are reporting higher survival rates once they switch to Coglavax 8-in-1, we think upgrading to an 8in1 vaccine by investing less than 9 cents per dose could deliver more profit to your farm.