One of the lesser known activities carried out at Synergy is clinical research. A whole range of projects is underway, looking at everything from the improved handling of downer cows, to the testing of Bulk Tank Milk for TB, to colostrum management in calves.
As well as our groups such as 0-6 Youngstock and Cattle Lameness Academy, we are lucky to have in-house expertise in statistical and research techniques, ethical assessments and welfare. Our team have been invited to give presentations at conferences up and down the country, even internationally. Some of our projects stem from the individual enthusiasms of our vets and techs, or indeed our farmers; but many are collaborations with universities, pharmaceutical companies or the wider industry.
They all have one crucial factor in common: they are trying to answer important questions that are relevant to you, our clients!
As some of our studies reach their conclusion, I hope to bring you some of the key findings over the coming months. In the meantime here is a brief update on three of our most exciting projects
Enferplex: can bulk milk revolutionise tb testing?
Our vet Alastair Hayton has been working on using the Enferplex test to enhance TB surveillance for the past 10 years. He has achieved validation for both the milk and blood tests at the World Association of Animal Health. The current project, which is part-funded by Innovate UK, has utilized bulk milk samples from 5,000 dairy herds across the UK. Many of you have contributed through your milk buyers and we thank you. The study is a partnership between UK Agritech Centre, SRUC (Scottish Rural College), NML and Synergy Farm Health and needed government permission to proceed. SRUC are currently analysing the testing results, carried out by NML, in conjunction with the government TB surveillance data base and we aim to report the results in early 2025. Watch this space for whether bulk milk testing could enhance TB surveillance whilst making all our lives easier!
Cow recovery: a better way for downer cows
Dairy client James Yeatman has developed an innovative system for safely and easily moving downer cows to an appropriate place for nursing and further assessment. We at Synergy were so excited by his ideas that we teamed up to produce the training materials and are jointly running a study to examine the experiences of using the kit on 15 dairy farms. The study will conclude very soon, when we look forward to sharing the learnings and the kit becoming more widely available.
Immunigy testing for IgG in calves
We all know how vital that first feed of colostrum is for calf health and future performance, whether destined for dairy or beef. Synergy has been the creative drive behind developing a brand new calf side test for Immunoglobulin as a way of assessing colostral immunity. Samples are easy to take using a lancet applied to the nose and the results can available same day. Large scale testing can even be carried out on farm with results in 10 minutes. If you haven’t come across it yet, ask for a demonstration from your routine vet as it is quicker and more accurate than our previous test, as well as being suitable up to 42 days of age.
Upcoming opportunities
We know that hosting a research trial isn’t for everyone (not always what you need in addition to a busy working day) but we are very grateful to those clients who regularly participate in a variety of clinical trials. Some help us to understand the best preventive, treatment or control strategies for common conditions, while others lead to exciting innovations relevant to the whole industry. Others may draw a blank, but that in itself can be useful learning.
Look out for important Synergy research findings in future newsletters and speak to your routine vet about current opportunities if you think you might like to be involved. We always have something interesting going on!
Rachel Hayton BSc (Vet Sci) BVM&S Cert CHP MRCVS Research Lead
