INFORMATION AND ADVICE

Farm Animal Health

This page has been created to inform and advise all our clients on livestock health issues.  Whether you have a small holding or a large commercial enterprise, your knowledge of the health of the livestock will prove crucial to your success.   

Any information given on this page is for guidance only and in any event of disease or illness, contact your local Westpoint vet for a firm diagnosis before commencing any treatments.

Profit Improvement Plans

Act now to prevent lameness

Now is a great time to make improvements to cubicles, feed barriers, concrete or drainage that will improve your cows' comfort and the way they interact with the environment.

Chris Just, Our resident lameness expert, suggests a few simple things that you can do to reduce lameness

   Moving neck rails to improve cubicle acceptance, or replacing them with something flexible such as a ratchet strap.

   Re-grooving slippery concrete so cows can show bulling behaviour confidently and are less likely to do the splits.

   Provide extra feeding or drinking space so heifers and lower rank cows are not standing waiting for others to finish.

   Improving drainage of dirty water to help reduce incidence of digital dermatitis and foul.

Biosecurity

Matt Dobbs has developed a one-page checklist to help livestock buyers reduce the risk of bringing in disease to their existing herd. The checklist operates on a traffic light system with green, amber and red, compassing a range of questions from on-farm biosecurity to current disease status. 

For further information please contact:-

Your Westpoint Vet

Phone 01306 628086

Email info@Westpointfarmvets.co.uk

Government white paper - The future of farm vets

There has been much talk about the future of veterinary provision to farmers and how many veterinary practices are pulling out of farm work all together.  Professor Phillip Lowe last week published his government white paper on just this.  Westpoint Veterinary Group is held up as an example of farm vets thinking differently about the best and most sustainable way to provide farmers with high quality advice and full 24 hour cover (even in less livestock dense areas).   

Click picture for Farm practice report by Professor Phillip Lowe