A significant step forward has been made to reduce the spread of TB with the expansion of the TB Advisory Service offering farmers free bespoke advice on practical, cost-effective measures to reduce the risks associated with TB. From autumn, the TB Advisory Service (TBAS), will be available to any farm in England which keeps livestock… Read more »
New Red Tractor farm standards take effect on 1 November 2021. As a brief summary, the changes include stronger recommendations for the use of anti-inflammatory pain relief in calves and an end to tethering of cattle. Health plans should continue to focus on proactive management to help farm improvement and need to be reviewed and… Read more »
The National Beef Association (NBA) has strengthened its veterinary and bTB expertise by appointing Sarah Tomlinson to its national board. In addition to her role as a farm veterinary surgeon at our practice in Ashbourne, Sarah is an authority on bTB and is Technical Director for the TB Advisory Service (TBAS). At TBAS, Sarah oversees… Read more »
We want to reassure you that during Lockdown 2.0 we are an essential business and we will continue to care for your livestock, while respecting the new guidelines. We ask that you please wear a face covering, wash your hands and maintain social distancing when meeting with your vet on farm. This is to ensure… Read more »
With Blowflies being one of the most common ectoparasites to affect sheep in the UK, flystrike is likely to affect 80% of UK sheep flocks every single year. Even with preventative measures in place across many farms, an average of 1.5% of ewes and 3% lambs may be affected each year in the UK. With… Read more »
We are calling upon retailers and the food service sector to commit to supporting our farmers. Our concerns are mounting about how the higher welfare and production standards in UK agriculture will be protected long term, given that MPs failed to enshrine that protection in law when voting against the recent amendment to the Agriculture… Read more »
With the days lengthening and the weather turning warmer, it’s great to see cattle being turned out and enjoying the sunshine. However, unfortunately that also means that fly season is here with all the unwelcome irritation and nuisance that flies cause to both livestock and workers. There are numerous types of flies, but the main… Read more »
TB testing has and always will be a priority for DEFRA as it is essential not only for domestic TB disease control but also our TB free status is critical for international trade. We are starting to see TB incidence in parts of England declining – this is really encouraging and is a credit to… Read more »
The University of Liverpool is running a project to investigate Johne’s disease on UK beef and sheep farms. Ovine Johne’s disease is much more common than most people realise and this project will investigate the risk factors and effect of the disease on the productive lifespan of ewes and farm economics. Furthermore, little research has been done on cross… Read more »
Westpoint Chelmsford vet Ami Sawran has kindly put this video together demonstrating how to make a makeshift halter for small ruminants in order to tie them up, allowing a safe distance of 2m between vet and client. To reduce the risk of virus transmission we ask that vet visits should take place in a well… Read more »