Animal Health

At a busy time of year for sheep to move between holdings, the Sustainable Control of Parasites in Sheep (SCOPS) group is encouraging producers to think about sheep health as an extremely precious asset worthy of multi-pronged protection.

Following the arrival of new vaccine stocks, sheep farmers tupping late in October are being encouraged to vaccinate their flocks against EAE (enzootic abortion of ewes) to protect the health and welfare of their ewes and prevent abortions during lambing.

Following reports of African Swine Fever (ASF) being detected in Sweden for the first time, industry groups are urging farmers to ramp up biosecurity and called for stricter border control measures to prevent the devastating disease from reaching UK shores.

Beef and dairy farmers preparing for the autumn calving season will likely need to support their cows with additional supplementation to make up for a decline in forage quality, according to Dr Alison Bond, nutritionist for Rumenco.

New research by the Universities of Warwick and Nottingham has revealed how differences in farmer behaviour, particularly around vaccination uptake, can influence the outcome of livestock disease outbreaks.

Led by the Sheep Antibiotic Guardian Group (SAGG), the #HealthyFeetHappySheep campaign launched last week (7th September) aims to educate vets and farmers on all aspects of sheep foot health and signpost the industry to the latest resources.

Following ragwort and hemlock poisoning cases reported in cattle and pigs by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), AHDB is urging farmers to make sure they are familiar with the signs of toxicity and be on the lookout for poisonous plants in their fields.

With cows being at increased risk of disease in the first month post-calving, farmers are being urged to act now to prevent milk losses due to ketosis and transition-related disease.

Sheep dipping contractors, farmers and prescribers are being urged to make themselves aware of the latest updates to the Mobile Sheep Dipping Code of Practice, which aim to ensure the ongoing effectiveness and safe use of organophosphate (OP) dips in the UK.

As we head into the colder months, Farmers Guide offers three top tips to prepare for housing cattle this season – from building maintenance and farm safety, to animal health and nutrition.

Returning for its second year, the National TB conference is a platform for farmers and industry stakeholders to come together and discuss the challenges of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) and the barriers that remain towards a disease-free future.

Despite improvement to overall intestinal health in flocks across the UK, coccidiosis prevalence is still higher than 2021 levels, and poultry farmers are advised to ramp up biosecurity on their premises to achieve good disease control over the winter.