Animal Health

Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) has launched a new guide to help farmers reduce the risk of ‘Staggers’ and protect their herds.

This year has highlighted that there is no typical year for fluke. With a very dry spring in some regions followed by a wet summer, the timing of peak fluke risk this year could be different from normal and different across the country. Reports of cases of fluke have started to come in from some regions, however these are variable, highlighting the unpredictability of fluke this year.

Anpario plc, the international producer and distributor of natural animal feed additives for animal health, nutrition and biosecurity, saw sales rise 13 percent to £16.2m and a 24 percent improvement in adjusted EBITDA to £3.4m in the six months to 30th June 2020.

Sheep farmers are being encouraged to conduct faecal egg count (FEC) tests in their ewes and rams prior to tupping to identify and manage any worm burdens that could impact fertility & conception rates.

Livestock producers looking to make the most of grazed forage can increase intake and digestion by 10 per cent when supplementing pastures with a nutrient-rich Rumevite block, says Dr Alison Bond, nutritionist for Rumenco.

As more milk buyers are advising against blanket dry cow therapy, dairy farmers are turning to teat sealants to reduce infection pressure against mastitis.

Recent trials suggest that pigs consuming feed supplemented with pHorce, from manufacturer Anpario, were protected against in-feed viruses, had lower mortality and significantly increased average daily gain.

Recent record temperatures and prolonged spells of hot weather have prompted pig housing specialists, ARM Buildings, to offer farmers an additional means of safeguarding pig health and welfare in artificially-ventilated buildings.

Roundworms, liver fluke and lungworm are costing UK livestock producers £270 million in lost production and treatment expenditure every year, according to a new study to be published in the journal Preventive Veterinary Medicine. The study examined the economic burden of major parasitic worm infections on livestock across 18 European countries.

The latest blowfly update, produced by Elanco and Nadis, shows the risk level is now at ‘severe’ in all but one region of the country.

UK sheep producers are being encouraged to implement all the proven measures to control sheep lameness, following publication of new research into practical management routines on farm.

The NFU has published 26 examples of how farmers are working towards net zero on their farms, showing how other farmers can make changes to their businesses to help achieve the NFU’s 2040 net zero ambition.