Sheep News

The first laboratory-made vaccine to protect livestock against the Barber’s Pole worm – a highly damaging gastrointestinal parasite most commonly found in sheep and goats – has just been developed.

The deadline is imminent for those who haven’t yet vaccinated to enter the NSA’s main ram sale this year.

A Welsh farmer is reaping the rewards of introducing a preventative vaccination programme in his pedigree flock of North Country Cheviots – achieving improved flock health, a one-third reduction in feed costs, and a more condensed lambing period.

Auctioneers have welcomed news that a date has been set for easing certain movement controls on bluetongue susceptible animals in Scotland.

Farmer and broadcaster Adam Henson will be leading the 2025 Sheep Drive over the River Thames, the Worshipful Company of Woolmen confirmed. 

Defra is being urged to ensure the SFI supports farmers in the face of a changing climate, as it develops the next round.

The Sustainable Control of Parasites in Sheep (SCOPS) is advising farmers on the importance of using Group 4-AD (monepantel) and Group 5-SI (derquantel) wormer actives in lambs as a mid-to-late season dose to help manage resistance and support optimal growth rates. 

Graziers running short of keep this summer can now apply for adjustments to a range of stewardship options through the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) review process.

Farmers running public lamb-feeding events have been advised to avoid offering close contact with animals, such as holding, cuddling and kissing lambs. 

The National Sheep Association (NSA) has responded to Chris Packham’s column published in The Guardian, which claims that sheep are “destroying Britain’s upland habitats”, by calling for a more evidence-based and balanced conversation around the complex issues affecting protected landscapes. 

Sheep farmers have been urged to remain vigilant Haemonchus contortus infection as reports suggest the parasite is spreading across the UK.

The National Sheep Association (NSA) has highlighted the urgent requirement to grant a temporary derogation for grazing certain environmental land options that are part of the Countryside Stewardship scheme, considering the exceptionally dry weather currently experienced by many parts of the UK.