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Know How / Beef / Health and welfare

Read up-to-date information on major welfare issues and diseases affecting dairy animals including infectious disease such as TB and BVD, respiratory disease, lameness and keep up to date with the latest welfare requirements.

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HEALTH AND WELFARE

How wide hedges tightened farm's biosecurity

New 5m-wide, double-fenced hedges are helping protect stock from infectious disease as well as enhancing biodiversity on a Northumberland beef and sheep farm. “It’s good biosecurity before the trees have…

HOUSING AND HANDLING

How two farmers improved handling facilities for TB testing

TB testing can be one of the most demanding and dangerous jobs on a cattle farm, particularly in high-risk areas where frequent testing is required. Well-designed handling facilities can transform…

LIVESTOCK DISEASES

How timely bluetongue vaccine prevents dummy calves

A bluetongue vaccination uptake of only 50% among the suckler herd clients of a South East vet practice has been followed by several cases of dummy calves in unprotected herds.…

BEEF

How a vaccine transformed crypto control for one beef system

A new vaccine for cryptosporidium has markedly improved calf health and eased labour demand on a Perthshire beef farm – but it relies on excellent colostrum management to be effective.…

BEEF

How beef-specific foot health focus cut herd’s lameness risk

An on-farm review has enabled beef farmers Jonathan and Delyth Crimes to prioritise areas that will benefit foot health, resulting in easier day-to-day management and a 90% reduction in antibiotics…

BEEF

How pelvic scoring has helped improve suckler herd health

A decision to keep a heifer that looked “the best of the bunch”, despite her borderline pelvic score, taught Stuart Gowling a valuable lesson. The heifer went on to need…

Practical advice

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BLUETONGUE

Farmers told 'not too late' to vaccinate against bluetongue

Dairy farmers are being urged to vaccinate against BTV-3 if they haven’t already, with vets warning midges are still active and the disease will overwinter. “Everybody in England should consider…

LIVESTOCK

Advice for preventing TB in Scotland when buying cattle

Bovine TB cases in Scotland are increasing, with 31 new herd breakdowns recorded in the year to March 2026. Although herd prevalence remains low, at just 0.1%, and Scotland has…

LIVESTOCK DISEASES

Bluetongue: What farmers need to know as cases climb

Bluetongue cases are continuing to spread from the initial north Devon hotspot, with vets reporting a sharp increase in calls from concerned farmers. Tom Clarke, clinical director at Synergy Farm…

LIVESTOCK DISEASES

Advice for dealing with bluetongue as cases spread rapidly

North Devon-based Torch Farm and Equine Vets were called out to their first suspected case of bluetongue (BTV) on 7 July. In less than a month (up to 3 August),…

MEDICINES

How pain relief and fluid therapy can benefit ruminants

For prey species like cattle, expressing pain is risky, as it signals weakness to predators. Knowing this helps us understand why they appear so stoic, even when they are in…

PARASITIC DISEASES

Advice on grazing management to reduce tick risk to cattle

Grazing low-risk tick pastures with maiden heifers before they reach bulling age will help beef suckler herds to build their resistance to tickborne diseases. Combining good cattle immunity with strategies…

Insights

LIVESTOCK

Why ultrasound scanner is one vet’s favourite bit of kit

If I had to choose one piece of kit I wouldn’t want to be without as a vet, would it be the traditional yet still indispensable stethoscope or thermometer? Or…

BEEF

Beef welfare strategy aims to make cattle thrive, not cope

A proactive and preventative approach to animal health, well-trained stockpeople, and an environment that enables beef cattle to thrive, underpin the ruminant sector’s latest strategy to improve welfare. The Beef…

LIVESTOCK DISEASES

Why pneumonia is hitting more young grazing suckled calves

Vets are urging farmers to put in place mitigation strategies to curtail a surprising increase in respiratory disease linked to immunosuppression in young, suckled, grazing calves. The rise in cases…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

Analysis: What farmers need to know about bluetongue

The current outbreak of bluetongue virus serotype 3 (BTV-3) is likely to get worse in the coming weeks before it improves, warn industry leaders. Since the first case in this…

LIVESTOCK

6 livestock tech developments to look out for

From driverless tractors to cameras for identifying diseases, several high-tech innovations are coming down the track. Farmers Weekly looks at six highlights. See also: NI farm transforms slurry and food…

LIVESTOCK DISEASES

How local TB programmes are ‘giving farmers back control’

Local TB programmes working in collaboration with farmers, vets and Animal and Plant Healthy Agency (Apha) staff are having a positive effect in helping farmers take control of the disease.…

YOUNGSTOCK MANAGEMENT

Calf monitoring and health plans key to future performance

Some 90% of farmers want to make changes to improve the future sustainability of their youngstock management in the next 12 months, according to a Farmers Weekly exclusive survey. Yet…

LIVESTOCK

Why diverse forage mixtures could improve outwintering

Findings from a recent trial in Devon have concluded that outwintering cattle on a diverse mix of forages can help improve both animal and soil health, while also benefiting the…

BOVINE TB

How the free bovine TB advisory service is helping farmers

The TB Advisory Service (TBAS), is a Defra-funded initiative which gives free, practical advice to help dairy and beef farmers control bovine TB on farms in England.  The TBAS programme…

ROYAL HIGHLAND SHOW

Could thermal imaging transform livestock health management?

Thermal imaging is common in human medicine, but research from Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) shows there is huge potential for it to be used in the early detection of cross-species…

MEDICINES

Livestock Medicine Hub - what it's for and how it can help

A new database that enables farms to record, monitor and benchmark their antibiotics use has been developed by representatives from across the ruminant sector. Medicine Hub is available now and…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

Why health gains cut ruminant methane emissions by 10%

Three classic livestock benchmarking targets can help sheep and cattle farms raise technical performance and meet obligatory methane goals to battle climate change. Livestock policy leaders are urging farmers to…

Online resources

Nadis livestock disease A-Z - Cattle

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Nadis livestock disease A-Z - Sheep

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Nadis livestock disease A-Z - Pigs

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Nadis livestock disease A-Z - Poultry

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