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Know How / Health and welfare

Animal health is critical to all producers of dairy and beef cattle, sheep and pigs. Get advice on dealing with livestock diseases such as, bovine TB and mastitis, and conditions such as heat stress, lameness and ewe prolapse. See best practice on vaccination, medicines and reducing antibiotics.

Case studies

HEALTH AND WELFARE

How flock tested six wormer groups to inform drench strategy

A Glamorgan lamb producer has revised his worming protocols after a project investigating anthelmintics resistance established which species could survive a range of treatments in his flock. Dai John runs…

LIVESTOCK DISEASES

How bluetongue vaccination decisions affected two flocks

There was never any doubt that David Rendle would vaccinate his flock for bluetongue. He had done so last year, when there were few cases in his area, and this…

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…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

How multi-pronged health focus raised flock performance

Lower-than-average scanning and rearing percentages on a Denbighshire sheep farm persuaded a father and daughter team to seek help for a solution. As they discovered, it is rare to get…

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…

FEED AND NUTRITION

How willow can help provide vitamin B12 to growing lambs

The use of willow for browsing by lambs is being rolled out on a Northumberland farm to help address a cobalt deficiency. The move follows on-farm field trials which, despite…

Practical advice

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SHEEP

Advice on reducing sheep rejections at abattoir

Lamb producers should study their kill sheets to see where they may be losing out and how they can reduce future risk, so they maximise financial returns. Whether it is…

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

How to reduce the risk of enterococcus lameness in broilers

Lameness is one of the most significant economic and welfare challenges facing every UK livestock sector, and commercial broiler production is no exception. As with digital dermatitis in cattle, lameness…

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),…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

Benefits of practical approach to dry cow therapy protocols

Research and tighter rules on antibiotics use have given one Somerset dairy farm the push it needed to move away from blanket dry cow therapy and adopt a more selective…

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…

NEWS

Bluetongue: Is the UK’s strategy keeping pace?

The rapid spread of bluetongue this summer has reignited the debate over whether government and industry have done enough to prepare for a disease that many now believe is becoming…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

How fore-milking can increase mastitis detection by 146%

Research conducted on Irish dairy farms showed fore-stripping increased clinical mastitis detection by up to 146%. The finding led PhD student Rachael Millar to conclude that clinical mastitis may be…

LIVESTOCK

How biomarkers can help uncover hidden flock health issues

As poultry production systems become increasingly data driven, producers are generating more information than ever before – but turning those figures into practical management decisions remains a challenge. While modern…

DAIRY

Heat-stress strategies for grazing cows tested in NZ herds

Finding ways to mitigate heat stress for cows at grass each summer is posing an increasing challenge as spells of high temperatures become commonplace. But next year, there will be…

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…

POULTRY

Why more efficient egg production requires vaccination rethink

Hitting the current 72-week average laying cycle in free-range egg production was once considered exceptional, but it is not uncommon now to see white bird flocks in-lay for 110 weeks.…

ASSESSING PERFORMANCE

How even tiny losses in body condition impact dairy fertility

Small changes in body condition score – invisible to the human eye – can have a detrimental impact on fertility in the next lactation, a commercial study has shown. See…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

Calf toys: What’s on offer and are they worth it?

Introducing toys into the calf pen can enhance the development and wellbeing of youngstock, helping them thrive and become resilient animals in adulthood. However, these should not be at the…

BOVINE TB

Bovine TB: Badger vaccination faces its defining test

Defra’s decision to expand badger vaccination and wind down intensive culling marks one of the most significant shifts in bovine TB policy for a decade. Beginning early next year, a…

DAIRY

GB Calf Strategy to focus on unweaned dairy beef calf welfare

Dairy beef is no longer seen as a by-product of the milk industry, but a suitable co-product to replace beef imports, as a result of the GB Calf Strategy’s work.…

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…

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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