Menu

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

LIVESTOCK

How a whole-flock health strategy cut lameness to 1.4%

Adopting a whole-flock approach to health has helped a Carmarthenshire farmer to reduce lameness from 3% to 1.4% while improving lambing output. Neil Stoddart is a full-time forester and first-generation…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

How to reduce routine fluke treatments

A 2,000-ewe farming enterprise has the confidence to not routinely treat breeding stock with a flukicide this autumn after adopting a new approach to monitoring and controlling infestation risk. See…

DAIRY

How spate of returns to service led to Q fever diagnosis

Striving for high health status together with efficient production from a block-calving, grazing system hit a snag in 2023 for Dorset dairy farmer Nick Tuke. A portion of cows in…

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…

Practical advice

See all

BLUETONGUE

Fertility checks urged amid bluetongue infection fallout

Farmers are advised to scan all cows this autumn to establish what’s in-calf and which animals are empty following bluetongue infection this summer. There is a potentially “scary” spring calving…

HOUSING AND HANDLING

Benefits of daily interaction with cattle to ease handling

Automating jobs such as bedding up and feeding saves labour, improves farm efficiency and can increase stock performance. Yet beef farmers are advised to be aware of unintended consequences –…

LIVESTOCK

How funding boost improved performance in two flocks

The farmers I work with are inquisitive, knowledgeable and strive to improve their productivity. Each year brings about its own challenges, commonly in the form of weather or disease, but…

DAIRY

Ways housed herds can plan for the next heatwave

Mitigating heat stress needs to be a key element of a farm’s management strategy for cows housed in summer. But taking inspiration from hot climates and simply investing in an…

DAIRY

Tips to minimise fetch cows in a free-access robot system

Dairy farmers who have settled their cows into free-access automated milking need to regularly monitor their list of fetch cows. It’s important to take care that being escorted to milking…

LIVESTOCK

Advice on reducing the risk of dry-period mastitis

The first few weeks of lactation are one of the most valuable times to collect mastitis data, yet it’s easy for data recording to slip down the priority list. Mastitis…

Insights

HEALTH AND WELFARE

Vaginal prolapse in ewes: How big an issue is it?

Vaginal prolapse is well managed on many sheep farms, but vets should give guidance on the use of antibiotics, pain relief and retention methods to improve animal welfare and antimicrobial…

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.…

Online resources

Nadis livestock disease A-Z - Cattle

Learn more

Nadis livestock disease A-Z - Sheep

Learn more

Nadis livestock disease A-Z - Pigs

Learn more

Nadis livestock disease A-Z - Poultry

Learn more

Advertiser content

See all