Know How / Medicines

News and advice on the responsible use of livestock medicines, including antibiotics, wormers and vaccination. See best practice on medicine use to help avoid resistance to antibiotics and wormers and see how other farmers have reduced antibiotics successfully on their farms.

Advice and tips

SHEEP

3 ways to reduce use of antibiotics at lambing

Use of oral antibiotics in neonatal lambs has almost halved since 2016. How can the industry capitalise on that progress? The sheep industry’s use of antibiotics is relatively low compared…

SHEEP

Expert advice for lambing amid iodine shortage

The Sheep Veterinary Society has warned about shortages of strong (10%) iodine ahead of lambing due to production ceasing in Chile. If farmers can source 10% iodine, they could face…

PIGS

Pig vaccination without needles - how it works

Needleless vaccination is growing in popularity among pig producers. Vet Julia James of Larkmead Veterinary Group explains the benefits and what vaccinations are available in this form. See also: Farmer Focus:…

MEDICINES

Medicine Hub: What it is and how to use it

In recent years the livestock industry has done brilliantly in reducing antibiotics usage, and all of us in the industry believe the ruminant sector is now a pretty low antibiotics…

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Case studies

LIVESTOCK

How a calf unit has reduced antibiotics use by 60%

In the two years that Dominic McKenzie has been farm manager at Long Lane Development Farm in Somerset, the antibiotics use has fallen by 60% at the calf-rearing unit that…

DAIRY

How a Dorset dairy farmer cut antibiotics usage by 80%

James Yeatman has cut antibiotics usage in his block-calving dairy herd by 80% in the past eight years, with the main reductions around drying off, mastitis and calf respiratory disease.…

SHEEP

How farmer lambs 1,000 ewes inside without oral antibiotics

Diligence around lambing shed hygiene and ewe body condition scoring have allowed a Wiltshire flock to get through four lambings without a single dose of oral antibiotics. Martin Tobutt and…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

4 ways a robotic dairy got mastitis under control

Mastitis can lead to serious issues with milk quality and result in the suspension of milk contracts, but the problem can be tackled successfully. Vet Ellie Button explains how one…

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Insights

HEALTH AND WELFARE

A guide to mastitis treatment options for dairy cows

Mastitis is a major challenge for dairy farmers, from both cow health and economic perspectives, with recent figures from Kingshay estimating a cost/case of £386 – based on a milk…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

Why animal health is key to improving sustainability

As farm vets working in practice in the UK, we have an essential role in ensuring that farming is part of the solution to the climate crisis. Vets are in…

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…

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News

LIVESTOCK

'Fantastic' fall seen in antimicrobials use on dairy farms

Total antimicrobials use on UK dairy farms has fallen to 13.7mg/kg population corrected unit (PCU), according to Kingshay’s third annual focus report. Usage in 2019 was 17.7mg/kg PCU and it…

MEDICINES

Lowest ever sales of farm antibiotics recorded in UK

Sales of antibiotics for use in livestock on UK farms have more than halved in the past decade, falling to their lowest ever levels, official government figures reveal. UK antibiotics…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

NSA warns of vaccine shortages impacting UK sheep flock

The National Sheep Association (NSA) has called on government and the wider industry to ensure a reliable supply of vaccines for UK sheep farmers. Disruptions to supplies in recent years…

MEDICINES

Batch failure and Brexit blamed for vaccine shortages

Batch failures resulting in large volumes of some livestock vaccines being discarded are thought to be a principal reason for recent UK supply shortages. Farmers have reported being unable to…

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Video

SHEEP

How farmer lambs 1,000 ewes inside without oral antibiotics

Diligence around lambing shed hygiene and ewe body condition scoring have allowed a Wiltshire flock to get through four lambings without a single dose of oral antibiotics. Martin Tobutt and…

HUSBANDRY

Video: Correctly injecting cattle – a five-step guide

A good injection technique prevents damage to valuable carcass cuts and reduces the risk of injury to livestock and the handler. If an injection is administered incorrectly or with a…

MEDICINES

Antimicrobial resistance: How it works and why it's important

Antimicrobial resistance, and specifically antibiotics resistance, are high on the agenda for animal agriculture and veterinary medicine. Government and industry targets have been set for antibiotics reduction and antibiotics use is…

Sanderson Farms says antibiotic-free chicken is a ‘gimmick’

US poultry integrator Sanderson Farms has said it will not phase out antibiotics from its farms, taking a position that runs contrary to many other similar companies in the USA.…

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