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Know How / Sheep / Health and welfare

Poor flock health undermines productivity and causes welfare issues. Read the latest thinking on treatments for foot-rot, worms and fly strike along with veterinary advice on diseases such as Schmallenberg and liver fluke, as well as lambing issues including twin lamb disease, abortion, watery mouth and hypothermia.

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Case studies

SHEEP

Lack of colostrum increases lamb losses tenfold, study shows

Lamb mortalities on a Welsh sheep farm were 10 times more likely when the animals had not received adequate colostrum in the crucial first 24 hours of life, a study…

SHEEP

Flock health and farm cost benefits from mineral auditing

Applying fertiliser enriched with sulphur can improve grass yields, but a project in Wales has demonstrated why farmers should monitor impacts on their livestock or risk poor performance. Roger and…

LIVESTOCK

How a Portuguese green oasis inspired a move to agroforestry

Mike Adams had never seen the point in growing trees in fields. But visits to farms in southern Europe and Turkey proved transformational; he is now sold on their benefits…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

How one farm protects flock health with ultrasound scans

Ultrasound lung scanning is being used as part of the armoury to protect flock health at one Scottish Borders farm. Rob Parrish runs a 364ha (899-acre) organic mixed enterprise in…

GRASSLAND MANAGEMENT

Brothers seek £73/ha profit lift with less output

Sheep are making way for suckler cows to minimise winter feed requirements and pay the mortgage on an organic grassland farm. The alteration is one of several Graham and Michael…

SHEEP

How cobalt deficiency tests led to higher lamb weights

A split trial on a Dorset farm highlighted a 3.52kg uplift in weight gain and reduced susceptibility to worms in lambs supplemented for cobalt deficiency. The result of the trial,…

Practical advice

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HEALTH AND WELFARE

Amber blowfly warning as warm weather triggers season

Sheep farmers are advised to start checking for signs of blowfly strike and plan treatment for the blowfly season. An amber warning has been put in place across southern England…

SHEEP

Advice on developing a worm control plan for sheep

Having a worm control plan is often overlooked, but with anthelmintics resistance on the rise and becoming a real threat to lamb production, it is a fundamental tool for achieving…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

Tips on taking milk samples to find cause of ewe mastitis

Keeping a couple of clean test pots – together with some disposable gloves and disinfectant wipes – in the lambing kit makes it quicker and cleaner to sample ewes with…

SHEEP

What role do sentinel lambs play in liver fluke control?

Testing young lambs through their first grazing season is becoming an increasingly popular technique to monitor fluke risk, say animal health experts. Focusing on these “sentinel” lambs for signs of…

LIVESTOCK DISEASES

Bluetongue virus: What to look out for and how to manage it

Bluetongue virus risk is at a seasonal low, but producers should be ready for that to change in spring. Bluetongue virus is an insect-borne disease that can affect all ruminants.…

LAMBING

Why iodine alternative brings four benefits to lambing shed

A fast-drying navel protection solution has impressed in lambing sheds under trial conditions, providing an effective alternative to iodine. Interest in substitute desiccants for navels has grown since the cost…

Insights

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…

SHEEP

Sheep health: Government schemes and farmer priorities

Disease does not respect borders, so it is incumbent on the whole industry to take a strict stance towards protecting flock health. Sheep breeder and National Sheep Association (NSA) trustee…

SHEEP

Can sheep be 'worm tolerant' and what are the implications?

Lambs most tolerant to worm burdens could have a 10-day weight gain advantage over less tolerant ones, a pilot study has shown. The study, Breeding for tolerance to worms for…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

Why keeping ewes in good condition can help save on wormers

Keeping ewes at a good body condition score (BCS) in the weeks before and after lambing minimises worming requirements at a key point in the year, a new Welsh study…

LIVESTOCK

How rising costs threaten future of Icelandic sheep farming

Tough and resilient – the farmers in Iceland are much like the sheep they have bred to cope with the rugged terrain and sub-Arctic winter conditions. But many, like 44-year-old…

PARASITIC DISEASES

Gene mapping breakthrough good news for sheep farms

Researchers have taken “a major step forward” in the fight against wormer resistance on sheep farms by mapping the genes linked to drug resistance of the parasitic worm Haemonchus contortus.…

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…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

Coccidiosis project raises hope for new treatment

Coccidiosis is a perennial parasitic problem in growing lambs. It presents some difficulties in diagnosis, treatment and prevention – but good news could be around the corner.  Lambs and calves…

SHEEP

Video: Fluke video gives powerful insight into parasite

A video documenting the different stages of the harmful liver fluke parasite has been made to help farmers understand its complex life cycle. The video (below) shows the liver fluke…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

Vet survey reveals serious challenges ahead for profession

Poor retention and recruitment rates, Brexit and dissatisfaction in the industry could see a shortage of farm vets in the future if action isn’t taken.  Farmers Weekly carried out a…

SHEEP

Why a spring spike in dead lambs occurs despite vaccinations

A spike in pasteurella in dead lambs, aged five to eight weeks, has been seen again this spring despite farmers vaccinating ewes for the disease. Typically found in northern England…

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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