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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

POULTRY

How an organic egg producer eliminated nuisance flies in sheds

Tim Clarke has introduced controls on his 9,000-bird unit at Nantywellan, near Llandrindod Wells, to reduce fly populations. The flies are known carriers of diseases such as salmonella, pasteurella, campylobacter…

WHATS IN YOUR LIVESTOCK SHED

What’s in Your Livestock Shed? visits a nutrition barn

Inspired by dairy setups in Denmark, the design of the nutrition barn at the Centre for Dairy Science Innovation at the University of Nottingham has resulted in a cool, calm…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

How parasitic wasps cut calf unit chemical control by 30%

A contract calf-rearing business has cut its use of chemical fly treatments by nearly one-third since introducing parasitic wasp controls at a cost of 50p an animal. The wasps are…

LAYERS

How farm raised welfare with switch to fully beaked birds

Managing a switch to white, fully beaked birds requires close attention to detail but can improve production and welfare, according to Powys-based farmer Phil Davies. Mr Davies and wife Helen…

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…

BROILERS

How poultry unit manages heat stress with misting systems

High-pressure water misting systems are playing a key role in preventing heat stress and performance dips in hot weather at one Derbyshire broiler business. The Adsetts family installed their first…

Practical advice

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GRASSLAND MANAGEMENT

Guide to soil biology and how to protect it

Many farms are closer to being “regenerative” than they might think, says a leading soil scientist. Ian Bell of Northern Soil Regen told delegates at Carbon Calling in Cumbria last…

HOUSING AND HANDLING

A guide to effective cleaning of calf housing

Poor hygiene in calf housing can have a serious impact on the health and performance of calves as youngstock, and when they enter the adult herd. Setting up sheds to…

MEDICINES

Sheep vaccines: 5 steps to using them effectively

Vaccinations in sheep play a key role in protecting flock health, and in most flocks will be crucial to ensure productivity and profitability. A huge number of vaccines is available…

DAIRY

Advice on choosing the best milking liner for your herd

Milking liners are the only parts of the milking machine that directly interact with the cow. It is vital that this interface between cow and machine is optimised for each…

SHEEP

3 ways to cut lamb worm risk at weaning

Sheep farmers trying to make the most of grass to counteract sky-high concentrate prices are advised to be vigilant for parasites in lambs post-weaning. Grazing grass can put lambs at…

LIVESTOCK DISEASES

Shortages of key vaccines threaten flock health

Shepherds are currently facing supply shortages of the vaccines Heptavac P Plus and Footvax. Manufacturer MSD Animal Health said stock disruption was being caused by “logistics and regulatory challenges in…

Insights

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…

DAIRY

Heat stress losses top 200 litres of milk a cow, study shows

Milk losses can top 200 litres a cow over the summer period without careful management, a study has shown. The six-month study into the effect of heat stress in dairy…

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…

LAYERS

Advice on managing welfare issues in multi-tier layer systems

Multi-tier laying hen systems are growing in popularity, allowing more birds to be kept in a given shed footprint. However, it is important to understand the additional welfare considerations of…

LAYERS

What poultry sector is doing to address male chick culling

Every year 6.5 billion male chicks are culled worldwide. Hatched into the egg production sector, they have no value because the unsuitability of layer breeds for meat production makes them…

PIGS

How improving gut health in pigs can reduce antibiotics use

Reducing the use of antimicrobials is a goal for pig producers globally. Improved gut health is rarely linked to this goal, but it is potentially a significant part of the…

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…

LIVESTOCK

Best dairy bedding for minimising mastitis-causing bacterium

A study carried out at the University of Nottingham has shown sawdust to be the best bedding for minimising the survival of the mastitis-causing pathogen streptococcus uberis (S. uberis.) S.…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

Guidance on mastitis recovery rates helps aid treatment plans

A new model developed by Quality Milk Management Services (QMMS) could help farmers better understand the probability of individual cows recovering from a case of clinical mastitis, therefore guiding better…

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…

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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