Livestock sellers should provide more information about disease risk, say researchers
Scientists from the UK research councils Rural Economy and Land Use programme say that better information for buyers could provide the key to controlling many endemic livestock diseases. They argue that anyone purchasing livestock should be fully informed about the health status of the herd from which they are buying and about any known risks. […]
FUW Members tell AM of TB cull delay worries
Farmers Union of Wales members in Carmarthenshire expressed their concerns at the Welsh Government’s failure to drive the bovine TB eradication programme forward when they met Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire AM Angela Burns recently. “During the meeting we were pleased to hear that Mrs Burns’ views on this issue echoed our own concerns,” said […]
Toxovax supplies resume
MSD Animal Health has announced that supplies of Toxovax, the sheep toxoplasmosis vaccine, will resume from 26th September 2011. Farmers should contact their vet to discuss their 2011 requirements. The vaccine can be used up until three weeks before tupping, so many sheep producers should still be able to vaccinate their ewes before the […]
Pessary solution for retained cleansings
The incidence of retained cleansings (retained placenta/ retained foetal membranes) in cows varies from zero to 25 per cent, but the average is around 4 per cent in most herds. Retained cleansings result in reduced cow fertility and a higher risk of culling due to poor fertility and have a significant economic impact, costing around […]
Fluke Control Needs ‘Belts and Braces’
The devastating fluke outbreaks of 2008 and 2009 could be set for a repeat performance in 2011 according to recent forecasts.1 A wet summer has resulted in predictions that a high to very high prevalence of disease due to liver fluke could occur in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Western England. Now, vets at Elanco […]
MEPs approve 2m for homeopathy research for livestock
An amendment to the EUs draft budget for a 2 million pilot research project into homeopathy and phytotherapy for farm animals was approved yesterday by the European Parliament’s Agriculture Committee. Responding, BVA President Harvey Locke, said: Millions of Euros have already been spent on trying to prove the scientific efficacy of homeopathic medicines. To date […]
Weather conditions could trigger lungworm outbreak
The recent wet weather following the earlier dry conditions experienced by much of the UK may have created a potential lungworm time bomb, warns Merial Animal Health, and farmers need to be vigilant in order to catch the disease early. Similarly, farmers who chose not to worm their youngstock during the dry spell may […]
Fluke Control could be Game of Two Halves
While the south-east of the country has been experiencing near drought conditions, Scotland has received nearly double the expected rainfall for the time of year in the last few months. Depending on how weather patterns develop over the summer months, fluke problems could be segmented by this north south divide. There is one note of […]
Herdsure granted licences by CHeCS for endemic cattle diseases
Herdsure cattle health improvement service has been granted further licences by the Cattle Health Certification Standards UK (CHeCS) a recognised certification of herd health. Buying cattle only from herds that are known to be healthy is becoming ever more important and herds in CHeCS are able to provide an owner’s declaration of health status. This […]
