News

As the summer season gets underway, it’s time to shift focus from lambing to maximising lamb growth rates.

Following on from our mobility scoring benchmarking I thought we would use this month's newsletter to delve into mobility a bit further. 

Fly Control - There are 20 common species of flies that feed on cattle, which can be categorized as either biting or non-biting/nuisance flies. 

Abortion in sheep is a major cause of flock losses across the UK, leading to significant financial and welfare challenges. 

Unfortunately, with the advent of spring parasite season will soon be upon us. It's worth planning ahead for risks - particularly Bluetongue virus. 

Pre-calving blood tests offer valuable diagnostic insights into the metabolic status of your cows. 

We discuss "It is impossible to meet our officially bTB-free targets with the current testing policy' 

We look at how to achieve the smoothest wean, whether that be for the suckler herd or the dairy calf, considering the nutritional level and stocking density. 

This month, we're diving into cattle handling and safety. With dehorning and castration season just around the corner, it's a perfect time to chat about making those routines smoother for everyone involved. 

Worm burdens are all too familiar a territory to sheep producers but become an ever more persistent burden to the industry. 

Ketosis is a condition caused by the cattle being in Negative Energy Balance (NEB), typically around calving when the start of lactation causes energy demands to increase dramatically.  

Some of the team were able to join Will when he was recently awarded Young Dairy Farm Vet of the Year at the 2024 Cream Awards.

In the latest newsletter we explore some of the positive results from those undertaking AI refreshers. We also look at an increased risk of Lungworm recently.

'It is impossible to meet our officially bTB-free targets with the current testing policy'  - a statement recently made in an opinion piece submitted to the Vet Record.     

Making the most of the grazing is the most financially impactful step a livestock farm can make. Grazing grass is the cheapest feed stuff, yet it can be full of quality nutrition for growing stock as well as suckler cows.  

Kat Hart features in the latest FARMERS WEEKLY on the importance of cleaning and calibrating a Brix refractometer every time it is used.

As you are probably aware, we have seen many cases of Schmallenberg this year in England. Numerous farmers have had to deal with deformed lambs and high mortality rates. 

Before the main newsletter, DEFRA have announced that they will be providing additional support to those of you who have completed the Annual Health and Welfare Review. 

This month we cover the main culprits and the key things to bear in mind when faced with the challenge of abortion. 

Effective vaccination protocols are becoming increasingly important as we push for lower levels of disease and antibiotic usage.  

Using data to drive management decisions and improve productivity, I am keen to emphasize the metrics you can record over the coming lambing period and beyond. 

One thing that is inevitable are flies. Although it seems early now is a good time to think about fly control. 

It's been an interesting winter so far, with turnout hopefully just round the corner. Now's the time to think about how you're going to control parasites this grazing season. 

In Feb we are holding two beef benchmarking meetings. With the start of the calving season fast approaching it is a suitable time to highlight the importance of data collection on beef farms. 

With skilled farm labour hard to find and making time for tasks on farm often difficult, our vet techs can help by doing some of the jobs that often get pushed back. 

Bluetongue is a viral disease which affects sheep, cattle, other ruminant species such as deer and goats, and camelids. 

Pneumonia season is well underway - I'd like to encourage prompt use of a thermometer whenever you have the slightest suspicion that a calf is looking under the weather. 

Over the last two years the embryo services offered at the George have grown to provide a number of options on farm for improving genetic gain and exploring alternative breeding options.   

The "Vet Attestation" or Statutory Health Attestation is a new veterinary certification that will be required from the 13th  December 2023. This is required to allow products of animal origins to be exported to the EU.  

As we approach housing and an acute risk period we should all be thinking about liver fluke. 

After two successful sheep benchmarking meetings recently and with the start of the tupping season fast approaching, now seems like the right time to highlight how important record keeping and data collection can be. 

Good calf housing is key to having healthy calves 

Sudden death in cattle is a worrying but fortunately rare event on farm. However, it is important to be able to recognise, prevent and sometimes treat the causes of unexpected deaths.  

A short summary of our training courses from the farm team for the remainder of 2023

A smallholder visit includes discussions which include housing, nutrition, body condition scoring, vaccination planning, parasite control and other important things! 

Since running the BCVA Lantra Accredited foot trimming courses, Sarah shares a few tips for applying blocks which wil prove useful. 

We shed some light on what we at The George Farm Vets can offer our clients with the new Animal Health and Welfare Pathway Scheme, and how best to use the money from the government

Ewes reach peak milk yield three to four weeks post lambing and so they need good quality grass to this point. If this isn't available, supplementation is necessary to meet the growing nutritional demands of the lambs at foot.  

The temperature comfort zone or 'thermoneutral zone' for a cow ranges from -15°C to +25°C. Outside this range, cows have to use coping mechanisms to maintain a stable core temperature. 

The last 12 months has seen more changes to the UK's TB policy and so here is a brief update on what the current state of 'TB' affairs looks like. 

It's Spring and so lambing and kidding is in full swing. We also take a look at poisonous plants and separately you will find a focus on pig vaccination.

The Animal Health and Welfare Pathway (AHWP) is a new government plan introduced as part of the Sustainable Farming Initiative.  

Now is the key time to be thinking about an effective and economic rearing plan to get the most return from the long hours spent getting lambs on the ground 

As you are all already aware, the quality of your bull or bull semen has a major impact on the fertility performance of your herd. 

As we head towards Spring and turning out cattle there are lots of things to think about pre-turnout. One of these is lungworm. 

Having a well balanced diet containing the right amount of energy, protein and mineral is a key part of having a productive and healthy herd, especially around calving. 

We all dread the day walking into the calf shed to find sick calves which are off their feed and showing signs of pneumonia. 

Our winter newsletter covers preparing for lambing, clostridial diseases, vitamin D deficiency in alpacas and chicken worming.

As we have had one of the hottest and driest summers on record we are expecting a lower than normal, or possibly a delayed, liver fluke season. 

With increasing pressure to reduce antibiotic use, some farms are now opting not to treat clinical mastitis cases. There are situations where this would be a suitable approach but it will not be a good option for all farms. 

The most efficient period in a cow's life for converting feed to growth is during the first 2 months of life. This period is critical.

A quick update on all the services we provide to smallholders, with your own newsletter.

With housing season approaching DD is a condition that is likely to rear its head after a hot dry spell and it would seem an apt time to revisit the mainstay of DD management.  

With housing around the corner, lots of farms are getting ready to fluke-dose all their cattle. But is this really necessary? 

September brings our focus back to the importance of biosecurity and how preventing new infections benefits health, welfare and production.

The challenging weather conditions experienced across the UK mean that, with tupping just around the corner, it is more important than ever to check the tups and ewes thoroughly before being put to work. 

As prices of feed and fertilizers become less predictable, making a business plan resilient is key.  

Pain relief is an essential part of caring for any animal but production animals often mask signs of pain and discomfort. Knowing what to use, when to use it and if it has been effective can be a challenge. 

As the busy calving season winds down, now seems a good time to think about how we can make improvements for next year. Maximising calving ease should be a pnonty for any suckler herd as difficult calvings can be extremely costly. 

Blowfly strike is a major animal welfare concern: an average of 1.5% of ewes and 3% of lambs in the UK may be affected each year, despite preventative measures undertaken by most farmers.  

What is Ketosis - this is month's newsletter from the George Farm Vets covers Ketosis and the issues associated with it.

Herd health planning can be incredibly useful - it allows farm staff and vets the opportunity to review the past year, find potential issues and  implement a plan to try and improve welfare, productivity and in turn profitability.  

Bovine Tuberculosis update for you from The George Farm Vets as well as details on upcoming meetings and launching our inaugural Cow Convention.

We discuss the many changes dairy cattle go through from the day of drying off to reaching peak yield in the following lactation post-calving. 

Reducing the fly population through the spring and summer can be a time-consuming headache and the consequences of Summer Mastitis and New Forest Eye are expensive, and frustrating.

On paper, getting a cow in calf is a  simple three step process; bulling (estrus), service and conception. In practice, a multitude of factors commonly result in a frustrating barren cow.   

A recent study suggested that only 5% of UK flocks routinely test for iceberg diseases and therefore a staggering 95% of flocks are not optimising productivity!

Have you ever considered how much water a cow requires?

Yearling heifers - breeding the best. Heifers are a fundamental component of any breeding plan; they represent both the genetic foundation of future breeding stock and a significant investment in terms of rearing costs. 

The recent dry weather has brought with it a large variation in day and night temperatures and many still days; both of which can be a challenge to calf health.  

Awareness, resilience and how to find help in our latest edition of the George Farm Vets newsletter                                  

Feeding cattle indoors is a fine art and it is often discussed that there 3 possible diets a cow might be eating.

Are you coming along? We are joined this year by 4 speakers and a host of companies from the industry.  

Sudden death in cattle is a distressing event and always a cause of concern on farm.  

Following a consultation in 2018, DEFRA announced that default 6 monthly TB surveillance testing of cattle herds with Official Tuberculosis Free status (OTF) would replace annual testing in the High Risk Area (HRA) of England.

I imagine that most of you would have had a conversation about shed ventilation with us at some point.  

You have counted up your lambs, and down your ewes. Now you have the pleasure of seeing the lambs out at grass looking strong.  

This month we are looking at Health Plans and why it is could be short-sighted to view them as another cost

A fully loaded newsletter this month with all our training and Zoom events listed too.

We continue to deliver regular farm meetings via Zoom as we navigate our way out of lockdown

Many of you will be aware that we often take blood samples of young adult cattle within your herds to get an idea of which diseases are circulating.

Suckler herds are calving and most of our sheep flocks are preparing for lambing (except for those keen ones that have finished already!) 

Abortion in sheep is a major cause of loss in flocks around the UK, with serious welfare and financial implications.  

Chris recently pulled together the data from caesareans done over the last 3 years to analyse which cases went on to do the best post-surgery.

The George Farm Vets have the necessary qualified vets to provide expertise and advice for all types of export to the EU and worldwide.  

It is vitally important that during the long winter months your stock is provided with an optimum environment in which to live, thrive and perform. 

Significant gains have been made in reducing the new infection rate of herds with regards to TB.

Tour de France cyclist vs high yielding dairy cow - this month we look at the comparative requirements and efforts of each to produce optimum performance.  

There is a plethora of options when it comes to grazing, from what you offer your stock to graze, to the way in which you rotate them around your land.  

Flies! We look at the most common and the ways to control their numbers and the impact on your cattle

There is a relatively new blood test for cattle called the Enferplex test. It also looks for the antibody immune response to TB and it picks up more cows  

Unfortunately, with the lockdown there are some milk processors asking farms to reduce their milk production. 

If buying in replacement ewes, or bringing store lambs onto your ground, you do not want to risk buying in problems

Viruses - how they do what they do

These are certainly difficult and uncertain times for us all.  

We would like to reassure everyone that The George Farm Vets will continue to provide the best possible care for you and your livestock in the coming months. 

We discuss the pre breeding checks we can offer in order to make sure you retain the most fertile heifers for your breeding herd 

Discussing the different types of roundworm that affect sheep, and advice for treatment of ewes and lambs. 

We currently have just 2 more spaces available for this AI course with Cathy Morris at Kemble Farm.

Calf pneumonia or Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD) is the most common reason for poor performance and death in growing calves.  

Our Youngstock Convention is back for 2020 following the success of 2019. Find out more in our dedicated newsletter.

Key Performance indicators (KPIs) are the main figures used to assess the factors that are important for the success of a suckler enterprise.  

Mindful of the shift in weather there are a few challenges ahead to discuss.

It is impossible to ignore the subject of mental health at the moment. The media in general and increasingly the farming media report the ever-heightening incidence of anxiety, depression and suicide.  

Winter is coming! This month Kat Hart discusses 4 topics: Sustainability, Youngstock Convention 2020, Muddy Mouldy Maize and a new approach to Pneumonia.

Around 30- 32% of all adult cattle are lame at any one time, equating to over half a million cows at an estimated cost of £450 million per year.

The idea behind 'Sheep Signals' is to use everyday observations to your advantage in order to spot problems early. 

One significant disease which rears its ugly head at this time of year is Summer Mastitis. 

We remember with fondness and love our colleague and friend Tim Hirst BVM&S CertCHP MRCVS who passed away in July.   

This month's newsletter is about non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS). Controlling pain in animals is paramount to safeguarding welfare.

Bovine TB is probably the biggest issue currently facing the cattle farming industry. Here's Ben's newsletter in answer to some of the most common questions faced by our vets.

External parasites are a year-round issue for all ages of stock. 

In this month's newsletter Will Sommerville discusses cattle worming, strategies and types of wormer available.

Our biggest dairy farm won a CEVA Welfare award in April. This is a national award and James Griffiths won the "Farm Educator" category.  

We are holding a beef and sheep specific medicine handing course on the 16th April 2019 starting at 10.30am.

There is a lot of talk in the farming press about genomic testing and as vets we have certainly been asked a lot of questions about it recently. 

With over 160 delegates we held our youngstock convention at Eastwood Park in March. Were you there?

As lambing gets underway, measures to ensure lambs have a good start in life are essential.   

Two important topics in this month's newsletter: After vet visits and lame cow follow-ups

Book your place for Thursday 21st February for this 3 hour course run by Sarah.

A new initiative for 2019 and already over 100 confirmed as coming, open to vets, farmers, producers and industry suppliers.

Join us at a meeting to discuss prevention strategies for watery mouth disease and options for control. 

This practical event, run by AHDB & THE GEORGE FARM VETS, allows you to handle live animals and make your assessment of fat cover and conformation using the EUROP grid.    

We're excited to invite you to join us on 6th March at our inaugural Youngstock Convention, bringing together farmers, producers, vets and industry suppliers.

The New Year is a great time to try and do some of those little jobs which might get forgotten.

We often get called out to attend a 'down cow', but there is a subtle difference between the presentation of the acute down cow and of the cow suffering from 'downer cow syndrome'. 

There is a wealth of evidence that shows that calving your heifers at 24 months is more economically efficient than calving at 36 months.  

Although for most of you the tups have only just gone in, it is time to start thinking about how you are going to manage and feed the ewes through to lambing.  

With margins in the agricultural sector always under pressure, having a handle on costings is key.  

A reflection on summer and what may slight be wise to consider from vet Ben Sellick

The nights are drawing in and tupping time is approaching once again - some early lambers may even have already put the rams in.  

We present a summary of results for Gloucestershire in the year to March 31st 2018

As the weather looks to be staying hot for a few more weeks yet, now is the time to get on top of hygiene.

The weather has been really hotting up lately, which is good news for getting your silage in, but not such good news for your cows, particularly in dairy herds. 

Mastitis in ewes can be a significant cost to a flock, both economically and in terms of animal welfare. 

We are delighted to be the first farm practice awarded with the new NMR Johne's Control award.

You may have seen my newsletter a couple of years ago, in which I discussed the importance of responsible use of antimicrobials.

Digital dermatitis is an extremely contagious, erosive infection of cattle skin caused by Treponeme bacteria.

In light of the recent conditions we've been suffering and with lambing either underway or looming Ben talks survival tactics for the lambs, ewes and maybe for some of you at this tricky time of year! 

The Alta Dairy Manager School is coming to Tortworth Court with one of the most thought provoking speakers in our industry, Dr. Steve Eicker. 

IfA's livestock team will be on-hand to explain to you, in plain terms, what antibiotic resistance actually means and why there is a demand on the industry to reduce the use of antibiotics in livestock. 

A few weeks ago, Ian was lucky enough to visit the U.S.A as part of an Advanced Dairy Vet Group.

Sunday 25th March 2018: 10am - 2pm. In aid of Wiltshire Air Ambulance and Wiltshire Young Farmers 

The definition of a 'down' cow varies but perhaps the simplest one is "a cow that is recumbent (lying down) and unable to stand". 

Dates for the diary : Beef Meeting, Medicine Handling Course, Calf Course and Lambing Course

The first of 6 featurettes aired on the BBC's Countryfile last Sunday. 

Mastitis is a wide-ranging disease that all dairy farmers will experience at some point.  

The MilkSure initiative is for British dairy farmers. Its mission is to safeguard the production of wholesome milk which is free of veterinary medicine residues. 

There are any number of reasons for a ewe to be in poor condition. Some may be related to the demands of production, some due to old age and some due to disease. 

Kat came back from maternity leave recently; she reflects on the changes she's noticed in her time off. 

October's focus for the newsletter from the Farm Vets is Hypocalcemia (Milk Fever).

Most of you will have seen us performing LDA or RDA operations at some point but you may not be aware of what is going on while our arm is inside the cow. 

Research is being undertaken into a new and emerging disease in dairy cattle, Ischaemic Teat Necrosis (ITN).  

Two topics - Cow value and summer mastitis, covered by Vet Ian Cardiff. 

Achieving the correct Body Condition Score (BCS) at the appropriate stage of the cow's production cycle is vital to maximize both the health and profitability of your beef or dairy cows.  

Store Lambs' margins are always very tight, small changes can be the difference between profit and loss. 

May's newsletter from the Farm Vets looks at the incidence of twins

Chris Warren addresses the importance of biosecurity on farm and where the greatest threats lie.