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Know How / Livestock diseases

Expert advice on identifying and treating livestock diseases such as BVD, Johne’s disease, leptospirosis in cattle, navel ill in calves, orf in sheep, watery mouth in lambs and swine fever in pigs. See the latest thinking on controlling parasitic diseases and worms such as liver fluke and lungworm.

Advice and tips

PIGS

4 steps to tackle porcine respiratory disease complex

As winter sets in, so the risk of respiratory disease goes up. I have seen an increase in cases on several pig farms recently, especially following cold, dank days and…

LIVESTOCK

Advice on E coli toxic mastitis protocols

Prevention is always more rewarding than cure – and usually cheaper. This is particularly so in the case of an E coli toxic mastitis where (despite early detection and treatment)…

SHEEP

How to use and go beyond worm egg counts

Gut worms are one of the most significant challenges to the health and production of grazed livestock – particularly sheep. Over the past century, drenches and injectable wormers have proved…

PIGS

How to plan and prepare for African swine fever

Pig producers are advised to double down on biosecurity and be as prepared as possible for the possibility of African swine fever crossing the Channel. The first case of African…

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Case studies

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…

LIVESTOCK DISEASES

How changes to ventilation and bedding cut mastitis

For dairy farmer Pete Charles, a key driver in tackling mastitis was the effect on staff morale of constantly treating clinical cases and keeping milk out of the tank. He…

LIVESTOCK DISEASES

Closed policy yields 1.7 lambs reared for Durham flock

A string of flock health setbacks has forced a Durham family to rely on its own breeding to maintain high output in its stratified sheep outdoor lambing system.    Several iceberg…

PARASITIC DISEASES

How goat herd uses targeted parasite treatments

A Gloucestershire goat herd is successfully managing a low parasite risk with a treatment targeted at higher risk animals. The Whitehouse family’s fully housed and zero-grazed herd of 800 British…

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Community

LIVESTOCK

Farmer Focus: Calving difficulties cause extra work

Calving is nearing completion on our farm, with just five cows to calve at this stage. I’m ready for a break! The problems we had with difficult calvings on heifers…

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Insights

LIVESTOCK

Feed efficiency research reveals importance of cow grouping

Breeding dairy herds for feed efficiency can be negatively impacted on-farm by managing lactating cows in mixed parity groups. This is because of competition at the feed bunk and a…

DAIRY

Cow health strategy rethink needed after bolus loss

Dairy farms need to review their strategies for preventing metabolic disease in transition cows as monensin boluses are no longer on the market, said independent veterinary consultant Dr David Charles.…

OFC

OFC 2025: How gene editing in pigs can help eliminate disease

The Oxford Farming Conference returns next January with Farmers Weekly as the media partner. Farmers Weekly talks to one of the speakers, Dr Craig Lewis. The son of a pig…

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…

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News

BOVINE TB

Defra set to award NFU £1.4m for badger vaccination pilot

Defra is set to allocate the NFU a £1.4m contract for a three-year badger vaccination and research project in Cornwall. The pilot, which is due to begin in March 2025,…

BOVINE TB

Severe mental health toll of bovine TB revealed in report

A newly commissioned report by The Farming Community Network (FCN) highlights the severe health and wellbeing effects of bovine tuberculosis on farmers across the UK. Based on contributions from more…

LIVESTOCK

Several bluetongue restrictions lifted but zones to remain

The UK has entered a seasonally vector low period for bluetongue, with midges less prevalent during the colder months. Defra guidance states that midge activity is currently lower and there…

FOOT AND MOUTH

Meat processors call for tougher FMD measures

Tougher and more rigorous measures to repel foot-and mouth-disease (FMD) are needed – that’s the call from the British Meat Processors Association (BMPA). In addition, the association argues that travellers…

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Opinion

BOVINE TB

FW Opinion: Wider review of slurry role in bovine TB needed

Queen guitarist and animal rights campaigner Brian May has shared with Farmers Weekly in some detail how, working with vet Dick Sibley, he has helped a Devon dairy farm regain…

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Test and reviews

HEALTH AND WELFARE

Buyer's guide to ketone testers for dairy farmers

Simple and quick tests that measure ketone levels in dairy cows are allowing farmers to act promptly with interventions to protect milk yields and herd performance. Subclinical ketosis can’t be…

DAIRY

Buyer's guide: Teat disinfection technology

As herd sizes increase and labour sourcing continues to create challenges, more farmers are turning to automated teat disinfection technologies to ease pressure in the parlour and promote efficiencies. Although…

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Video

BOVINE TB

Dairy farmer who suffered bovine TB hell exits industry

A Pembrokeshire farmer has made the difficult decision to sell his dairy unit and leave farming after suffering at the hands of bovine TB. Steve Evans, a fourth-generation farmer based…

BOVINE TB

Brian May - ‘Badgers are irrelevant in cattle TB spread’

Queen guitarist and animal rights campaigner Sir Brian May has staked his life on badgers playing no role in the bovine TB nightmare for farmers. He believes badgers do not…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

Video: Farmers plunge dip a mammoth 6,300 sheep in one day

Sheep farmers and contractors have carried out a mammoth 6,300-ewe plunge dipping day as part of a new joint venture between two businesses. Neil Fell, owner of NR Fell Mobile…

LIVESTOCK DISEASES

Video: How to use orf vaccine correctly on sheep

About one in five lambs – 900,000 – are affected by the highly contagious orf virus in England’s sheep flock each year according to MSD Animal Health. Added to that…

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