Menu

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

LIVESTOCK DISEASES

Advice on winter measures to keep bluetongue virus at bay

Although falling temperatures will now curtail midge activity and bluetongue virus replication, farmers can still take measures to reduce infection pressure this winter by disrupting the midge life cycle. Poorly…

PIGS

6 ways to help protect against African swine fever

Pig producers are starting to draw up contingency plans to reduce the risk of African swine fever coming onto their farms. These plans will also minimise the stress of being…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

What farmers can gain from a vet discussion group

With both farming and veterinary industries constantly evolving, discussion groups are a great way to keep in touch with current recommendations. Oakhill Farm Vets have been running the Red Rose…

LIVESTOCK DISEASES

Farmers urged to be on alert for bluetongue re-emergence

Farmers are being urged to remain vigilant as temperatures rise and the threat of bluetongue virus re-emerges.   The Animal Health and Plant Agency (Apha) has raised concerns that mildly…

See all

Case studies

LIVESTOCK DISEASES

How Johne’s management cut disease to less than 2% of herd

Consistent efforts to prevent Johne’s disease in a high-yielding Wiltshire dairy herd have resulted in cases falling from a high of 25% (cows identified as Johne’s positive or high risk)…

BOVINE TB

How one dairy farmer is getting a grip on bovine TB

A Pembrokeshire dairy farmer who decided a fresh approach was needed to manage bovine TB in his herd has seen promising results by working more closely with his vet and…

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…

See all

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…

See all

Insights

LIVESTOCK DISEASES

Why pneumonia is hitting more young grazing suckled calves

Vets are urging farmers to put in place mitigation strategies to curtail a surprising increase in respiratory disease linked to immunosuppression in young, suckled, grazing calves. The rise in cases…

LIVESTOCK DISEASES

Low vaccination rate leaves livestock exposed to bluetongue

With bluetongue disease knocking on the door, and with less than 3% of the nation’s ruminant livestock vaccinated, government and private vets are urging a much more rapid uptake of…

SHEEP

Sheep vaccination protocols prove their worth in farm trial

A structured approach to preventative vaccination in sheep has driven significant improvements in flock health, antibiotics use and cost efficiency – cutting lameness levels by 66%, among other benefits. This…

See all

News

HEALTH AND WELFARE

UK border security warning as African swine fever hits Spain

An outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) in wild boar in Spain has raised concerns about border security in the UK, given previous poor performance, according to the National Pig…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

Wales strengthens animal disease testing capability

The Welsh government is strengthening the country's animal disease testing capacity and has provided £265,000 to Aberystwyth University to establish a specialist diagnostic centre. This will enable regional disease testing…

LIVESTOCK DISEASES

First bluetongue cases confirmed in Northern Ireland

A 20km temporary control zone (TCZ) has been introduced in Northern Ireland following the confirmation of bluetongue virus (BTV 3) in cattle on Saturday (29 November). The Department of Agriculture,…

LIVESTOCK DISEASES

NI tightens BVD rules from December

Northern Ireland’s agriculture minister has warned that tighter bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) rules will take effect on 1 December 2025, reducing the threshold for herd restrictions and increasing testing requirements…

See all

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…

See all

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…

See all

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…

See all