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Know How / Medicines

News and advice on the responsible use of livestock medicines, including antibiotics, wormers and vaccination. See best practice on medicine use to help avoid resistance to antibiotics and wormers and see how other farmers have reduced antibiotics successfully on their farms.

Advice and tips

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…

SHEEP

3 ways to reduce use of antibiotics at lambing

Use of oral antibiotics in neonatal lambs has almost halved since 2016. How can the industry capitalise on that progress? The sheep industry’s use of antibiotics is relatively low compared…

SHEEP

Expert advice for lambing amid iodine shortage

The Sheep Veterinary Society has warned about shortages of strong (10%) iodine ahead of lambing due to production ceasing in Chile. If farmers can source 10% iodine, they could face…

PIGS

Pig vaccination without needles - how it works

Needleless vaccination is growing in popularity among pig producers. Vet Julia James of Larkmead Veterinary Group explains the benefits and what vaccinations are available in this form. See also: Farmer Focus:…

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Case studies

DAIRY

Why low-mastitis herd helps keeps tabs on medicines cabinet

The downside of a dairy herd with less than 5% mastitis is having to maintain a stock of in-date antibiotics. This is the case for the Hodginkson family, who run…

LIVESTOCK

How a calf unit has reduced antibiotics use by 60%

In the two years that Dominic McKenzie has been farm manager at Long Lane Development Farm in Somerset, the antibiotics use has fallen by 60% at the calf-rearing unit that…

DAIRY

How a Dorset dairy farmer cut antibiotics usage by 80%

James Yeatman has cut antibiotics usage in his block-calving dairy herd by 80% in the past eight years, with the main reductions around drying off, mastitis and calf respiratory disease.…

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…

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Insights

PIGS

Irish trial shows benefits of microbes for piglet gut health

Feeding piglets microbes from birth to support gut health can reduce scours, lower routine antibiotics use and improve average daily gain, research carried out at a commercial pig farm in…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

A guide to mastitis treatment options for dairy cows

Mastitis is a major challenge for dairy farmers, from both cow health and economic perspectives, with recent figures from Kingshay estimating a cost/case of £386 – based on a milk…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

Why animal health is key to improving sustainability

As farm vets working in practice in the UK, we have an essential role in ensuring that farming is part of the solution to the climate crisis. Vets are in…

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News

MEDICINES

Antibiotics resistance reaches 10-year low in food production

Resistance by livestock pathogens to multiple antibiotics is at its lowest point for 10 years, as a new report shows that most sectors had either hit their target to reduce…

DAIRY

Ketosis veterinary medicine Kexxtone suspended for use

The veterinary medicine Kexxtone, which is used to reduce the incidence of ketosis in dairy cows and heifers, has been suspended for use in the UK. The EU suspended the…

MEDICINES

New antibiotic rules contain 'loopholes and weaknesses'

New rules have come into force for ending routine preventative antibiotic use in farming, but campaigners want the UK government to go further. From Friday 17 May, prophylactic use of…

MEDICINES

Defra launches plan to combat antimicrobial resistance

Defra has today announced a new five-year plan to tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR) – a global issue that makes infections difficult or impossible to treat, and affects humans and animals…

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Video

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…

HUSBANDRY

Video: Correctly injecting cattle – a five-step guide

A good injection technique prevents damage to valuable carcass cuts and reduces the risk of injury to livestock and the handler. If an injection is administered incorrectly or with a…

MEDICINES

Antimicrobial resistance: How it works and why it's important

Antimicrobial resistance, and specifically antibiotics resistance, are high on the agenda for animal agriculture and veterinary medicine. Government and industry targets have been set for antibiotics reduction and antibiotics use is…

Sanderson Farms says antibiotic-free chicken is a ‘gimmick’

US poultry integrator Sanderson Farms has said it will not phase out antibiotics from its farms, taking a position that runs contrary to many other similar companies in the USA.…

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