Sheep News

A Wiltshire farmer has been given a suspended prison sentence after decaying sheep carcases were found on the farm.

Experts are worried that the inclusion of rumen fluke egg counts on lab reports could result in knee jerk reactions, or distract from liver fluke.

The UK’s chief veterinary officer has just announced that the UK is now in the seasonally vector low period for bluetongue virus. 

The coastguard was called after members of the public tried to enter the water near Dunstanburgh Castle to rescue the injured animal.

An innovative navel protection solution offers reduced mortality and heavier lamb weights compared to traditional iodine treatment.

A series of lambing advice events will be held in the UK in 2025 with a focus on ewe nutrition and body condition scoring. Independent sheep consultant Nerys Wright will speak at each of the events to offer advice and highlight the benefits to farmers of improving ewe performance and lamb health.  

Mother and daughter Elaine and Issy Hartley, of the Pendle flock, Roughlee, Nelson, stood both champion and reserve with twin March 2024-born pedigree Blue Texel lambs.

Farmers are being warned to take extra care with medications after a working sheepdog swallowed a hormone implant used on sheep.

Females peaked at 700gns on three occasions at the Merry Belles sale at Welshpool Livestock Sales’ principal centre on Thursday, 12th December 2024.

Another dog attack on livestock happened in Suffolk in the space of just two weeks, seeing three sheep being killed by out-of-control dogs. 

A pregnant ewe was attacked and killed by a dog in a field in Lavenham, Suffolk. 

The number of positive liver fluke cases is beginning to rise, in line with the statement made by the Sustainable Control of Parasites in Sheep (SCOPS) and Control of Worms Sustainably (COWS) groups in October that, after a wet, mild summer and autumn, livestock farmers could be facing a high challenge in some areas.