Animal Health News

After relentless heavy rainfall, nutrition specialists are concerned about forage quality due to mineral leaching from the soil.

Defra said it is monitoring the situation closely after media reports of highly pathogenic avian influenza in dairy cattle in the US.

Routine testing of bull fertility is often overlooked aspect of suckler herd profitability. Beef specialist Sarah Balfour, of SAC Consulting, part of Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), says managing and improving herd fertility is a key route to improving cow margins, whilst reducing environmental impact.

Farmers are being encouraged to consider clostridial vaccination and appropriate fluke control to avoid potentially serious livestock losses due to the current high liver fluke risk. 

The latest research has found that TB vaccination not only cuts down the severity of disease in infected cattle, but also reduces its spread in dairy herds by 89%. 

Defra has self-declared “zonal freedom” from bird flu. The UK is now in line with World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) rules. 

Replacement heifers and post-calving cows are under a lot of pressure to hit breeding KPIs. Rumenco nutritionist Dr Alison Bond shares how the new formulation of Maxx Cattle Booster Plus will help achieve this.

Farmers in England who are looking to adopt smaXtec’s cutting-edge animal health monitoring system, can now get 50% grant funding, through the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF) 2024. 

As spring grass arrives many dairy farmers are faced with a double challenge in managing cows’ health: sub-acute ruminal acidosis (SARA) and grass staggers. David Bonsall, animal feed expert at Omya, offers a straightforward, cost-effective solution.

Food Standards Scotland (FSS) is urging farmers to follow five steps to prevent lead and copper poisoning this grazing season.

Farmers can now apply for FETF funding to help pay for equipment and technology to improve animal health and welfare.

New registration requirements for bird keepers in Great Britain have just been announced. The measures aim to better protect the poultry sector from future avian influenza outbreaks.