Livestock News

The arrival of spring grass and turnout time is welcomed with open arms by many dairy farmers. And nothing beats the sight of cows out grazing. But the downside of turnout can be milk fat depression, particularly in spring and early summer.

A new spate of H5N1 outbreaks has been confirmed in Suffolk – near Redgrave and Elmswell.

The cost of calf pneumonia is considerable on UK farms, with well-known implications for rearing costs, profitability and lifetime yield. While vaccination is key to control plans, live intranasal vaccines can offer enhanced protection and bridge the immunity gap in the first few months of life.

Opening this year’s NFU Conference, Minette Batters called on the government to urgently implement a clear plan and vision for British farming and food production.

RABDF has welcomed news that the government will fund annual vet visits and grants to improve livestock health and welfare.

MSD Animal Health has launched its 2022 FlockCheck diagnostic scheme, which allows sheep farmers in England, Scotland and Wales to ask their vet to blood test their flock for exposure to toxoplasmosis and enzootic abortion (EAE)

Sheep farmers are being advised that all incoming stock, including sheep returning from winter grazing, should be quarantined and dosed with one of the newer wormer groups to prevent resistant worms being brought onto the farm.

Protests have taken place since the council announced controversial plans to enforce a vegan menu at its meetings and events, and to encourage local schools to provide more plant-based meals.

Supermarket sales of all dairy products remain higher than they were pre-pandemic, with an extra 302 million litres of milk bought last year compared to 2019, according to AHDB figures.

Taking place from 2nd – 9th February, the event celebrates the progress made since the launch of the GB Calf Strategy and has seen a range of experts offering guidance to improve calf performance.

Calf scour is significant when it comes to the future health and performance of every herd, but controlling it can be a challenge. Virbac experts take a comprehensive look at the causes and multifactorial approaches to control.

Calves are an expensive commodity nowadays, and to successfully rear healthy calves, prevention of disease is a better financial bet than firefighting clinical outbreaks and attempting expensive treatment. Boosting of gut health and the general immune system, together with avoidance of calf scour and calf pneumonia is of paramount importance to avoid a negative financial impact.