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Know How / Health and welfare

Animal health is critical to all producers of dairy and beef cattle, sheep and pigs. Get advice on dealing with livestock diseases such as, bovine TB and mastitis, and conditions such as heat stress, lameness and ewe prolapse. See best practice on vaccination, medicines and reducing antibiotics.

Case studies

YOUNGSTOCK MANAGEMENT

How cow minerals unlocked calf health for Somerset farm

The Creeds are meticulous when it comes to calf rearing, so when animals suddenly started to get sick, it was a mystery as to why – until they discovered their…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

Gold Cup winners share body condition scoring strategy

Embracing technology and keeping a close eye on cow condition have helped maintain pregnancy rates at 23% and support cow longevity at an Ayrshire family farm. The Logans, from Holehouse…

LIVESTOCK DISEASES

Closed policy yields 1.7 lambs reared for Durham flock

A string of flock health setbacks has forced a Durham family to rely on its own breeding to maintain high output in its stratified sheep outdoor lambing system.    Several iceberg…

LIVESTOCK

How Welsh dairy has halved carbon emissions

A Welsh family dairy has almost halved its carbon footprint from 1,447g to 809g of carbon dioxide equivalent per kilogram of fat- and protein-corrected milk, placing the farm within the…

PARASITIC DISEASES

How goat herd uses targeted parasite treatments

A Gloucestershire goat herd is successfully managing a low parasite risk with a treatment targeted at higher risk animals. The Whitehouse family’s fully housed and zero-grazed herd of 800 British…

PIGS

7 ways to encourage a healthy gut microbiome in pigs

Ahealthy gut microbiome is the starting point for good pig health, say producers Karen and Stephen Thompson. They run a 200-sow indoor herd on a three-week batch system in south…

Practical advice

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HEALTH AND WELFARE

Why pre-housing is the time to ward off pneumonia in calves

With your suckler herd hopefully still out grazing, I’m sure that housing cattle seems a long way off, but it’s time for a bit of planning now, to maximise your…

DAIRY

Advice on BVD vaccination for autumn block-calvers

As autumn block-calving builds momentum, herd managers need to check they have remembered to slot in their annual boosters against bovine viral diarrhoea at least one month before mating starts.…

YOUNGSTOCK MANAGEMENT

What is holding back improvements in youngstock management?

An exclusive Farmers Weekly survey has revealed that poor farmer to vet engagement and monitoring could be preventing beef and dairy farms from lowering disease and improving performance in calf…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

How to stop losses when grazing youngstock on herbal leys

A fundamental misunderstanding of how to manage stock grazing herbal leys has caused heartache on some farms this summer, as more yearling cattle and weaned lambs have died from twisted…

DAIRY

4 ways to assess the true cost of mastitis to your farm

The cost of a case of mastitis is used to calculate the total annual expense to a herd. This figure is then used to estimate return on investment (ROI) in…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

Advice on how to maintain a tight calving block

Achieving a tight calving block is key to the success of a block-calving system. Typically, farms will aim for a calving period of nine to 12 weeks, with 75-80% of…

Insights

YOUNGSTOCK MANAGEMENT

Calf monitoring and health plans key to future performance

Some 90% of farmers want to make changes to improve the future sustainability of their youngstock management in the next 12 months, according to a Farmers Weekly exclusive survey. Yet…

POULTRY

Coccidiosis in broilers - what role will new vaccines play?

Research is under way at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) to develop cheaper vaccines that could be used more widely against coccidiosis in broilers. Current vaccines for the disease –…

BOVINE TB

Is England headed for healthy cattle and TB-free future?

Bovine TB is a devastating disease affecting cattle, causing significant trauma for livestock farmers and rural communities. It is the most challenging animal health disease the UK faces, costing taxpayers…

BOVINE TB

Survey reveals full impact of bovine TB on Welsh farmers

Bovine TB is continuing to put an immense financial and mental health strain on farmers in Wales, with the cost of the disease to each farm business averaging more than…

SHEEP

Can sheep be 'worm tolerant' and what are the implications?

Lambs most tolerant to worm burdens could have a 10-day weight gain advantage over less tolerant ones, a pilot study has shown. The study, Breeding for tolerance to worms for…

LIVESTOCK

Why diverse forage mixtures could improve outwintering

Findings from a recent trial in Devon have concluded that outwintering cattle on a diverse mix of forages can help improve both animal and soil health, while also benefiting the…

POULTRY

Why organic acids are key to reducing cellulitis rates

Since 2010, the number of cellulitis rejects has increased nearly threefold, according to Food Standards Agency data. “In the early 2000s we were concerned about a 0.5% cellulitis infection rate…

LIVESTOCK DISEASES

Emerging diseases – another unwanted climate change effect

Insect-borne livestock diseases that were once confined to the tropics are increasingly likely to threaten farms in the UK as climate change expands the number of countries where they can…

BROILERS

Preventative lab testing for broilers – is it worth it?

Preventing disease or tackling it early can lead to significant savings in the long run. But adding cost to any system needs to be justified.  So, what is preventative laboratory…

DAIRY

Wearable device for cattle aims to improve dairy health

A new device, which is claimed to be the first integrated health microchip and activity monitor for livestock, could enable early detection of pre-clinical conditions and disease prediction in real…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

3 technologies to improve udder health

With pressure on dairy farmers mounting to cut the carbon footprint of their operations and improve efficiencies amid a backdrop of labour challenges, technology has the potential to help all…

POULTRY

How biofilms can improve litter quality and bird health

Broilers are in constant contact with litter, which absorbs excreta and bird detritus along with waste feed and water. When litter quality is poor there is an increased risk of…

Online resources

Nadis livestock disease A-Z - Cattle

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Nadis livestock disease A-Z - Sheep

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Nadis livestock disease A-Z - Pigs

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Nadis livestock disease A-Z - Poultry

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