Health

Weaning, parasites and pasture

Mon, 13 May 2024 15:14:02 GMT

The impacts of Schmallenberg virus and a lengthy wet winter/spring on ewes, lambs and pasture has been keenly felt. Join us as we support Marches Farm Vets at their upcoming farm open day.

Join us to review:

Weaning decisions based on ewe body condition score, lamb growth rates and pasture availability
Setting up a grazing rotation for lambs for high performance
Known and emerging parasitic diseases and the sustainable control of parasites

We will also discuss how best to support performance, mitigate impacts from disease and weather events, and enhance resilience in your production system.

Speakers

Emily Postlethwaite, Marches Farm Vets
Matt Blyth, Blyth Livestock Advisory Services
Sarah Morgan, Precision Grazing

The event will be followed by BBQ (weather permitting) PLUS a free faecal egg count – bring along a fresh poo sample and find out about worm burdens and treatment options for your lambs – at Marches Farm Vets, Unit 3 Church Farm Studios, Stanton Lacy, Ludlow SY8 2AE.

Due to limited availability, sign up early to reserve your space.

Keeping ASF out

Tue, 07 May 2024 10:02:48 GMT

During this webinar, Mandy Nevel, AHDB Head of Animal Health & Welfare, and Lizzie Wilson, CEO of the National Pig Association (NPA), will share practical things that you can do to prepare for a possible outbreak of African swine fever (ASF).

We will take you through what you can do to prepare your business, who is responsible for what, and how the industry would need to work together if there was an outbreak.

This meeting will cover:

Spotting the clinical signs of ASF
Effective biosecurity precautions
Establishing an emergency plan for your business
The possible impact of being placed in a temporary control zone

There will also be time for Q&As.

Useful information

Find out more about African swine fever

Learn about and sign up to the significant diseases charter

Contingency planning in the face of African swine fever

Fri, 19 Apr 2024 12:40:01 GMT

Contingency planning in the face of African swine fever

Cumbria: SFI and liver fluke management in the uplands

Wed, 03 Apr 2024 09:53:34 GMT

Learn about the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) stacking options in an upland environment and how you can build a resilient farming business with the Upland Farmer Toolkit.

We will also share the latest information on anthelmintics and the control and management of liver fluke.

SFI stacking

A practical demonstration of the Upland Farmer Toolkit will show you how to effectively and easily apply for SFI funding and, where appropriate, use ‘stacking’ to capitalise on the offering. You will have an opportunity to test the toolkit yourself and find out how SFI stacking could apply to your farm.

Liver fluke

Elanco’s Matthew Colston, a ruminant technical consultant, will be sharing the latest information on controlling liver fluke, worms and anthelmintic resistance. We will also go on a farm walk to uncover the favoured habitat of the intermediate host – the mud snail.

If you are an upland farmer challenged by overcoming the loss of basic payment and/or production losses posed by liver fluke, this event is for you.

Please arrive by 1:15pm for a 1:30pm start.

This event is brought to you by AHDB, Pasture for Life (PFL), Farming in Protected Landscapes programme (FiPL) and Elanco; it is being hosted by farmer Roger Sedgwick.

SFI and liver fluke management in the uplands

Wed, 03 Apr 2024 09:53:34 GMT

Learn about the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) stacking options in an upland environment and how you can build a resilient farming business with the Upland Farmer Toolkit.

We will also share the latest information on anthelmintics and the control and management of liver fluke.

SFI stacking

Liver fluke

If you are an upland farmer challenged by overcoming the loss of basic payment and/or production losses posed by liver fluke, this event is for you.

Please arrive by 1:15pm for a 1:30pm start.

This event is brought to you by AHDB, Pasture for Life (PFL), Farming in Protected Landscapes programme (FiPL) and Elanco; it is being hosted by farmer Sam Rawling.

Sheep post-mortem evening

Tue, 02 Apr 2024 10:59:10 GMT

See first hand the impact of parasites on sheep as vet Ben Strugnell conducts post-mortems. We will also discuss best practice for controlling worms and explain why, when and how post-mortems take place.

During this event, Ben Strugnell BVM&S Cert PM MRCVS of Farm Post Mortems Ltd. will conduct post-mortems of sheep and explain the findings.

We will discuss:

Why, when and how post-mortems take place and the benefits of them
What organs look like and the common causes of death in lambs
How worms can affect your flock and current best practice advice on effective worm control

Ben is an independent vet with a particular interest in farm animal pathology.

The event is being hosted by Mole Valley Farmers, AHDB Beef & Lamb and Elanco.

Booking is essential for catering purposes, reserve your place by contacting Jade Chidgey at Mole Valley Farmers by Friday 26 April 2024.

Jade Chidgey: 07773 176716

Deadstock will be present at this meeting.

RoSA points are available for attending this event.

Lameness spreads within families of sheep in spring

Thu, 28 Mar 2024 11:10:48 GMT

Lameness spreads within families of sheep in spring

Reducing lameness in sheep

Fri, 01 Mar 2024 10:25:41 GMT

Reducing lameness in sheep

2024 nematodirus risk map launched

Fri, 01 Mar 2024 09:10:27 GMT

2024 nematodirus risk map launched

Early spring season start for ticks

Tue, 27 Feb 2024 10:23:07 GMT

Early spring season start for ticks

Bluetongue virus – what is the latest situation?

Wed, 07 Feb 2024 11:49:19 GMT

Bluetongue virus – what is the latest situation?

Schmallenberg virus (SBV)

Wed, 31 Jan 2024 15:59:36 GMT

Schmallenberg virus (SBV)

Treating joint-ill at lambing: getting it right

Wed, 31 Jan 2024 11:53:16 GMT

Treating joint-ill at lambing: getting it right

Joint-ill in lambs

Wed, 31 Jan 2024 11:25:51 GMT

Joint-ill in lambs

Bluetongue virus technical webinar - the midge lifecycle

Wed, 24 Jan 2024 10:13:48 GMT

Bluetongue virus technical webinar - the midge lifecycle

Bluetongue virus technical webinars

Tue, 23 Jan 2024 11:57:00 GMT

Bluetongue virus technical webinars

Bluetongue virus technical webinar for vets

Fri, 12 Jan 2024 12:15:43 GMT

Bluetongue virus technical webinar for vets

Bluetongue virus update for farmers

Mon, 08 Jan 2024 11:28:27 GMT

Join us for an update on the bluetongue virus (BTV) situation in the UK

Join us to hear from a panel of experts who will provide an update on bluetongue virus and the current BTV-3 strain that has been confirmed in cases in cows and sheep in the Great Yarmouth area and in Kent.

Hugh Broom will chair the meeting and the speakers will include:

John Royle, NFU
Aled Edwards, APHA
Sascha Van Helvoort, APHA

Find out more about bluetongue virus on our website or visit ruminanthw.org.uk for advice and support

If you have concerns or questions, contact the bluetongue virus helpline on: 0247 771 0386

Bluetongue virus technical webinar (4)

Tue, 02 Jan 2024 11:11:21 GMT

Join us to hear from a panel of experts who will provide an update on bluetongue and the current BTV-3 strain that has been confirmed in cases in cows and sheep in Kent and Norfolk.

This event forms part of a series of webinars that we are running fortnightly on Wednesdays at 6pm to provide live updates and presentations from industry experts.

The webinars offer vet practitioners and other stakeholders valuable technical information about BTV-3 that will help answer farmers' questions.

Each webinar will start with a BTV update followed by a detailed briefing on a specific topic. We are collecting feedback on what is of interest, this will inform our programme.

There will be an opportunity to ask questions of the speakers.

If you are unable to attend the webinar, please still register for it and you will be sent a recording following the event.

Find out more about bluetongue virus on our website or visit ruminanthw.org.uk for advice and support.

If you have concerns or questions, contact the bluetongue virus helpline on: 0247 771 0386

Bluetongue virus technical webinar (5)

Tue, 02 Jan 2024 11:11:21 GMT

Join us to hear from a panel of experts who will provide an update on bluetongue and the current BTV-3 strain that has been confirmed in cases in cows and sheep in Kent and Norfolk.

This session will be chaired by Phil Stocker, Chief Executive at the National Sheep Association (NSA), and will include a disease update as well as temporary control zone (TCZ) changes.

The event forms part of a series of webinars that we are running fortnightly on Wednesdays at 6pm to provide live updates and presentations from industry experts.

The webinars offer vet practitioners and other stakeholders valuable technical information about BTV-3 that will help answer farmers' questions.

Each webinar will start with a BTV update followed by a detailed briefing on a specific topic. We are collecting feedback on what is of interest, this will inform our programme.

There will be an opportunity to ask questions of the speakers.

If you are unable to attend the webinar, please still register for it and you will be sent a recording following the event.

Find out more about bluetongue virus on our website or visit ruminanthw.org.uk for advice and support.

If you have concerns or questions, contact the bluetongue virus helpline on: 0247 771 0386