Farm
Further Bluetongue Update
A case of the notifiable disease, Bluetongue was confirmed in a cow near Canterbury, Kent, on 11 November, following routine testing. As of 4th Feb, there have now been 83 Bluetongue cases on 44 premises in Kent and Norfolk. Most cases have been in cattle but some have been found in sheep. Until recently all […]
Update on Bluetongue cases in UK
Update on Bluetongue cases in UK A case of the notifiable disease, Bluetongue was confirmed in a cow near Canterbury, Kent, on 11 November, following routine testing. A Temporary Control Zone (TCZ) was implemented within 10km of the case. Following active surveillance, in total 30 cases have been identified on 17 premises with 12 different […]
Liver Fluke
Liver fluke has a significant impact on beef, sheep and dairy sectors. The threat of resistance to some of the available products has started to loom large and a whole farm approach is necessary to avoid parasite challenge and make correct treatment decisions rather than dosing routinely and potentially unnecessarily. Routine fluke treatment is not […]
New Medicine Requirements
Due to new medicine regulations coming into force this summer 2023, as part of Red Tractor reviews and veterinary visits we will be agreeing a list of drugs used on farm and what they are used for. This will enable us to continue to prescribe without visiting the farm every time. We will also require […]
Vet Visit Documentation (reminder)
Changes to EU Animal Health Regulations mean that from 13 December 2023 UK producers sending animals to slaughter directly or via marker must be able to demonstrate that a veterinary visit has taken place in the past 12 months. Previously farmers could self-declare. This is an EU requirement and as at least some portion of most […]
Sheep Abortion Vaccine – supply update
September and October are the peak months for abortion vaccination and both MSD Animal Health, the makers of Toxovax and Ceva, the makers of Cevac Chlamydia, are likely to reach maximum capacity in these months and may not be able to supply 100% of product required. As these diseases cause the majority of abortions that […]
Requirement for Vet Visit Documentation
Changes to EU Animal Health Regulations mean that from 13th December 2023 UK producers sending animals to market or to slaughter must be able to demonstrate that a veterinary visit has taken place in the past 12 months and can no longer self-declare. At least some portion of most carcases is exported which means that […]
Silver is the New Blue!
Have you tried Aluspray yet? As we look to reduce antibiotic use on farms, you can use this silver aluminium powder spray in most of the same situations as the blue Cyclospray/Terramycin Spray – on caesarean wounds, after de-horning and on damaged skin following diarrhoea or urine scald. The spray contains no antibiotic but forms […]
Medicine Hub Tutorial Sessions
AHDB Medicine Hub Many of you will have seen the AHDB Medicine Hub advertised in the farming press or in communications from us. The system provides an online platform for recording antimicrobial use and can also be used as a full medicine record compliant with Red Tractor assurance. It can be tricky to get to […]
Mastitis in ewes and cows: are they the same?
Mastitis in ewes and suckler cows: are they the same? There are two main types of pathogen that can cause mastitis: contagious and environmental. Contagious pathogens live on animals so can be controlled using good hygiene and antibiotics. Environmental pathogens are widespread in the environment so can be much harder to control. CAUSES: Mastitis in ewes is normally […]
