Farm News & Advice
We publish a quarterly newsletter with seasonal information, industry initiatives and news on upcoming events. If you would like to receive a copy please
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Extended versions of our newsletter articles can be found below.
Don’t forget that if you have a specific query you can always contact our farm team.
Forage Analysis
Getting forage analysed before the winter is essential to ensure cows and ewes are being fed appropriately in the run up to calving and lambing. Most feed companies will offer this service but you can now also send samples to a lab for nutritional and mineral analysis through us. Silage should be left for at […]
Eye issues on the farm
Sore, runny, and cloudy eyes are often a problem in both sheep flocks (‘pink eye’) and cattle herds (‘New Forest eye’). Whilst some cases can be relatively mild, others can lead to blindness in animals. ‘Pink Eye’ In Sheep Pink eye is a bacterial infection which spreads rapidly through flocks due to close-contact, for example […]
Latest on Bluetongue
Bluetongue update (correct as of early September 2025) At the time of writing there have been 26 cases of bluetongue reported and clinical cases have been seen locally in Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire. We are still urging everyone to consider vaccination as this is our only tool to protect against this disease. The peak of cases […]
Lameness: Foot rot or CODD?
Foot rot or CODD: Which is which and why does it matter? Lameness in sheep is an ongoing issue that many of our farmers face, and with changing guidance and emerging diseases it can be difficult to know how to best approach the problem! The most common causes of lameness are scald, Foot rot and […]
Red Tractor Standards
Changes to Red Tractor Standards On 1st February 2025 changes were made to Red Tractor Standards. The aspects that affect the veterinary review for Beef and Lamb, and Dairy farms, are as follows: Farms that have completed an Animal Health and Welfare Pathway Review in the last 12 months, do not need to carry out […]
Bluetongue Update
The cold weather has reduced midge activity reducing risk of bluetongue infection. However, the threat of bluetongue has not gone away. It is very likely that bluetongue will re-emerge when the weather warms up and midge activity increases. Therefore, please remain vigilant for signs of bluetongue infection. There are three vaccines available to be used […]
February Team News Update!
We would like to wish Katie P all the best as she headed off on maternity leave at the end of January. We will keep you all posted on the new arrival in the coming months. We are sad to announce that Rebecca Edwards will be leaving us mid-February. Rebecca has written a farewell message […]
Death in Lambs
Over the last few weeks we have seen an increase in sudden death cases in lambs. We would always advise post-mortems to investigate these cases. There are a few options available; our farm vets can carry out a post-mortem and send any samples away to the laboratory, or cases can go to a APHA subsided […]
Flock Health Club 2025
Our sheep flock health club has enjoyed meeting this year to discuss our flocks, reflect on how things are going and plan for the coming season. We are a friendly group, led by farm vets, which aims to share knowledge and improve health and productivity. This year we have focussed on: Lambing strategies Benchmarking with […]
Bluetongue
Bluetongue (BTV) is a non-contagious, infectious viral disease transmitted only by biting midges, which affects all ruminants (e.g. sheep, cattle, goats and deer) and camelids. The latest strain to affect the UK is BTV-3 which has been an issue on mainland Europe since 2023, the first UK case was reported in November 2023 with a […]
