Beef news and advice from the LLM Farm Vets team in Shropshire, Cheshire, Lancashire and Derbyshire.
The National Johne’s Management Plan (NJMP) Phase III kicks off on 31st March 2025, continuing efforts to control Johne’s disease in dairy herds across the UK. Building on previous phases, the scheme focuses on sustained disease control, improved biosecurity, and herd-level risk assessment to minimize the impact of Johne’s on […]
Bluetongue virus serotype 3 (BTV 3) has recently caused significant disruption to ruminant health and welfare in both the UK and Europe. Over the past 18 months, the UK has confirmed 247 cases of BTV 3, with the majority concentrated within the restriction zone, which currently affects the East and […]
No farmer wants to face the frustration of a barren cow—one that hasn’t conceived after the breeding season. With the potential to impact both herd productivity and profitability, high barren rates are a challenge that requires attention. Barren rates vary by operation, location, and management practices, but a target of […]
Although it may currently feel a million miles away from turnout, it is quickly creeping up on us!
Now is the time to start considering parasite control strategies for the year to come, particularly with regards to youngstock. Our first drop of Huskvac, a lungworm vaccine will be landing at the […]
The Challenge
A beef farm was struggling with high rates of cattle pneumonia, leading to poor growth, increased treatment costs, and an extended production period. The owner was concerned about the long-term impact on herd health and profitability. This farm had already looked at their housing and biosecurity as well […]
With most cattle housed, now might be a good time to think about how your farm is set up for winter and what adjustments could be made to maximise growth and potential for the remainder of the winter. Here are some key pointers to think about this year.
Space to […]
The TB skin test (the single intradermal comparative cervical tuberculin test or SICCT) is officially quoted as having ‘specificity’ of 99.98%. This means that false positive results only occur once in 5000 tests. Conversely the ‘sensitivity’ of the test is much lower, in the range of 50-80% at standard interpretation, […]
The results from the 2024 National BVD Survey make interesting reading (if you’re into that kind of thing…). Compiled from responses from 673 farmers, 58% of whom are in England, with 14% each from Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, here Rob discusses the key points.
Bluetongue (BTV) is a viral disease transmitted by biting midges, which affects all ruminants (e.g. sheep, cattle, goats and deer) and camelids (e.g. llama and alpaca). BTV is mainly spread by infected adult midges biting an animal susceptible to the disease.
An uninfected adult midge bites an infected ruminant animal […]
As we enter harvest supper season and back to school routines, keeping cows out for as long as possible becomes increasingly appealing. Grazing in the autumn can be an efficient way to maximise milk from forage but is not without its challenges.
Planning your autumn pasture rotation and adopting on/off […]
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