Beef news and advice from the LLM Farm Vets team in Shropshire, Cheshire, Lancashire and Derbyshire.
Hopefully your suckler calves are growing well and thoughts are turning to weaning over the next few months. Body condition scoring cows is a helpful way to inform your plans. Ideally spring calvers should score 2.5 at calving and 3 by housing. Autumn calvers should score 3 at calving but […]
With the sun (finally) shining and grazing in full swing, now is a good time to think about measures to control mastitis incidence through the summer, and having accurate and appropriate treatment protocols should flare ups occur
While environmental type mastitis (e.coli, s.uberis etc.) has always been seen as a […]
Picture the scene – your vet is preparing your cow for surgery. She’s haltered up, secured and sedated, her flank clipped and cleaned. While your vet’s been scrubbing her flank, you rushed off to find a dose of antibiotics and a jab of anti-inflammatories to be given prior to the […]
A familiar scenario – you’ve been carefully observing your favourite cow in the weeks since calving, patiently waiting for her first heat… But nothing. She sails past your deadline for heat observation which prompts you to put her in for a vet check. With the aid of an ultrasound scanner […]
There will be some changes to the TB testing rules in the intermediate TB areas (ITBAs) of Wales coming into force on 1st February this year.
All cattle moved in from the High Risk Area of England (HRA) and from Northern Ireland will need a post-movement test (PoMT). Welsh Government […]
Rob Hall gives an update on two important diseases, both of which are spread by biting midges and are currently causing issues in the UK.
Bluetongue Virus
Bluetongue is an infectious viral disease, which was first detected in the 1700s. It is widely found in many parts of North Africa […]
This year’s TB conference was held on 29th November 2023 in Worcester, hosted by The TB Advisory Service (TBAS). It was an opportunity to bring together all those involved in TB control and it was great to see so many people attend: veterinary practices, farmers and policy makers, all contributing […]
Downer cows are a common challenge on dairy farms. Caring for them can take up a significant amount of time and how we go about it will have a big impact on the chance of recovery.
In addition, these animals have the potential to become a welfare issue and there […]
Earlier this year I had a call from a client after 6 of their 150 cows had aborted over the previous ten days, all in mid to late pregnancy. After various samples were taken including sending 3 foetuses to the AHVLA we ruled out Salmonella, Campylobacter and fungal causes and […]
Pneumonia or Bovine Respiratory Disease is a common, multi-factorial disease affecting growth and performance in calves and beef cattle. A case of pneumonia can impact an animal for life reducing growth rates and increasing finishing times ultimately impacting on profitability.
Identifying cases early is key to treatment success, however the […]
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