Animal Health

Following ragwort and hemlock poisoning cases reported in cattle and pigs by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), AHDB is urging farmers to make sure they are familiar with the signs of toxicity and be on the lookout for poisonous plants in their fields.

With cows being at increased risk of disease in the first month post-calving, farmers are being urged to act now to prevent milk losses due to ketosis and transition-related disease.

Sheep dipping contractors, farmers and prescribers are being urged to make themselves aware of the latest updates to the Mobile Sheep Dipping Code of Practice, which aim to ensure the ongoing effectiveness and safe use of organophosphate (OP) dips in the UK.

As we head into the colder months, Farmers Guide offers three top tips to prepare for housing cattle this season – from building maintenance and farm safety, to animal health and nutrition.

Returning for its second year, the National TB conference is a platform for farmers and industry stakeholders to come together and discuss the challenges of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) and the barriers that remain towards a disease-free future.

Despite improvement to overall intestinal health in flocks across the UK, coccidiosis prevalence is still higher than 2021 levels, and poultry farmers are advised to ramp up biosecurity on their premises to achieve good disease control over the winter.

The National Sheep Association (NSA) is urging sheep farmers to consider disease risk when buying in replacement stock and take the necessary precautions to prevent their flock from becoming infected.

Farmers who import live pigs or semen to the UK are being warned of the risks and reminded to follow protocols around PRRS.

With breeding sheep being traded from farm to farm, often via marts, this month the risk period for sheep scab transmission is heightened, Ulster Farmers’ Union has warned.

The ban on gatherings of galliforme poultry and galliforme birds – including chickens, turkeys, pheasants, partridges, quail and guinea fowl – has been lifted.

As a recent survey highlights a 20% drop in scanning results last year, and industry data suggesting forage quality is low this year, Rumenco nutritionist Alison Bond highlights the importance of supplementation.

Taking steps to manage microbiota in maize silage this season will reduce the potential for costly mycotoxin problems at feed-out, according to Lientjie Colahan, technical sales support at Lallemand Animal Nutrition.