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Know How / Beef / Health and welfare

Read up-to-date information on major welfare issues and diseases affecting dairy animals including infectious disease such as TB and BVD, respiratory disease, lameness and keep up to date with the latest welfare requirements.

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Case studies

LIVESTOCK

How a calf unit has reduced antibiotics use by 60%

In the two years that Dominic McKenzie has been farm manager at Long Lane Development Farm in Somerset, the antibiotics use has fallen by 60% at the calf-rearing unit that…

SOILS

How Herefordshire mixed farmer won Soil Farmer of the Year

The farming system at Boycefield didn’t just tick all the judges’ boxes when searching for the Soil Farmer of the Year. It is ticking all the boxes when it comes…

LIVESTOCK

Collaborative calf-rearing venture brings multiple benefits

A joint calf-rearing enterprise between two neighbouring farms in the Midlands is bringing benefits to both parties. The new profit-sharing agreement has brought extra income to beef and sheep farming…

BEEF

10 ways one farm makes suckler beef profitable

In 10 years, Philip Jones has shaved 36 days off his calving index, cut heifer age at first calving to 24 months and eliminated bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) from his…

LIVESTOCK

How beef farmer overcame BVD outbreak and high calf losses

When bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) struck at the worst possible time at Rob Harris’s beef unit near Ludlow during mating, it caused a storm of late abortions and high calf…

DAIRY

How finishing beef adds value to dairy business

The Mallett family decided to invest £100,000 in a shed to rear and finish beef bulls and heifers from their high-yielding dairy herd while they were locked up with TB.…

Practical advice

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HEALTH AND WELFARE

Why pre-housing is the time to ward off pneumonia in calves

With your suckler herd hopefully still out grazing, I’m sure that housing cattle seems a long way off, but it’s time for a bit of planning now, to maximise your…

YOUNGSTOCK MANAGEMENT

What is holding back improvements in youngstock management?

An exclusive Farmers Weekly survey has revealed that poor farmer to vet engagement and monitoring could be preventing beef and dairy farms from lowering disease and improving performance in calf…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

How to stop losses when grazing youngstock on herbal leys

A fundamental misunderstanding of how to manage stock grazing herbal leys has caused heartache on some farms this summer, as more yearling cattle and weaned lambs have died from twisted…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

Why you should stop blanket cattle worming and how to do it

Many cattle farmers are still taking a blanket approach to using wormers, which could render them useless while damaging the fragile ecosystem that makes livestock farming viable. This is the…

BOVINE TB

10 tips for safe cattle handling during TB testing

Cattle are often large, heavy, fast and strong. Combine that mix with TB testing – a situation that may be unfamiliar and stressful for the animal – and it can…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

Acorn poisoning: Symptoms, treatment and prevention

Last autumn saw an increase in cattle and sheep deaths with either confirmed or suspected acorn poisoning. This was because 2022 was considered a “mast year” for oak trees. A…

Insights

YOUNGSTOCK MANAGEMENT

Calf monitoring and health plans key to future performance

Some 90% of farmers want to make changes to improve the future sustainability of their youngstock management in the next 12 months, according to a Farmers Weekly exclusive survey. Yet…

LIVESTOCK

Why diverse forage mixtures could improve outwintering

Findings from a recent trial in Devon have concluded that outwintering cattle on a diverse mix of forages can help improve both animal and soil health, while also benefiting the…

BOVINE TB

How the free bovine TB advisory service is helping farmers

The TB Advisory Service (TBAS), is a Defra-funded initiative which gives free, practical advice to help dairy and beef farmers control bovine TB on farms in England.  The TBAS programme…

ROYAL HIGHLAND SHOW

Could thermal imaging transform livestock health management?

Thermal imaging is common in human medicine, but research from Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) shows there is huge potential for it to be used in the early detection of cross-species…

MEDICINES

Livestock Medicine Hub - what it's for and how it can help

A new database that enables farms to record, monitor and benchmark their antibiotics use has been developed by representatives from across the ruminant sector. Medicine Hub is available now and…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

Why health gains cut ruminant methane emissions by 10%

Three classic livestock benchmarking targets can help sheep and cattle farms raise technical performance and meet obligatory methane goals to battle climate change. Livestock policy leaders are urging farmers to…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

Coccidiosis project raises hope for new treatment

Coccidiosis is a perennial parasitic problem in growing lambs. It presents some difficulties in diagnosis, treatment and prevention – but good news could be around the corner.  Lambs and calves…

SHEEP

Video: Fluke video gives powerful insight into parasite

A video documenting the different stages of the harmful liver fluke parasite has been made to help farmers understand its complex life cycle. The video (below) shows the liver fluke…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

Vet survey reveals serious challenges ahead for profession

Poor retention and recruitment rates, Brexit and dissatisfaction in the industry could see a shortage of farm vets in the future if action isn’t taken.  Farmers Weekly carried out a…

BOVINE TB

4 farmers’ badger-proofing inventions help cut TB risk

Inventive farmers are mitigating the risk of bovine TB spreading from badgers to their dairy and beef cattle by devising their own obstacles to wildlife incursions. Some of the winners…

FARM POLICY

Next phase in Defra bovine TB strategy explained

After months in the making, the government has launched its latest consultation (PDF) on the next stages of its strategy to eradicate bovine TB in England by 2038. The eight-week…

BOVINE TB

UK bovine TB rules, penalties and incentives

Defra has introduced more rigorous, evidenced-based bovine TB testing regimes for cattle this autumn, backed by tougher penalties and incentives to encourage farmers to improve biosecurity. While the number of…

Online resources

Nadis livestock disease A-Z - Cattle

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Nadis livestock disease A-Z - Sheep

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Nadis livestock disease A-Z - Pigs

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Nadis livestock disease A-Z - Poultry

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