Animal Health

The development of a forage network which will recommend a pathway to gaining optimum benefits from forages through realistic actions​. This project, which runs from September 2023 for 6 months, will: Bring together a network of stakeholders to understand the best approach for improving forage systems, considering potential opportunities and barriers to uptake​ Create a roadmap, which can be used to achieve benefits for livestock sectors through changes in forage systems​

An Innovative Farmers Field Lab with four sheepers farmers working with ADAS has shown that long-held fears of red clover in herbal leys affecting fertility in sheep are unfounded, with the findings that inclusion of the legume can even have a positive effect on pregnancy rates.

An ongoing Innovative Farmers field lab is looking into the impact of mob grazing on soil, biodiversity and animal health.

The project is a farmer-led initiative aiming to work collectively to reduce the incidence of sheep scab in the Talybont North Ceredigion area.

An active network dedicated to finding innovative solutions for antibiotic resistance

A group of farmers from the Powys are undertaking this project to determine the prevalence and sources of the parasite on their farms. They hope to increase their understanding of the pathways by which it is transmitted among sheep and also identify measures they can take to control and prevent the disease in sheep.

Advice and guidance on protecting animal welfare on farms, in transport, at markets and at slaughter.

There are only two types of treatment for sheep scab – organophosphate (OP) plunge dips (containing diazinon) and endectocides (injectable group 3-ML). 

Chaired by Peter Myles, NSA Scottish Region, join experts Matt Colston (vet), Beth Wells (Moredun) and Simon Thorp (Bracken Control Group) for an evening webinar on reducing the risks of ticks and louping ill in your flock.

Animal tissues colonised with pathogenic organisms are said to be ‘infected’.

From identifying lesions to treatment and nutrition, our information and resources can help you to manage all aspects of lameness.

Recent spikes in consumer and retailer concern for the welfare of farmed animals (including chickens) have led to the development of animal welfare standards, changes in how animals are housed and managed, and new research opportunities to develop animal-based indicators of animal welfare.

Lameness is the third most impactful disease in dairy cattle, with respect to economics and animal welfare

On Wednesday 6 September, we held a webinar for farmers to learn more about the funding available in England.  

It is impossible to be certain if a sheep has sheep scab without a diagnosis.

For the past year, and as part of AHDB’s Strategic Dairy Farm programme, Howard and Tom Pattison, from Willow Tree Farm in North Yorkshire, have been on a mission to reduce clinical cases of mastitis in their dairy herd.For the past year, and as part of AHDB’s Strategic Dairy Farm programme, Howard and Tom Pattison, from Willow Tree Farm in North Yorkshire, have been on a mission to reduce clinical cases of mastitis in their dairy herd.

The TB Advisory Service is proud to be hosting the second national TB conference. This is a unique opportunity to bring together all those involved in TB control ensuring a collaborative approach.

  NSA is proud to present its inaugural Sheep Farmers’ Conference – an important addition to the biennial NSA calendar offering a packed day of high level presentations, optional workshops and networking opportunities.

New report highlights the role reducing key endemic diseases in ruminants can play in contributing to the Global Methane Pledge formed at COP26 to reduce methane emissions by 30% by 2030.

There are two main challenges for the lamb sector; the first is to maintain the production of high-quality meat and the second is to ensure sheep farming is financially viable.

Prioritising the future of your herd and looking closely at your youngstock housing should be at the forefront of every farmer's mind.

Sheep scab is an acute or chronic form of allergic dermatitis caused by the faeces of sheep scab mites (Psoroptes ovis).

Improving cattle handling for Better Returns

Youngstock are the future of any farm. Investing in them is an investment in the farm’s future, too.

 Resistance in scab mites to the injectables has been confirmed in the UK, which means we need to be increasingly careful about how we use both treatment choices.

Driving feed efficiency is crucial in all beef growing and finishing systems. 

Stephanie Eldon and her family farm a unit with 199 dairy cows in Northern Ireland, producing 75 heifers calving into the herd per year. It is a Holstein closed herd calving all year round, with a 305-day average yield of 8,896 litres (L).

A flowchart on how to assess body condition score in dairy cattle, using the Penn State assessment method.

As the UK sheep industry has become more reliant on pastures grazed only by sheep, dependence on anthelmintics (wormers) has increased.

Silvopastoral agroforestry – integrating shelterbelts, hedgerows or in-field trees with grazing livestock – can provide domestic animals with benefits, including shelter and shade, as well as supplementing their diets as tree browse or fodder.

Use our practical videos of on-farm tasks to help train and refresh staff and boost pig production.

Lameness is a serious cost to the sheep industry.

The relationship between wetlands and livestock farming is complex and a subject of growing importance in the face of climate change and biodiversity loss.

Get the most you can from grazed grass and silages.

Can we breed resilient lambs that tackle worms naturally without impacting their growth rate? Find out more from the latest on-farm trial.

Managing ewes correctly throughout the year is vital for generating the highest possible output from any sheep enterprise.

This checklist aims to provide a structured approach to assess a calf rearing system.

This booklet provides an accurate, easy-to-use reference guide on all available anti-parasitic products in their various chemical groups and summarises the parasites they have been licensed to control.  

Optimising fertility is critical to the success of any suckler herd.

An online tool to help dairy, beef and sheep producers monitor and compare medicine use and tackle the threat of antimicrobial resistance.

Find out how the five-point plan can help to reduce the number of new clinical cases of lameness.  

The forecast predicts the hatch date for nematodirus based on temperature data from 140 weather stations throughout the UK and should be used in combination with your grazing history (more below) to assess the risk of nematodirus infection in your lambs.

This Poster from DairyNZ provides a useful guide for assessing lameness in cattle.

Housing Systems for Species-specific Rearing with Mother Cows and Nurse Cows

Improving animal performance and reducing physical losses are key to ensuring sheep farming is profitable.

Liver fluke (Fasciola hepatica) can have a devastating effect on the health and welfare of grazing livestock and historically, control has relied heavily on the routine blanket use of flukicide treatments.

Diseases in sheep and cattle have made the headlines many times over the last few years.

The performance of a suckler beef herd is significantly impacted by poor cow and calf health.

Discover how, why, and when field drainage is important, as well as best practice for installation, maintenance and repairs.

This HENNOVATION technical note describes an innovative technique for reducing predation of free ranging laying hens. The case study was conducted in Spain but it has application across Europe.

This informative and practical event featured Lynn Cassells of Lynbreck Croft, James Reid of Tap o’ Noth Farm, and Dr Lindsay Whistance of the Organic Research Centre, discussing how making hay from trees can be a valuable way to supplement winter forage and support livestock nutrition and welfare.

NSA considers what makes a successful lambing, how to mitigate risk and what to do if things start to go wrong. 

This handbook (NetPoulSafe) compiles in one document 50 factsheets for both farmers and advisors (including veterinarians) in poultry production, detailing the best supporting measures for biosecurity.

An online tool has been developed in Germany for broiler farmers, herd veterinarians and advisors to enable individual assessment of farm and pathogen pathogen-specific biosecurity concepts.

The ability of an animal to be resilient to diseases is dependent upon several factors which include; immune status, husbandry practises, vaccination, genetics among others.

Join us to hear from a panel of experts who will provide an update on bluetongue and the current BTV-3 strain that has been confirmed in cases in cows and sheep in Kent and Norfolk.

During this webinar, Mandy Nevel, AHDB Head of Animal Health & Welfare, and Lizzie Wilson, CEO of the National Pig Association (NPA), will share practical things that you can do to prepare for a possible outbreak of African swine fever (ASF).

Learn about progress with the development of a new BTV-3 vaccine with veterinary vaccine consultant Professor Andy Peters and AHDB's Head of Animal Health and Welfare, Dr Mandy Nevel.

During this webinar, experts from the four nations and the continent will discuss the latest updates regarding bluetongue virus.

How can data be used to improve farm animal health and welfare? Take this free training course from the University of Edinburgh.

This conference aims to promote best practice and facilitate the exchange of ideas relevant to all stages of youngstock rearing. It will feature a series of practical seminars addressing the latest developments in cattle breeding, nutrition and health.

The event will be hosted by FNZ Monitor Farmers, Matt and Pip Smith. The day will cover a range of topics to increase the profitability and environmental sustainability of sheep production.

In this case study, we describe field investigations of liver fluke risk to livestock associated with grazing under two different agri-environmental schemes and discuss best practice for conservation grazing and sustainable fluke control.