Articles

Both twin lamb disease (pregnancy toxaemia) and milk fever (hypocalcaemia) affect ewes in late pregnancy.  But how can you tell the difference between the two, to make sure treatment is effective?

Beware of staggers (hypomagnesaemia) in sheep, when they are being turned out to quick growing grass in the spring.  Sheep are most exposed at peak lactation, which is 30-40 days post lambing.

Ewes who have surplus colostrum at lambing, especially single bearing ewes, can have colostrum extracted from them and frozen for use when required by other lambs. 

We all know cows are becoming bigger, more excitable and unfortunately more aggressive.  This is particularly true in the first few days post calving ie when we are using calving pens.

Trying different bedding types this winter to compliment or replace straw?

The lead up to calving is a critical period.  Cows should be split by condition and fed accordingly. 

nfections in newborn calves and lambs are likely to be a bigger problem than normal this spring due to the severe shortage of straw.  As a consequence, both the use of antibiotics and mortality rates are likely to increase.

Shortage of straw for bedding housed cattle is a real risk this year.  One of the potential impacts could be an increase in cases of coccidiosis, particularly if we have a late spring and turnout is delayed.

In November we diagnosed severe Psoroptic mange in a bull.  This is a very unusual diagnosis in Scotland with previous cases, reported from the Borders in 2014 and 1984, linked to cattle imports from Ireland and France. 

Some examples of conditions when pain relief should be used are: Lameness: Lameness is a serious welfare issue in sheep and cattle and pain relief be considered part of the…