Regular, timely farm news & advice
Read on for a host of farm animal healthcare advice and industry news that’s free and updated monthly. In the articles below you’ll find seasonal and local tips, information on how to keep your animals healthy and performing well, as well as information about other aspects of farming. If you’d like us to email you whenever we update our farm news and advice, then simply….
Seasonal newsletters from Garston Farm Vets
You can also request the latest copies of our newsletter, which come out every Spring, Summer, Autumn & Winter. To receive these by email please phone the practice on 01373 451115 and let us know.
Sheep and parasitology
Our farm vet Emily attended a sheep and cattle parasitology course at SRUC in Edinburgh recently. Here is an insight in to what she learnt and current worming advice: Autumn is the time of year to be reviewing your farm’s parasite risk and discuss housing doses of anthelmintic for worms and fluke. Using housing treatments […]
Seasonal opening hours for Garston farm & equine clients
Seasonal surgery opening hours Christmas Eve 24th December – 8.30am – 5pm Christmas Day 25th December – Emergency team Boxing Day 26th December – Emergency team Bank Holiday Monday 27th December – Emergency team Bank Holiday Tuesday 28th December – Emergency team Wednesday 29th December – Normal opening hours Thursday 30th December – Normal opening […]
Frome Market Health Hub – A new service for farmers
A new service could help save the lives of busy farmers putting off a trip to the doctors. Frome Market Health Hub will give farmers, their families, and agricultural workers free access to confidential health checks, without the need to book an appointment. Hundreds of rural workers attend Frome Livestock Market auctions every week and […]
Red Tractor Assurance – New standards
There have been changes to the RTA scheme, some of which come into force at the start of November. The main updates are outlined below, but please click here for full details: Dairy NEW: Tethered housing systems, for stock of any age, will not be permitted on Red Tractor farms. NEW: Commitment to eliminate the […]
Six-monthly TB testing
Please be aware that APHA are beginning to phase in six-monthly TB testing for herds in High Risk Areas of England from July 2021. Increasing the frequency of surveillance testing in the HRA from annual to six-monthly will help detect TB-infected herds at an earlier stage. This reduces the time M. bovis can spread within […]
Body Condition Scoring (BCS) in Beef Cattle
Body condition scores are a vital part of successful fertility management on beef units. These techniques are ways of managing body condition score changes throughout the year if required: • House later if grass growth and quality has been good in the summer and a decrease in BCS is required • Wean calves later if […]
Good post-operative care on the farm
Following a recent seminar on farm animal surgery, Rich Talbot gives us some key factors to achieve a speedy recovery: Operations on farm animals are commonplace; from caesareans to enucleations (eye removal). As with any procedure, complications can arise. Good post-operative care is key to welfare and vital to ensure the animal continues it’s productive […]
Is your dairy herd protected from Leptospirosis?
Dairy herds are particularly at risk from Leptospirosis due to management factors that increase the risk of exposure, including close contact within the herd and with dairy workers, confinement during milking and in the yard, and moist conditions.
How is TB testing being affected by Coronavirus?
When COVID-19 took hold of the UK in March 2020, a range of measures and restrictions were brought in to protect the health of farmers, animals, vets, and consumers. As health advice evolved, so did measures relating to bTB testing and the movement of cattle.
Housed cattle health – five things to check
Having the cows in for winter is the perfect opportunity to give your cattle a once over, and we recommend doing this before the winter season kicks in properly.