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XLVets
member practices
608 Farm and Equine Veterinary Surgeons
Allen and Partners
Ardene House Vet Practice
Armour Veterinary Group
Belmont Farm and Equine Vets
Bishopton Veterinary Group
Cain Veterinary Centre
Calweton Veterinary Group
Capontree Veterinary Centre
Chapelfield Veterinary Partnership
Cliffe Veterinary Group
Clyde Vets
Donald S McGregor & Partners
Drove Farm Vets
Dunmuir Veterinary Group
Endell Veterinary Group
Farm First Veterinary Services
Fenton Vets
Fenwold Veterinary Practice
Friars Moor Veterinary Clinic
Glenthorne Veterinary Group
Hook Norton Veterinary Group
Kernow Veterinary Group
Kingsway Veterinary Group
Lambert, Leonard & May
Larkmead Veterinary Group
Midshire Veterinary Group
Millcroft Veterinary Group
Northvet Veterinary Group
Paragon Veterinary Group
Parklands Veterinary Group
Penbode Veterinary Group
ProStock Vets
Rosevean Veterinary Practice
Rutland Veterinary Centre
Scarsdale Veterinary Group
Scott Mitchell Associates
Severn Edge Veterinary Group
Shepton Veterinary Group
Shropshire Farm Vets
St Boniface Veterinary Clinic
Synergy Farm Health
Thrums Veterinary Group
Torch Farm and Equine
Tyndale Vets
Westmorland Veterinary Group
Willows Veterinary Group
Wright & Morten
XLVets
is a novel and exciting initiative
conceived from within the veterinary profession.
We are all independently owned, progressive
veterinary practices located throughout the
United Kingdom committed to working together
for the benefit of our clients.
AUTUMN EDITION
C O N T E N T S
Livestock Matters
is published by:
XLVet UK Ltd, Carlisle House
Townhead Road, Dalston
Carlisle CA5 7JF
Tel: (01228) 711788
*This publication is supplied free of charge to
farm clients of XLVets member practices.
© XLVet UK Ltd
No part of this publication may be reproduced
without prior permission of the publisher.
Disclaimer:
XLVets does not necessarily share the views of
contributors. No responsibility can be accepted
for opinions expressed by contributors, or claims
made by advertisers within this publication.
THE ED I TOR
ANIMAL HEALTH
05
Quarantine and treatment procedures
after buying in sheep
Bryony Rowe of Calweton Veterinary
Group discusses the potential disease
risks encountered when bringing new
stock into your flock. She explains the
range of diseases that can be introduced
and suggests some control measures.
07
Target-setting drives a series of
improvements to boost herd fertility
Shepton Vets’ Anna Patch highlights
how the development of fertility key
performance indicators, used in
conjunction with routine visits, is
contributing to the improvement in
herd fertility.
09
Johne’s disease; identify your herd
status and start a control plan
Knowing the Johne’s status of your herd
provides a foundation for control and
eradication plans. Kate Brodie from
Drove Farm Vets explains the long-term
measures taken by one farmer attempting
to eradicate Johne’s from his herd.
CONTENTS
11
Post-mortems can be positive for profit
and performance!
Lee-Anne Oliver of Scott Mitchell Associates
details a new XLVets initiative gathering
post-mortem data to assist in disease
surveillance. She also demonstrates the
practical value of post-mortems using five
brief case studies.
13
Check bulls for fitness and fertility or else
risk extended calving periods
A sub-fertile or unfit bull can have a
profound impact on the physical and
financial health of your herd. James
Marsden of Shropshire Farm Vets describes
how one farmer responded to the discovery
that his bull was suddenly unfit for work.
FARMSKILLS
15
Guidelines for the safe use of medicines
GRADUATE DIARIES
17
Starting out in veterinary practice
Our new graduates, Emily and Matt, tell us
how they’ve grown in both experience and
confidence during the summer months,
learning something new every day.
Welcome to the
‘Autumn’
issue of Livestock Matters
Welcome to the Autumn issue of Livestock
Matters. In this edition we look at herd
fertility from a couple of perspectives; Anna
Patch demonstrates how setting targets for
herd fertility has improved performance in
one herd, while James Marsden explains the
importance of bull fitness and fertility.
The death of an animal is a devastating loss
to any farmer; however, Lee-Anne Oliver’s
article encourages the use of post-mortem
investigations to identify the cause of
unknown deaths. Such investigations can
prevent unnecessary veterinary treatments or
provide vital information for further disease
prevention within the flock or herd.
Bryony Rowe discusses some of the diseases
that can be inadvertently introduced into a
flock when buying in. She explains the
importance of a quarantine period for newly
arrived stock. We also consider Johne’s
disease with Kate Brodie detailing the
planned approach taken by one farmer to
control the disease within his herd.
We hope you enjoy this issue of
Livestock Matters.
Joanne Sharpe
Editor