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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 Veterinary Hospital
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
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.
SPRING 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
Copper toxicity in dairy herds
Getting the balance right with copper
can be a life or death matter as Kirsty
Ranson from Westmorland found out
through first-hand experience on one
client’s farm.
07
Caring for the health of your flock: are
you doing it right
?
Ed Hewitt from the Armour Veterinary
Group gives some advice on correct
use and storage of a range of sheep
medicines, including checklists to get the
most out of the products you use.
11
Suckler cow management in an
expanding herd
Wiltshire farmer Tom Parsons has been
expanding his beef suckler herd. Along
the way, vets from Endell Veterinary
Group have helped him to make
changes to improve herd fertility,
performance and ease of management.
CONTENTS
FARMSKILLS
15
Practical guide to taking a clean milk
sample
The first in our new series of practical
skills guides to help you get the best out
of some of the animal health tasks you
perform on your farm.
FEATURE
13
Dairy Sheep and Goat Conference
We report on the prevention and control
of common diseases of sheep and goats
from the first Dairy Sheep and Goat
Conference run by Friars Moor Livestock
Health.
GRADUATE DIARIES
17
Starting out in veterinary practice
Find out what our new graduate writers
have been up to in their roles in XLVets
practices since completing the XLVets farm
graduate programme.
Welcome to the
‘Spring’
issue of Livestock Matters
In this issue we examine the fine balance
between copper deficiency and copper
toxicity with Kirsty Ranson, Westmorland
Veterinary Group. We see how easily
copper toxicity can develop and how only
by looking at all cow inputs was it found to
be the cause of cattle deaths on one farm.
We also take a look at sheep medicines
with Ed Hewitt, Armour Veterinary Group,
who talks us through getting the most out of
the medicines you buy and ensuring that they
are used effectively to manage disease.
We also feature our first article from the
inaugural Dairy Sheep and Goat
Conference, organised by Friars Moor
Livestock Health.
Managing fertility in the spring-calving dairy
herd is explored with Dave Gilbert, Lambert,
Leonard & May. Dave provides us with an
update on his work with three producers
who block calve on a low-input grass-based
system and how they have benefited from a
proactive approach to herd fertility.
Finally, we welcome Emily Francis, Torch
Farm Vets, and Matt Raine, Wright & Morten,
to the Graduate Diaries team for 2016.
Both qualified in 2015 and have completed
the XLVets farm graduate programme - here
we pick up with them to find out how they
are settling into life in farm animal veterinary
practice.
We hope you enjoy this issue of
Livestock Matters.
Joanne Sharpe
Editor