Livestock Matters - Summer 2018

SUMMER 18 ISSUE LIVESTOCK MATTERS 4 X LVETS NEWS Cattle Lameness Academy Seminar The second Cattle Lameness Academy (CLA) seminar was held on 28th March in the Great Tythe Barn near Crewkerne, Somerset, with over 120 delegates attending including farmers, foot trimmers, vets and industry representatives. This year, the seminar adopted fresh themes, inviting the younger and emerging generation of foot health experts to present short, snappy, 15 minute talks. After Dick Sibley opened the seminar with a “State of the Nation” address, the first session covered recent and ongoing research, with Reuben Newsome, Laura Randall, Sara Pedersen and Jonathan Huxtable keeping delegates up to date on the pathology associated with lameness and consequences for the cow and management, the direction of foot trimming research and possible roles of nutrition in digital dermatitis. Before lunch, the second session brought vets and foot trimmers to the stage to discuss the practicalities of lameness management. Synergy Vet Tech Dave Phillips spoke of how the practice approaches lameness control and Ben Westaway (Tamar Hoofcare) described his approach as an independent trimmer. Gareth Foden (Synergy Farm Health) and Tom Wright (Lambert Leonard and May) also gave insights into their views on the matter, and entirely by chance the overriding theme from this session was that a team approach, involving all relevant people, is essential to bring lameness under control. After lunch, we looked to the future with Jo Speed explaining the role of the Register of Mobility Scorers (RoMS), John Remnant discussing antibiotic use in lameness, Nick Bell demonstrating the value of lying time data in lameness detection and George Oikonomou discussing the future of genetics in lameness prevention. These topics are vital for the future welfare, productivity and sustainability of our dairy systems. Look out for a full update in the Autumn issue of Livestock Matters. Visit http://www.cattlelamenessacademy.co.uk/ for further information. Reuben Newsome Beef Expo 2018 XLVets once again attended Beef Expo 2018 at Shrewsbury Livestock Auction Centre on the 25th May. The event brings together the very best in British commercial and pedigree cattle, equipment, knowledge- sharing, and show classes for everyone involved in the industry.