Health & Welfare

Health Training Courses

The Livestock Health South East initiative holds courses, mainly free, on various health problems in livestock. Details can be found at http://www.livestockhealthsoutheast.org.uk/ . The training opportunities offered can be seen here.

Schmallenberg Disease

This is the new viral disease that has been detected in Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands, and now the U.K. In adult cattle it has been associated with brief and mild symptoms such as a drop in milk yield, diarrhoea, pyrexia but it has also been associated with late abortion and major birth defects in cattle, sheep and goats. It is thought to be carried by midges/mosquitos.

It is not a notifiable disease but farmers are requested to notify their veterinary surgeon if they come across newly born ruminants that are stillborn, malformed, or showing signs of nervous disease.

The Defra page on Schmallenberg Disease, with links to other sites

Department of Agriculture & Rural Development page on Schmallenberg Disease

Bluetongue

The Defra archive webpage on Bluetongue Publications and Fact Sheets

The NADIS Bulletin on Bluetongue, with pictures showing the symptoms caused by the disease. [Adobe Acrobat is required]

Institute of Animal Health page on Livestock Viral Disease Programme

Page on Bluetongue in Wikipedia

An index on sheep diseases can be seen at http://www.organic-vet.reading.ac.uk/Sheepweb/miscel/Default.htm

NADIS Sheep Health Bulletins can be downloaded at http://www.nadis.org.uk/Diseases_Sheep.html

NADIS Livestock Health South East page for information such as Parasite Forecast, Lameness Control, &c. - http://www.nadis.org.uk/Regions/SEE.html

SCOPS is an industry led initiative - Sustainable Control of Parasites in Sheep - and is directed by a steering committee chaired by the National Sheep Association. The NSA webpage on it is http://www.nationalsheep.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=287&Itemid=68

For a veterinary article on Guidelines for Trying to Reduce Resistance to Worms, click here
Eblex Lamb Briefing - Prioritise Breeding for Worm Resistance
Eblex Lamb Briefing - Control Worm Build-up with Careful Management

For the Eblex Lamb & Stock Briefings click here

For information on Footrot http://www.intervet.co.uk/Products_Public/Footvax/publications.aspx
The website of www.footrotinsheep.org
A page on footrot on the website of theDepartment of Agriculture & Rural Development

For the Nadis (National Animal Disease Information Service) website, click here
For the Nadis Health Bulletin, 2011 - Caseous Lymphadenitis, click here
For the Nadis Sheep Bulletin, March 2010 - Lambing - the Basics, click here
For the Nadis Sheep Bulletin, March 2010 - Ensuring Survival of Newborn Lambs, click here
For the Nadis Sheep Bulletin, January 2010 - Ewe Nutrition and Metabolic Diseases, click here [Adobe Reader is required]
For the Nadis Sheep Bulletin, May 2009 - Mastitis in Ewes, click here [Adobe Reader is required]
For the Nadis Sheep Bulletin, April 2009 - Sheep Scanning and Weaning, click here [Adobe Reader is required]
For the Nadis Sheep Bulletin, November 2008 - High Involuntary Culling Rates in Adult Sheep, click here [Adobe Reader is required]
For the Nadis Sheep Bulletin on Scald & Footrot, May 2008, click here [Adobe Reader is required]
For the Nadis Sheep Bulletin Preparing for Lambing, click here
For the Nadis Sheep Bulletin Flock Nutrition throughout pregnancy, click here
For the Nadis Sheep Bulletin Lambing Problems, click here
For the Nadis Sheep Bulletin on Infectious Abortion, click here [Adobe Reader is required]
For the Nadis Sheep Bulletin on Nematodirosis, click here
For the Nadis Health Bulletin, March 2007, on Nematodirosis, click here [Adobe Reader is required]
For the Nadis Health Bulletin on Anthelmintic Resistance on Sheep Farms, click here [Adobe Reader is required]
For the Nadis Sheep Bulletin on Trace Element Deficiency, click here [Adobe Reader is required]

Eblex Stock Briefing - Managing Stock Heat Stress to Minimise Losses

Eblex Better Returns Programme Ewe Nutrition Manual [Adobe Reader is required]
Eblex Better Returns Programme 7: Target Lameness [Adobe Reader is required]
Eblex Better Returns Programme Breed a Better Pedigree Flock [Adobe Reader is required]

The Welfare of Sheep - Legislation/ Welfare Code/ Enforcement/ Advice for farmers. Page on the Defra website

Identification of Ovine and Caprine Animals (sheep and goats)
DEFRA puts EID into focus (a film can be viewed over the Internet)

To read about the health problems that can be caused by feeding lambs on Rape and kale, click here

For information on scrapie, click on the Scrapie link in the left hand column

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