Westpoint Farm Vets

25/07/2025

‼️📞 PHONE LINES 📞 ‼️

We are currently having some technical difficulties with our phone lines, if over the weekend you have an emergency and cannot get through to us please keep trying to ring 01306 628208 or email [email protected], our emails are very regularly monitored and hopefully this will not delay our vets getting out to you!
We are sorry for the temporary disruption and are trying to get this sorted as soon as possible!

24/07/2025

Our vets have had a busy couple of months 🐮🐐

George attended the Goat Vet Society summer conference and enjoyed a farm tour with some friendly goats (after being rescued from a broken hotel lift for 4 hours)!

Tiff attended the National Youngstock conference with Rose, a calf rearer from one of our dairies, and returned full of knowledge and exciting ideas! 💡

16/07/2025

Now is a good time to collect dung samples from lambs for a faecal egg count. Collect a teaspoon of fresh, warm dung from 10 different lambs and put in a freezer bag. We can run samples at the practice and results are within 24 hours.

**SCOPS** post 📣🪱📣🐑

Are you a sheep farmer that has experienced recent rainfall following the previous very dry and warm weather? If so, the Sustainable Control of Parasites in Sheep (SCOPS) group is urging you to be extra vigilant in monitoring parasite burdens and lamb performance in your flock.

Nerys Wright, Technical Adviser for SCOPS, warns that the combination of recent rainfall and earlier dry conditions could create a perfect storm for increased worm challenges on pasture.

Find out more on the SCOPS website: www.scops.org.uk

15/07/2025

it was nice to see our hard working and rather photogenic Chelmsford team displayed on one of the British Veterinary Association's boards at their BVA Live Event.

09/07/2025

✨New Team Memeber✨
Jess grew up in Singapore and moved to London for university. She graduated from the Royal Veterinary College in 2024 and joined as a new graduate here at Westpoint Ashford in April 2025 with a keen interest in bovine reproduction and fertility. She enjoys cooking, hiking, and video games in her spare time. Jess looks forward to meeting you if she hasn’t already!🐄🐑🐖

08/07/2025

At Westpoint Farm Vets, we are committed to the continuation of professional development in all aspects of practice. It's especially helpful to gain extra training in areas that are historically under-taught at vet school. Some of our vets are members of the Goat Vet Society to make sure that we deliver the most appropriate and up to date care to our caprine patients.

Here is Chelmsford's Katie enjoying a day out of practice learning more about goat medicine.. and it seems that the goats already appreciate her interest!

08/07/2025

Two VetPartners vets have launched a project to find out more about how farmers manage sheep vaginal prolapses.
The study is open to anyone who lambed ewes in the most recent season (2024-5) and will take about 10 minutes to complete. Once analysed the results will be shared.
Any sheep farmers willing to help us can find the questiionnaire here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VaginalProlapse

03/07/2025

A timely reminder that the deadline for the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund is LOOMING.

We would be happy to support our clients with applications for the FETF - please just get in touch!

Grants range from £1,000 to £25,000 (% of cost varies by item)

There are three themes available: Productivity, Slurry Management and Animal Health and Welfare

Applications will be scored and each theme has rules for scoring

Application window 29th May - 10th July

You can find out more information here: https://defrafarming.blog.gov.uk/2025/05/07/farming-equipment-and-technology-fund-2025-guidance-now-available/

01/07/2025

NSAIDS form a vital part of the treatment regime for painful diseases such as mastitis - but did you know JUST how helpful they are?

28/06/2025

Be sure to keep on top of fly protection, as flies can spread disease from animal-animal incredibly quickly. Give us a call to discuss holistic fly management for all livestock systems.

26/06/2025

Remember, your bull represents 50% of your breeding herd in some cases. His performance is vital for a smooth, productive and tight calving period. Get in touch now to give yourself the best chance of success!

24/06/2025

Don't forget that your vet's support is essential for a successful parasite management plan. We can perform and analyse faecal egg counts to advise on the most cost effective and welfare friendly approach to parasites of the gut of various livestock species.

18/06/2025

Bluetongue control measures in England from 13 June until 11:59pm on 30 June 2025

The current pre-movement testing exemptions when moving animals from the restricted zone to England have been extended until 11:59pm on 30 June 2025.

This means you still do not need to test non-breeding animals over 60 days old before moving them from the restricted zone to an unrestricted area of England.

However, you must apply for a specific licence to move animals out of the restricted zone.

For user friendly updates on the BTV situation, please refer to

Ruminant Health and Welfare (RH&W) bluetongue hub - keep up to date with the latest developments and updates on this disease

12/06/2025

We are happily providing support to our farmers who have been applying for this year's Farming Equipment & Technology Fund.

Grants range from £1,000 to £25,000 (% of cost varies by item).

There are three themes available: Productivity, Slurry Management and Animal Health and Welfare.

Applications will be scored and each theme has rules for scoring.

Application window 29th May - 10th July

You can find out more information here: https://defrafarming.blog.gov.uk/2025/05/07/farming-equipment-and-technology-fund-2025-guidance-now-available/

10/06/2025

One of the best parts of the job is seeing a healthy, happy patient that really needed our help! Here is Tiff with Nettie the cow who delivered a healthy heifer calf after a swift caesarean.

23/05/2025

Are you shearing your camelids soon? Be sure to consider these points for a smooth and stress free day, and to ensure optimum health and welfare of your herd.

08/05/2025

We’ve already had a glimpse of summer warmth and that’s prompted a lot of farms to start thinking about fly control. Every year there’s lots of options so we’ve done a quick run through for you. Give us a shout in the practice if you want more information.

26/04/2025

🌏 Happy World Veterinary Day! 🌏

Today we celebrate the incredible dedication, compassion, skills, knowledge and tireless commitment of veterinarians 365 days of the year 24 hours of the day!

To every vet and veterinary team member - the work you do and the effort and care that is put into your work does not go unnoticed! So this is a big thank you to every single member of the team! 🐄🐖🐑🦙

11/04/2025

From the 31st March, Phase three of the National Johne’s Management Plan (NJMP) was introduce. The changes are not huge, and focus is still on risk management and implementation of an appropriate control strategy. The main changes are:

•An Average Test Value (ATV) must be generated for each herd
•A 60 cow random screen is now required to generate an ATV (previously 30)
•A target of 5.5 ATV has been brought in with the aim to achieve this by 2030

Your vet will be able to discuss this with your further and update you on the changes, so if in doubt, please give the practice a call on 01306 628208. 🐄

04/03/2025

Have you applied for the animal health and welfare pathway?

Livestock farmers can now apply for funding for both the animal health and welfare review and the endemic disease follow-up for more than one species. Please phone our team at Ashford on 01306 628208 to book in your visit or to discuss further information with our vets! 🐄

19/11/2024

Standing shoulder to shoulder with the farmers at the rally in London today. Fantastic atmosphere and real community spirit. Here's to being heard not herd! Also there in spirit and solidarity from the practice! 🐏🚜💪🪧🐄

12/11/2024

The next NSA field day is in Kent on Wednesday 20th Novemeber. “Making the most of grazed forage in your sheep system". Email [email protected] to register.

25/09/2024

Come and find us at the East Kent Ploughing Match Association for a tea, cake and catch up!
This year it’s being held at Great Bossington Farm, CT3 3LN. Our team are on top form as you can see! 😁