THIS is why we do it!
We recently received some really positive, spontaneous feedback from one of our newer dairy farmers that stuck in our minds... It means a lot.
We put our farmers at the heart of our business.
And this is why we do what we do!
A reminder to get your Christmas medicines orders in as soon as possible this week, to ensure we can get what you need out to you in good time.
Please try to order the day before delivery is required wherever possible.
Thank you 🎄
Nantwich Show: Completed! ✅ What a great day, and what a great show. Fantastic to see so many Sandstone clients enjoying the sun (for most of the day! 🫣☂️ ) along with some excellent catering and drinks. It’s always good to be able to have a catch-up with familiar and new faces at these events, and also a chance for our farmers to meet the wider Sandstone team. Next show date: Flint & Denbigh 17th August…We hope to see you there!
**Warning - Post Mortem Images** - Nasal Bot Fly
Imagine having this crawling around in your sinuses! Andy found this on a post mortem last week and when you see this, it's no wonder that nasal bots, which parasitise the nasal passages and sinuses of sheep and goats during their larval stages can lead to significant reduction in feed intakes as animals try to sneeze the larvae out, or stop the flies from laying eggs.
Clinical signs: Signs of nasal bot infestation include head shaking, nasal discharge and sneezing. Sometimes animals will run around or press their noses to the ground in an attempt to stop the flies from laying eggs into their nostrils.
Treatment: Nasal bot flies are primarily an annoyance and treatment is not always necessary, but for advice, please speak to your vet.
🤔 We’re just going to leave this here….(press play for the punchline)
Flies filmed today - 20th March 2022
Spring has sprung and the flies are out in force today!
A multi-pronged approach to fly control can significantly reduce the number of flies around the farm.
Talk to us to find out more
Triplets at approx 35 days.
Thankfully triplets are very rare but twinning in dairy cattle is increasing.
The causes are complex but include both genetic and environmental factors. The main reason for the increased rate is increased milk yields (and therefore feed intakes) reducing progesterone levels and subsequently increasing double ovulation.
Although nutritional and hormonal support could reduce twinning rates, the rate is likely to keep increasing. Identifying and managing twin (or triplet!) carrying cows is important. Early dry off, supportive boluses and careful attention around calving are all helpful to minimise the problems associated with twins cows.
Identifying twins is not 100%, takes slightly longer and is easier early in pregnancy. Please speak to one of the vets for more advice. Hopefully we can update you in 8 months with 3 heifer calves! 🤞🐄🐄🐄
Who better to help us wish you all a Merry Christmas than the youngest member of our team, Tilly, who's been helping Kate to unpack boxes underneath the Christmas tree! 🎅
Lift’s in… beam me up Scotty!
COMPETITION TIME! We’re running a prize draw across the Cheshire Trade Fair tomorrow and the Cheshire Show on Saturday…Come and see us for a chance to win and a 🍺 🍷 ☕️ 🫖 🥤
And they’re off! Mark visited a few farms to help put down parasitic wasps yesterday. These harmless (to us) insects interfere with the pupal stage of the nuisance fly life cycle and using them can dramatically reduce your reliance on insecticides such as pour-ons. (£ coin for scale not price 😉😉)
Andy saw a classic wooden tongue today. This bacterial infection can be easily missed when cattle are at grass but if picked up is usually successfully treated with antibiotics. If left untreated it can cause acute drop in feed intakes and growth rates so keep a look out for salivating cattle - the infection usually follows trauma to the tongue.
Thank you for all of your well wishes on our first birthday... its been quite a year! Thank you to our valued clients for your business over the last 12 months, and to our colleagues, suppliers and supporters across the industry too. Bring on trading year 2!
Kate, Ben and Dany – Pharmacy Team
