Our team of dedicated farm only veterinary surgeons offer a friendly and focused approach to your herd and flock health, welfare and productivity.
Covering Wiltshire, South Gloucestershire and North East Somerset. Avon Farm Vets is a new veterinary practice formed after the merger of the farm teams of two local practices - Hale Veterinary Group and Garden Veterinary Group.
☀️ IT’S AUGUST BANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND! ☀️
Fingers crossed for some sunshine 🤞🏼
Our office is closed on Monday 26th August, but our phone lines are open for all your emergencies
📞: 01249 847290
‼️ Remeber last chance to order medicine for the weekend is Thursday 22nd August 💉‼️
We are seeing a HUGE problem with Haemonchus this season. If you are concerned and want to find out more, give us a call to book a place on our upcoming talk on Weds 28th Aug at 7pm.
Our next Farm Medicines Course is being held on Monday 16th September at our farm office meeting room just outside Lacock.
One of the Red Tractor standards recommends that at least one member of your team has undertaken training on a veterinary-run course and holds a certificate of competence.
To book your place please give us a call at the practice on 01249847290.
Another happy ending! Yesterday, this beautiful cria was trying to exit into the world head first. With manipulation from our vet Mel and a very patient first time mother, he came out and is now running around around with the other crias ❤️.
What a fantastic turn out to our dystocia and pelvic scoring meeting last night. We had almost 50 beef and dairy clients attend. It was amazing to see you all and we hope you enjoyed yourselves. Keep your eyes peeled for our upcoming meetings 👀🐄🐮
Fantastic to see so many of our dairy and beef clients at the dystocia and pelvic scoring meeting last night, we hope you enjoyed it! If you have any questions or want us to go over anything again then please do get in touch. See you at the next one! 🐮
Good morning to moooo from the AFV team! It may be half way through the week for many, but never stops.
Whatever you’re doing please stay safe and don’t hesitate to give us a call if you need some help
We are seeing a HUGE problem with Haemonchus this season.
Also known as ‘barber’s pole’, this roundworm attaches to the wall of the abomasum, sucking blood and causing ANAEMIA and NOT DIARRHOEA so you do not get the early warning sign of a dirty back end. If you are not handling the animals and checking their body condition/weights, the first you might know is DEAD animals.
Haemonchus also affects ADULTS, not just lambs due to the poor immunity that develops. In fact, adult ewes sometimes die before the lambs as they appear to be less able to cope with the blood loss/anaemia.
PLEASE BE AWARE!
We use a combination of faecal worm egg counts, measuring BCS/growth rates and checking mucous membrane colour for anaemia to monitor burdens.
Ever get the feeling someone is watching ewe? 🐑
If you are looking for something to do this weekend, pop along and see if you can spot the Scarecrow we have sponsored in this years Scarecrow trail and send us picture! Friends of Lacock School
🤫 Quiet Time at the Scarecrow Trail 🤫
Collect your trail sheets and purchase raffle tickets from the school playground this Saturday evening from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM, and enjoy the trail when it's quieter in the village.
Being part of the farming community and understanding the pressures you face is at the heart of our practice. Come and say hi and have a chat over a coffee if you see us at Frome Livestock market! 🐄🐑
Goats and camelids are just as susceptible to clostridial diseases as sheep are, so it’s vital to protect your livestock against these horrible group of illnesses.
Thankfully, we’re here to help! We run regular vaccine rounds where we can come and vaccinate your animals to ensure their ongoing health and protection.
If you’d like to know a bit more, give us a call and we can give you some tailored advice. 🐐🦙
🐄 Meet the Team 🐑
A few new faces to the Avon farm vets team. Who have you spotted out and about 👀
Over the next few weeks you’ll get to know the team in abit more detail
Our vet Steve had a busy morning performing abdominal surgery to correct a displaced gut 🐄🩺
🐑Upcoming Sheep meeting 🐑
Our next sheep meeting we will be discussing the less common but equally as important abortion cause such as border disease and schmallenberg viruses.
To book on:
📞: 01249 847290
📧: [email protected]
We are now live on Instagram please go and give us a follow for more exciting content 🩺🐄🐑
Lets end the week with your 'cowfies' in the comments below.
What would you call a selfie with your sheep!?
Weaning can be one of the most stressful times for calves.
To make it easier, here are three top tips gathered from a range of farms!
🐄Try to carry out disbudding, castration, or vaccination in plenty of time before weaning to help keep stress to a minimum.
🐄Weaning should be based on concentrate intake as opposed to weight, age, or size, so if you’re struggling to get calves onto pellets, it could be an option to start them on a blend.
🐄Fresh water! Keep the supply fresh and clean enough that you would drink it yourself.
A few weeks ago we enjoyed a busy turnout to our Bovine TB information evening. Andy Robertson from DEFRA joined us to discuss badger and cattle vaccination, while our vet, Mel, discussed cattle testing and what we can do on farm in the fight against TB.
Keeping your dogs on a lead (especially during lambing season) can make a big difference!
Sheep worrying isn't just a minor inconvenience; it poses a serious threat to livelihoods and animal welfare. When dogs chase, attack, or stress out sheep, it can lead to devastating consequences. Pregnant ewes and their unborn and newborn lambs are particularly vulnerable, and even a brief moment of freedom for an unleashed dog can result in serious injury or death.
As responsible dog owners, it's important to recognise the impact our pets can have on rural communities. By keeping our dogs on a lead near fields with livestock, we not only comply with legal obligations but also show respect for farmers and the animals they care for.
By taking simple steps like keeping our dogs on a lead, we can help ensure the safety of our countryside for all. Join NSA's campaign by sharing this message on social media and let's make a positive impact together!
More spring time action!
This ewe sustained an eye injury which required that the eye was removed surgically (enucleated). Despite requiring a cow sedation dose! she was the perfect patient, standing up just as we finished clearing up and we were ready to leave. A couple of weeks later she gave birth to two healthy lambs!
Sheep Vital Signs
If you’re noticing abnormal behaviour in your flock or loss of condition, speak to one of our team and we can give you advice. 🐑💚01249847290 or email [email protected]
Why not ask about joining our Avon Advantage Flock Health Club to join other like minded farmers and gain access to exclusive discounts on services and medicines.
Katlin has joined our support team and you may now have seen her out and about on farm. You'll also see and speak to her in the office helping with the smooth running of reception and joining Naomi to further develop our vet tech services. Katlin has been working very hard since joining us and is now approaching the end of her TB testing training (ATT) enabling her to support the vets as a lay tb tester.
We are approaching another Bank Holiday weekend! The last time to order your medicines before the weekend is Thursday as our office will be closed on Monday 27th May 2024. Our usual friendly team are still here for you in emergencies. Please call 01249 847290 and you will be redirected to our Emergency Vet.
The total lifespan of a fly is estimated to be 15-25 days. By the 12th day, a fly will reach maturity and after this point, females can lay over 500 eggs usually in batches of 75 – 150. That’s a quick population increase once those 500 eggs reach maturity, usually two weeks.
That’s why it’s important to have a strategy for all the stages of the fly-berg. Simply tackling the adults may not decrease your population on farm because the females might have already laid their 500 eggs somewhere.
Cleanliness is key to reduce your overall population – displacing and removing their breeding ground, but there are other products available to keep on top of that 85%, including parasitic wasps – an organic solution.
For more information on fly control call us at the practice and speak to our Vet Tech, Naomi. 01249847290
Another story from the team this spring. As a first time mum this cow was having difficulty calving. The farmer was quick to recognise that she needed help and gave us a call. It wasn't long before it was decided that a caesarian was required. She was a star patient and her 59KG calf was up and having its first feed by the time the vet was tying the last stitch! Good quality colostrum within 6hrs of birth is key to providing calves and lambs with important antibodies, nutrients and energy that is necessary for a healthy start.
Our vet, Mel, recently spoke to Farmers Guardian podcast about Schmallenberg and Bluetongue - the reasons why we are seeing cases this year, signs to look out for, and what livestock farmers should do if they have a potential case on their farm.
Grab a cuppa and click the link below to listen or search you usual podcast provider for The Farmers Guardian Podcast.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/4X7hG0BS1XBPGXN9zq13XX?si=5nZsKCt8QYKOx_4VIC6hvA
Alongside a busy spring period, we have also held some great client events. These pictures are from a very informative talk from Simon Smart of Smart Land Management and Ecology talking about dung beetles. We went searching for dung beetles in the field and our vet, Mel, spoke about how to avoid using ivermectin wormers which kill dung beetles, while still being vigilant about other parasites such as lice, lungworm and liver fluke.
We were kindly hosted by Gretchen and her team at Netherstreet Farm .
We would like to welcome Anna to the team! She joined us in the middle of spring 2024 having worked in the south Wiltshire since graduating from the University of Surrey in 2022. Anna comes from a family dairy farm in Surrey. She enjoys all parts of large animal practice, particularly infectious disease and calf health. In her spare time she enjoys playing hockey and going for a long walks.
2 The Old Sidings, Lacock Green, Corsham Road
Chippenham
SN152NL
| Monday | 8:30am - 5pm |
| Tuesday | 8:30am - 5pm |
| Wednesday | 8:30am - 5pm |
| Thursday | 8:30am - 5pm |
| Friday | 8:30am - 5pm |
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Good morning to moooo from the AFV team! It may be half way through the week for many, but #farminglife never stops. Whatever you’re doing please stay safe and don’t hesitate to give us a call if you need some help #FarmSafetyWeek #AvonFarmVets #VetAndFarmerTeam
🔊 Calling all farms with calves! 🔊 Have you heard about our Calf Tracker scheme? It’s an all encompassing service we offer that helps you to maximise health, welfare and profitability of your calving industry. From blood testing newborn calves to assess immunological competence to weighing calves fortnightly to assess DLWG to advice on colostrum, biosecurity, husbandry and housing, our Calf Tracker does it all. Give us a ☎️ or catch one of the vets when we’re on farm to find out more. You won’t regret it! 🐮 #avonfarmvets #farmvets #calves #calftracker
Our vet Steve had a busy morning performing abdominal surgery to correct a displaced gut 🐄🩺 #avonfarmvets
Friday Focus - Our vet, Holly, captured some fab images of baby goats whilst out and about scanning this week. Can you spot the heart beats? #avonfarmvets
Friday Focus - We do love a happy calving post and we're pretty sure you like seeing them too! This lovely lady had a massive calf last year, successfully calved by Steve and Sam, so the farmer was extra cautious this year. This year's calf was tight and needed some assistance with extra lubrication and a two person pull, but it was sitting up and shouting within a couple of minutes 😍. The dam took a few seconds to realise she was there! #Avonfarmvets #OnCallvet
Feeling Fabulous Friday! Earlier this month, our vet Emily, completed the Ironman Wales event in Tenby, Pembrokshire. We are super proud of her. Here is a little clip of her crossing the finishline! #Teamavonfarmvets #motivation #inspiration
Lots of lovely lambing news coming in to the office this month. Well done mum! #avonfarmvets #lambing
We received some great feedback from our Certified First Aid at Work course run inconjunction with Wiltshire First Aid Training yesterday. The content was very relevant to the farm based workplace. If you are interested in joining the next course, give us a call at the practice on 01249 847290 to register your interest.
Great video from MSD and FAI on controlling lameness in sheep, specifically looking at Scald and Footrot. Footrot and scald cause 43% and 38% of lameness cases in sheep respectively. Both can be prevented through vaccination, management and good biosecurity which will help reduce the production losses associated with flock lameness. It’s easy to confuse the different lameness conditions in sheep, so if you’re in doubt please get your vet to check and we can then advise the most appropriate prevention and/or treatment. #livestockuk #livestockfarming #footrot #vaccination #farmvetadvice #farmvets #flockhealth #teamsheep #flock #sheep #lameness #footvax #scald #livestockhealth
🐑🐑🐑 Onwards! On top of the same great team and service you’ve come to expect, our new practice has… ⭐ More accessibility ⭐ Easy parking ⭐ A welcoming reception You can see for yourself from the 1st August! #avonfarmvets #farmvet
TB Top Tips The “manage” element of the TB five point plan relates to managing feed and water, and controlling the controllable: Restrict badger access to feed stores, troughs and mineral licks – put the feed in a bin Avoid putting feed on the ground at pasture and in sheds where badgers can gain access Use clean, fresh water – mains is perfect, and restrict badger access to water troughs (anything under 1m high is at risk!) It’s useful to have an outside perspective when looking at feed and water management and this is something which can be done with one of our TBAS trained vets. Please get in touch if you’re interested in taking up one of these. #avonfarmvets
