Avon Farm Vets

21/08/2024

☀️ 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 💉‼️

13/08/2024

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.

12/08/2024

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.

27/07/2024

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 ❤️.

25/07/2024

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 👀🐄🐮

25/07/2024

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! 🐮

24/07/2024

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

17/07/2024

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.

16/07/2024

Ever get the feeling someone is watching ewe? 🐑

12/07/2024

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.

10/07/2024

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! 🐄🐑

02/07/2024

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. 🐐🦙

17/06/2024

🐄 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

12/06/2024

Our vet Steve had a busy morning performing abdominal surgery to correct a displaced gut 🐄🩺

10/06/2024

🐑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]

06/06/2024

We are now live on Instagram please go and give us a follow for more exciting content 🩺🐄🐑

31/05/2024

Lets end the week with your 'cowfies' in the comments below.
What would you call a selfie with your sheep!?

30/05/2024

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.

28/05/2024

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.

26/05/2024

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!

24/05/2024

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!

23/05/2024

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.

22/05/2024

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.

21/05/2024

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.

20/05/2024

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

19/05/2024

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.

17/05/2024

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

17/05/2024

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 .

16/05/2024

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.