Drove Farm Vets

05/09/2024

Searches are ongoing after a pygmy goat vanished from his field near Chippenham - read more: https://bit.ly/4ecluTI

02/09/2024

Don’t forget to bring cash to have a go at the Tombola all proceeds go to Wiltshire Air Ambulance

02/09/2024

🛑 Could your ram be firing blanks??

Up to 30% of rams tested have been found to be sub-fertile which could hugely impact on lambing percentages and draw out lambing blocks. Ensure your rams are in top working order ahead of the breeding season with a fertility examination and general MOT. With a Ram MOT we will assess the 5T's of your Rams:

- Toes: check the locomotion, legs and feet. Correct any lameness.
- Teeth: check for under or overshot jaws, any broken teeth and molar abscesses.
- Testicles: measure circumference and check firmness with no lumps or bumps.
- Tone: aim for a body condition score between 3.5-4.0.
- Treat: check vaccinations are up-to-date.

We will also check the fertility of your rams on site by taking a sample of semen. Poor fertility is a consequence of testicular degeneration, soft testicles and poor-quality semen. Ensure you do a ram MOT 4 weeks before tupping, this should give you time to correct any problems.

Whether you are looking to test older rams or new purchases, ☎️ phone us on 01793 501499 for more information.

23/08/2024

🛑 Enzootic Abortion of Ewes (Chlamydia)Vaccine Shortage.

EAE is one of the main causes of ovine abortion in the UK. Abortions occur during the last 2-3 weeks of gestation regardless of when infection occurs. If you have an aborting ewe:

Isolate the ewe and the aborted material and infected bedding must be removed and destroyed.
Call us or bring the aborted foetus and placenta to the practice to take samples if needed.

In previously vaccinated flocks, the risk of infection for the unvaccinated replacement ewes will be low. This animals should be recorded and vaccinated next year.

At Drove Farm Vets, we are working to provide to our clients with an alternative vaccine. This is a dead vaccine and the primary course requires 2 doses 3 weeks apart, to be completed at least 2 weeks prior tupping. The vaccine is safe to be used in pregnant sheep and can also be used in the face of an outbreak to reduce the severity of abortions and reduce pathogen shedding.

If you would like to order your vaccines or you would like to speak with one of our vets to discuss potential options for your flock, ☎️ please call the Farm Office on 01793 501499.

23/08/2024

12/08/2024

🛑 Ewe fertility is one of the main profit drivers of a sheep flock. Tupping is a key time of the year when many key performance indicators (KPIs) are influenced by management and can give you valuable information about the status of your flock. In order to optimise ewe fertility, the following management points need to be considered:

-Ewe nutrition/Body condition score (BCS)
-Abortion vaccinations if using
-Monitoring for parasite burdens
-Screening ewes for trace element deficiencies

Ewe nutrition is fundamental in all stages of production but particularly from weaning to tupping. The body condition (BC) of ewes will play an important role in their fertility and ovulation rates, but it will also determine the number of lambs born and lamb weaning weights. BCS should be done at regular intervals through the year, and especially at weaning to ensure their condition is managed ahead of tupping and lambing.

-Under nutrition is associated with high embryonic loss
-Over feeding is associated with reduced foetal survival
-An adequate BC at lambing helps avoid ewe metabolic diseases and associated losses

Abortion vaccines against enzootic abortion (EAE) and toxoplasmosis are important to reduce losses, and need to be given following data sheet guidelines (usually at least 3-4 weeks prior to tupping, depending on the vaccine). Footrot vaccine can also be considered pre-tupping, but it should be administered 6 weeks before tupping or at scanning time.

This is a good time to review your parasite control protocols. Test the worm burden of your ewes with regular FEC and consider treating any lean or young ewes depending on the results, and clinical cases of haemonchosis and fluke.

Weaning time is a good opportunity to screen cull ewes for iceberg diseases (e.g. johnes, Maedi Visna, OPA). Once weaned, if thin ewes fail to gain weight before tupping, then this should be discussed with your vet, who may advise on necessary investigations. Equally, poor scanning performance should prompt investigations with your vet, such as testing barren ewes for toxoplasmosis.

If you would like to know more about how to get your ewes ready for tupping or you would like to order your vaccines in advance, ☎️ please call the Farm Office on 01793 501499.

31/07/2024

29/07/2024

🛑 Once at grass, youngstock (calves, heifers and lambs) are exposed to a gutworm challenge. If the rate of infection is high enough, they can develop a significant worm burden. This could cause diarrhoea, weight loss and poor growth rates.

Regular pooled faecal egg count (FEC) testing can be a helpful indicator of the amount of worm eggs being shed onto pasture. FECs should be used alongside regular weighing of youngstock to make informed decisions about treatment and develop a management plan.

Youngstock should only be treated if FECs show egg numbers rising and weight gain targets are missed. Holding off treating until necessary allows immunity to develop and reduces the risk of wormer resistance, while preventing excessive pasture contamination.

How to take a sample.

Wearing a glove, collect fresh faeces from a fresh dung on the ground.
For cattle, take the sample from at least three areas of the dung pat, about 40gr per animal.
Place the samples into individual zipper storage bags or plastic pots with screw lids and label.
Squeeze air out before sealing if using bags. With pots, fill to the brim to exclude air.
If sampling for routine monitoring, take samples from 10 animals per management group, one animal's sample per pot.
Keep the samples cool and bring into the practice for analysis. Results within 24h.

For routine gutworm monitoring during grazing season, start two months after turnout and take at least one mid-season and one late season sample.
If testing to determine if a wormer has been effective, submit samples at the appropriate time post-dosing, depending on which product was used.

Please bring your samples to our new Farm Office premises at The Upper Court Yard, The Old Dairy, Badbury, Swindon, SN4 0EU.

If you would like to know more about parasite management strategies or you are interested in our youngstock weighing service to help keep your growth rates on track, ☎️ please contact the Farm Office on 01793 501499.

26/07/2024

A familiar face to many and one of our 10th Anniversary Champions, James Bannister suffered a life-changing accident over 20 years ago but he has set out to prove that even losing an arm can’t keep him from the industry he loves.

Find out more on Instagram Stories or at: https://bit.ly/465XSNT

💛

23/07/2024

23/07/2024

🛑 important information 🛑

22/07/2024

Welcome to .

The Health and Safety Executive have published their annual fatalities figures so let's use this week to work together to improve the number of life-changing and life-ending injuries on our farms 💛

https://bit.ly/3W8BdvJ

22/07/2024

⚠️Farm Safety Week takes place from 22 - 26 July a campaign managed and funded by the Farm Safety Foundation (Yellow Wellies). The campaign has become an important focus in the farming calendar and is supported by more than 400 partners in five countries *England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The 2024 campaign is a special one as it marks 10 years of the Farm Safety Foundation a charity set up by leading rural insurer NFU Mutual to raise awareness of, and challenge attitudes to farm safety and poor mental health in the industry. According to Stephanie Berkeley who manages the charity: “ Ten years have passed quickly and we are proud of what we have achieved but there is so much more to be done to address the massive challenges we have in the industry. Attitudes and behaviours around farm safety and mental health are changing but the pace of change is slow too slow for the families of those we have lost in the industry and too slow for the thousands of farmers suffering every day with long term ill health, serious injuries or poor mental health.”

This year’s Farm Safety Week will again highlight some of the key challenges farmers and farm workers face every day and will throw a spotlight on the dangers of ignoring near misses, reminding farmers that, while they can not eliminate risk completely, they can minimise it and learn from every near miss to improve their working practices. The team will introduce audiences to inspirational individuals using their own experiences to encourage others to stay alert to the hazards on farm and offer practical guidance on how to make farms safer places to live, visit or work.

For more information on ‘Farm Safety Week’ visit www.yellowwellies.org or follow Farm Safety Foundation - Yellow Wellies on Twitter/Facebook/Instagram using the hashtag

19/07/2024

22/05/2024

Last week we said goodbye to our vet Tessa as she heads back to Cornwall to keep working as a farm vet. Thank you for your hard work and best of luck for the future!!

17/05/2024

🛑 The sudden increase in temperature over the last week has resulted in a rapid emergence of blowflies and thus an increase in strike (maggots) risk.

Blowfly strike is a major animal welfare concern, with affected sheep losing weight, isolating themselves from the flock and nibbling around the tail head.

If you would like to speak with one of our vets about fly strike prevention and treatment, please contact the Farm Office on ☎️ 01793 501499.

10/05/2024

🛑 GREAT NEWS!!!

We are pleased and excited to announce that Drove Farm Vets will shortly be moving out of our current office at Drove Veterinary Hospital, into a new farm only premises nearby! The new premises are located nearby in Badbury, just off M4 Junction 15.

The new practice address is:

Drove Farm Vets Ltd, The Upper Court Yard, The Old Dairy, Badbury, Swindon, SN4 0EU

Our contact details will all be remaining the same:

Farm Office Telephone Number - 01793 501499
Farm Office Email Address – [email protected]
Farm Office Opening Hours - 8am – 5pm Monday – Friday

We are scheduled to work fully from the new building from Monday 3rd June. We will be putting a ‘lock box’ medicines collection point in place at the new premises to enable orders to be collected outside of normal office hours when the premises is closed. We will keep you posted with developments and will plan to have an open day event later in the year once we are settled in!

Staff News
As you are all aware Emily and Ella are now on maternity leave, and Tessa is leaving us next week to return to Cornwall. We currently have Josh Batterham providing locum cover for the duration of the maternity leave, and we will also be joined by Jose Costa shortly as a second experienced locum to provide extra cover over the summer months. In addition, we have been recruiting for a new permanent team member and we are pleased to announce that we will be joined in July by Lydia Fewell. We look forward to welcoming Lydia to Drove Farm Vets soon.

If you have any questions regarding the premises move, please do not hesitate to contact us on the Farm Office phone 01793 501499.

25/04/2024

🛑 Do you need a VAN (Veterinary Attestation Number)?

If you:

Own Cattle, Sheep Goats or Pigs that will go for slaughter.

and

You are not Farm Assured.

You will need a signed veterinary attestation form.

From December 13th 2023, non-assured UK livestock farmers will be required to provide a declaration signed by their vet for their products to be eligible for export to the EU (some portions of most UK carcasses are exported to the EU). If you are a member of a recognised assurance scheme (Red Tractor) or have had a visit as part of the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway, then you do not require this declaration. All non-assured farmers will need to arrange a visit from their vet where they will carry out an assessment of the farm and the animals. This does not need to be the sole purpose of the visit and can be combined with other visits, including TB tests being performed by a veterinary surgeon.
These visits need to occur at least once during a 12-month period. Farmers and vets must keep a copy of this declaration for their records and provide a copy to their livestock auction market or meat processor if asked.

For more information or to arrange a visit please contact the Farm Office on 01793501499.

19/04/2024

It’s been very busy here at the practice with lambings and calvings happening at the same time! Our vet Chris helped welcome these big calves into the world!!