Bovine respiratory disease: prevention and control

It is not usually possible to determine the aetiology of BRD based on clinical examination alone; signs consistent with pneumonia are often observed irrespective of the causative agent. Both bacterial...

Building for the dairy cow

Getting the housing right is important for any herd, but it becomes increasingly so the longer the housing period. Just as there is an increase in numbers of seasonally block-calving herds in the UK,...

The Animal Health and Welfare Pathway for England: an update

These are different for the different species involved. For cattle we have settled on bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD). For sheep there will be anthelmintic resistance testing and for pigs there will be...

Virtual fencing systems: balancing production and welfare outcomes

Figure 1 highlights the main generic components of VF. This article will aim to cover these capabilities as a family, though will necessarily mention individual products. In summary, all animals in...

Lameness in housed goats

Understanding and researching lameness requires accurate measurement of lameness status. In addition to its value for research, measuring the number of lame goats on a farm is useful for identifying...

Newborn calf welfare: effects of birth assistance, colostrum feeding and cow–calf separation

The welfare of calves during the birth process has not been researched but a number of studies have investigated the welfare of newborn calves in the immediate post-birth period, often relating...

Use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs at calving

Calving is a complex process with three recognised stages (Figures 1 and 2), each associated with different sources of pain. Pain is a subjective experience defined by the International Association...

Some skin conditions in pigs: types, control and prevention

Pigs are prone to abscesses (Figure 2). Subcutaneous abscesses can be very large and may contain up to 6 litres of purulent material. The presence of an abscess can be confirmed by inserting a long...