selective focus photography of cow

Facial Eczema Weekly Monitor – February 24, 2021

Hi everyone, The hot weather we have seen recently have caused facial eczema spore counts to start rising. The samples collected this week has shown counts are rising to moderate levels across the region, therefore it is important to ensure you are underway with preventative measures. After several weeks of moderately elevated spore counts there is a real risk of accumulative subclinical liver damage occuring in your stock along with…

Protecting your stock from clostridial disease

Your livestock are at risk from clostridial disease at key times throughout the year. This means full, annual protection is vital to protect them against death. Clostridial diseases are caused by a group of bacteria that have the ability to form resistant spores. Spores can concentrate in areas of high usage e.g. around yards, sheds…

Lice in Sheep

A common winter issue, lice are prevalent at this time of year due to their preference for cooler, darker and drier weather conditions. Infestations develop as a slow burn on healthy animals, with numbers gradually increasing on individuals. The entire lifecycle of lice is spent on sheep, so transmission between individual animals can only occur…

Orphan Lambs and Lamb Rearing- Best practice

By Helen Taylor- Veterinarian, Vet Services Hawke’s Bay. Rearing orphan lambs can be an enjoyable and rewarding job for a whole spectrum of people – from a lifestyler with a couple of pets lambs to the owner of a highly productive stud flock fostering triplet lambs of high genetic merit. Pet lambs are also easy…