Dear Sheep Vet

Totally recognising that things are getting really busy, we just wanted to let you know about a couple of important things -

Live sheep scab mites wanted! - Urgent appeal from research workers at Fera for live sheep scab mites to develop a penside test looking at resistant mites - please email us ASAP (to fiona@flockhealth.co.uk) if you think you can access live scab mites.

AHDB - Shape the future

If you work with sheep and beef producers in England then you will know something of the wealth of resources that are produced by AHDB.

Flock Health Clubs has been well supported by AHDB over the years & we regularly point our farmers or ourselves to one of the amazing AHDB Better Returns manuals.

In April this year, AHDB levy payers will be asked to have their say and influence what AHDB delivers for the beef & lamb sector.

You clients need to register at https://ahdb.org.uk/shape-the-future for their chance to have their say . Registration should take no more than five minutes and needs to be completed by 31 March to be invited to vote in April.

PLEASE encourage your clients to register.

AHDB video (1 min)

Click to register for AHDB

3. #Colostrum is Gold

Last year, we collected Brix results from colostrum samples from 1295 ewes from 64 Welsh flocks – see the Jan edition of Livestock to read the full results or Sheep Farmer magazine or read this press release.

On the Brix, 74% of samples were above 26.5% (which we consider the best cut-off figure to use for quality of ewe colostrum).

Flock nutrition appeared to be the biggest driver of colostrum quality.

We consider a Brix to be an essential piece of lambing-time kit - totally invaluable for all shepherds!

Colostrum study press release

4. No Spectam this year

Spectam Scourhalt (Ceva Animal Health) has been the only authorised antibiotic product for the control of Watery Mouth and it has now been confirmed that the product is to be discontinued. Although in the sheep sector, we have reduced usage of oral antibiotics by 48% between 2016 and 2021, there were still 5.8 million doses used in UK lambs in 2021.

As chair of the Sheep Antibiotic Guardian Group (SAGG), Fiona has worked closely with the Sheep Veterinary Society, to provide information on potential alternatives, whilst highlighting that in many flocks antibiotics are no longer used as the first line of defence in the control of Watery Mouth in neonatal lambs.

SAGG/SVS press release

#ColostrumisGold resources

Farm Vet Champions - We very much hope you have already heard about #FarmVetChampions - did you realise that there is over 20 hours of free CPD that every member of your practice team is entitled to access.

To find out more about Farm Vet Champions

Please keep in touch with whatever you are up to & especially if you want to share news of your Flock Health Club or with feedback on Farm Vet Champions.

Best wishes,

Fiona, Phillipa, Rosie & Tom

With many thanks to all our partners & particularly AHDB who support Flock Health Clubs

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