Cattle

Gwaredu BVD scheme: what next?

At the Royal Welsh Agricultural show held in July 2017, the Gwaredu BVD Scheme was launched. Industry led, this scheme was conceived as the first, and voluntary, part of a pathway for the Welsh cattle...

Improving trimming and treatment skills through a collaborative approach

The importance of bringing vets and trimmers together is one of the reasons why the BCVA/CHCSB programme of courses was designed around a vet and hoof trimmer instructor team consisting of a BCVA...

Impact of bovine herpesvirus-1 infection on fertility in dairy cattle

Primary infection with BoHV-1 results in local dissemination as the virus spreads from cell to cell across the mucosal surface, either in the respiratory or reproductive tract mucosa. It has proved...

The importance of progesterone in pregnancy establishment in cattle

High P4 concentrations during the growth of the ovulatory follicle are associated with improved oocyte quality and pregnancy outcomes (Pursley and Martins, 2012; Wiltbank et al, 2014; Bisinotto et al,...

Parasite control in cattle is evolving

The first step is to understand what the current worming strategy is and how long it has been in place..

Bull semen evaluation: avoiding artefacts

Regardless of the tools used for bull semen evaluation, accurate collection techniques are essential. This article shares advice to reduce the chance of artefacts occurring and increase trust in...

What's new in ketosis in dairy cows?

Hypoglycaemia, elevated FFA, and hyperketonaemia do not always occur together. A large survey in the UK found that 24.8% of lactating cows (all stages) had hyperketonaemia, a further 14.9% had...

Revisiting bovine respiratory disease

Accurate and early diagnosis of BRD is a critical facet of any management programme. All too frequently there are delays in identifying animals requiring treatment or an acceptance of a low level of...

Cattle Review: September–October

Although control measures to tackle bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in cattle have been successful in many parts of Europe, this disease has not been eradicated in areas where Mycobacterium bovis circulates...

Q fever and coxiellosis: implications for livestock and human health in the UK

Approximately 40% of people infected with C. burnetii will develop symptoms of acute Q fever, of which the majority will present as a non-specific, self-limiting illness (Raoult et al, 2005). In more...

Allowing cows a choice

This week I found myself staring at an empty field. I was somewhat surprised by this as – as far as I could tell as a human – it was a beautiful day to be outside: sunny, a pleasant 19°C and the...

A survey of colostrum management practices on UK dairy farms

Dairy farmers were invited to participate on the social media platform of a large pharmaceutical company (MSD Animal Health). Data were collected under University of Glasgow ethics licence (number:...