Livestock & Pets

Health checks for sheep and cattle

If any of your sheep or cattle seem to be unwell, it can be useful to give your vet a description of the problem by doing a basic health check before you contact them.

Conformation - Focus on feet

Ruminant animals must be able to get around comfortably on their feet so they can eat.

Conformation - a Guide

The way an animal is constructed is known as its conformation.

Old pets and livestock: Part Two: Euthanasia

We all have special animals on the farm. They might be dogs or cats, ponies or horses, cattle or pigs. When we’ve shared their lives and enjoyed their company for years, we get very fond of them

Old pets and livestock: Part One: Keeping them happy

Stiff joints, teeth problems, loss of strength and energy. To those of you who are getting on a bit, this may sound familiar.

Doing a basic health check - horses and dogs

If one of your horses or dogs seems to be unwell, it can be useful to examine it carefully

Mycoplasma bovis

These are words to strike fear into the heart of many farmers. However, as lifestyle farmers, there are far fewer risks for you and your cattle than there are for many commercial dairy farmers.

Shearing sheep and goats – how to minimise stress

When you shear a sheep or a goat, you remove its weather-proofing. After all, fleece is warm when it's cold, it prevents sunburn on clear sunny days and it's windproof and water-proof.