Farming at Capontree Vets

26/03/2026

Blue Tongue
Thankfully Bluetongue serotype 3 (BTV-3) did not spread through this region last summer. But with isolated cases in Ireland over winter, and even South Cumbria, there is growing suspicion it may have spread more than it was actually diagnosed last year. So there may well be risk of disease this year!

As there is no treatment for the disease, and we cannot stop the Midge that spreads it, slowing its spread through vaccination and restricted movements in affected areas remains the best defence. We advise you consider vaccination. Most importantly the Tups and Bulls to reduce chance of infertility. With breeding ewes and cows given strong consideration for vaccination too.

23/03/2026

Ewe Abortion Investigation
Some abortions are often accepted as a part of lambing, but this does not have to be the case️...

Infectious abortions continue to account for a significant proportion of losses and is something we can control and reduce. The industry target for abortions is less than 5%, anything greater than this can indicate a problem and should prompt an investigation.

Three types of infectious abortions are responsible for 86% of all abortions. These include Enzootic abortion (52%), Toxoplasmosis (25%) and Campylobacter (9%). To prevent future infections, we recommend the aborted ewes are isolated and permanently marked.

There is currently subsidised testing available to blood test 5-6 aborted or barren ewes for Toxoplasma or Enzootic Abortion in your flock.
If you have abortions in your flock this spring, please contact the surgery. We can sample fresh lambs and ideally the placenta for the major causes of abortion quickly and easily.

19/03/2026

🚜 Farming Equipment & Technology Fund 2026 is NOW OPEN🌱

If you’ve been thinking about upgrading your equipment or investing in new technology, this is your moment. The FETF 2026 grant is open for applications – but only for a limited time.

This fund is designed to support farmers, growers, foresters and contractors with investments that improve:
✔️ Productivity
✔️ Animal health & welfare
✔️ Slurry management

⏳ Applications close at midday on 28 April 2026– just a 6-week window to get your application in.

👉 If you’re planning to invest in your business in 2026, don’t wait – this could be your last chance to access this funding for a while.

For more information visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/farming-equipment-and-technology-fund-fetf-2026

Apply for a FETF grant for help to buy items that improve productivity, manage slurry and improve animal health and welfare.

13/03/2026

🩺Mastitis🩺

Mastitis is inflammation of the udder which is usually caused by some form of bacteria. Most of the time this is from bacteria going up the teat canal and into the udder.

Symptoms of mastitis may include:
🐑Heat
🐑Swelling
🐑Clots in the milk
🐑Watery or bloody milk

❗️Good hygiene is the mainstay in preventing cases of mastitis by reducing the amount of bacteria in the environment able to infect the udder.
❗️Other factors like body condition score, udder conformation and other diseases like Maedi Visna can also lead to mastitis developing.

📞If you are concerned about mastitis in your flock please get in touch.

12/03/2026

🌟We are at Borderway UK DAIRY EXPO on Saturday 14th March🌟

Come and say hello

10/03/2026

🐮Practice Average Test Value (ATV) for Johnes in Dairy Herds🐮

Now most dairy herds have completed their annual Johnes testing we collated the results to see how we measure up to the national average.

For herds that are milk testing an ATV is automatically created for you by your milk recorder, this can be found on CIS or NMR. The National target is 5.5 but the average for herds in the UK is currently 5.8.

The average value from blood testing is calculated differently and can’t be compared to the 5.5 target generated for milk recorders. However, this value can be calculated each year from your results and used to track your own progress.

Our results show, for both blood and milk testing, a big range between farms within the practice.

How good is Johnes control in your herd?
We can go through a detailed Johnes Risk Assessment with you to look at;
❗️calving areas,
❗️colostrum management, testing, sourcing policy
❗️grazing management.

07/03/2026

🌟Arkguard🌟

Arkguard is a new, non-antibiotic supplementary product. It contains billions of IgY antibodies which act locally in the gut.
This allows for more antibodies from the ewe’s colostrum to be absorbed systemically to establish the lamb’s immune system.

Arkguard is designed to be a one-off 2ml dose per lamb from birth, but can be repeated daily for up to 3 days for more vulnerable lambs.

Supplements are useful tools, but nothing will replace a belly full of good quality colostrum and a clean, dry lambing environment!

📞For more information about Arkguard please contact the Practice!

06/03/2026

🐑🩺Watery Mouth🐑🩺

Watery Mouth is a condition caused by E. coli bacteria. Lambs ingest the bacteria from the environment in their first few days of life.
Signs include:
🩺hyper-salivation,
🩺a swollen belly,
🩺weakness/collapse.
Lambs die due to the bacteria releasing toxins into the bloodstream.

As with most conditions, prevention is better than cure!

🌟Colostrum is essential in establishing a lamb’s immune system. The antibodies in colostrum are absorbed into the blood stream from the gut.
The lamb’s ability to absorb antibodies and the quality of those antibodies decreases hourly after birth to basically 0 by 24hrs old.🌟

❗️Remember lambs should receive 50ml per kg (200-250ml) of colostrum in the first 2hrs from birth, then 3 more similar feeds across the next 24hrs❗️

04/03/2026

💉🐑Scabigard🐑💉

Some of the staff have been learning and refreshing their knowledge on Scabigard.

This ensures we are continuing to provide safe, accurate advice to support you.

If you have any questions about Scabigard please contact the practice.

16/02/2026

14/02/2026

Twin Lamb Disease:

In the lead up to lambing it is essential to get ewe nutrition correct as poor nutrition can lead to many problems, including twin lamb disease (also known as pregnancy toxaemia).

Twin lamb disease is caused by an increased energy output (e.g. growing lambs and starting to produce milk) and decreased energy input leading to an energy imbalance. Lambs grow a lot in late pregnancy and having a full belly with lambs doesn't leave much room for food which makes it tricky for ewes to meet their energy requirements in late pregnancy.

Signs can include:
🐑Isolating herself from others in the flock
🐑Not eating
🐑Lethargy
🐑Drowsiness
🐑Unable to stand up
🐑Seems blind
🐑Breath smells of pear drops

❗️Key ways to prevent twin lamb disease is by getting the ewes nutrition right and by aiming for a body condition score around 3/5 at housing. Scanning numbers can also be really handy at getting feeding right. Ideally ewes should be fed based on the number of lambs inside them so separating them based on scanning numbers can make this much easier.❗️

Treatment involves giving her a boost of energy, usually with a twin lamb drench like Ewe-Go. In some severe cases it may involve aborting the lambs to give her the best chance of survival. Prevention is better than treatment which is why it is essential to get ewe nutrition correct.

🌟If you are concerned about twin lamb disease in your flock please contact the practice for advice🌟

11/02/2026

🌟Colostrum is gold!🌟

🐑All lambs should receive 50ml/kg within the first 2 hours after birth

🐑Try not to rely heavily on powdered colostrum - these products have a place and are better than no colostrum but their quality is variable. Colostrum from their mother/another ewe on the farm is best!

🐑Take extra colostrum off ewes that have plenty and freeze in ice cubes.
❗️These can be easily defrosted in a water bath (warm water not boiling!) when needed or added to powdered colostrum ❗️

🐑Ensure ewes nutrition before lambing has enough energy and protein to produce good quality colostrum!