Freedom Veterinary Advisory Services

17/03/2025

⚠️ Avian Flu - Pottington Business Park and surrounding area ⚠️

We have been advised that confirmed cases of avian flu have been detected in wild birds around Barnstaple's Pottington Business Park and surrounding areas.

Please follow the advice in the graphic below to avoid the risk of spreading.

31/01/2025

Highly pathogenic H5N1 has been confirmed at a premises near Loddon, South Norfolk, Norfolk.

All bird keepers should remain vigilant and follow stringent biosecurity measures to prevent future outbreaks. See the latest info on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/bird-flu

3km Protection Zones and 10km Surveillance Zones have been put in place.

Please check the disease control zones on our avian influenza interactive map to see what restrictions are in place and the biosecurity guidance available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/bird-flu-avian-influenza-how-to-prevent-it-and-stop-it-spreading

04/11/2024

MEETINGS MONDAY.
Don't miss your chance to attend next year's UNIFORM AGRI WORKSHOPS! Only two people can book per farm.
All workshops are from 10:30am - 1:30pm with lunch included. Click https://bit.ly/NMRUA24 to register.

02/09/2024

These ewes have had their first one of 2 doses of , to help reduce foot rot this winter. This will improve welfare, by reducing pain and lameness, also there should be reduced requirement for antibiotics to treat the foot rot.
Prevention is better than cure

24/08/2024

AHDB is disappointed with BBC Two’s "Brian May: The Badgers, The Farmers and Me." Despite our efforts to provide accurate, peer-reviewed evidence on bovine TB and the impact of badger culling, key facts were omitted. We'll be reflecting on the programme and next steps.

24/08/2024

21/08/2024

Still time to health screen sheep and gain status before sale
Boost interest in your breeding stock at sales by providing sellers with information on their health status.
We offer low cost, fully validated tests for:
• Border disease virus carriers - PCR testing of pooled blood samples with follow up testing of positive pools with a validated low cost antigen ELISA or PCR. From £4.03 & VAT per head. Alternatively use pooled ear tissues for PCR testing.
• MV – gain MV Monitored-Free flock status by testing a sample of the flock. No membership fee. £3.85 & VAT per test. Results within three working days. Infected flocks can also benefit from the same low cost testing plus advice from a vet experienced in MV control and eradication. For health planning purposes, we also offer a low cost 12 sheep MV screen for testing of thin ewes which works out at £4.09 & VAT per head.
• Johne’s disease – our Monitoring Programme offers discounted test rates for testing batches of 40+, 100+ or 200+ sheep. £4.25 - £4.75 & VAT per sample. No membership fee. Smaller sample numbers can be tested through our diagnostic system for £6 & VAT. Results within three working days.
• CLA

21/07/2024

Looking forward to this webinar by SRUC, where we’ll hear from Lorna MacPherson from SAC Consulting. She’ll highlight the importance of elevated milk feeding – how much should you be feeding and why?

📆 Wednesday 24 July, 7 – 8pm

We’ll also get a great insight from vet Colin Mason on how the latest SRUC disease surveillance and calf health research findings can help fine tune dairy heifer rearing systems.

Sign up to the webinar here 👉 https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_UUGZBVi6SGSYzKwFcdzWPg

23/06/2024

🐑🐑
Orphan lamb survey by Royal Veterinary College, please fill in if you manage/rear tame lambs

🐑 Are you a sheep farmer? Can you help us with a research study on how orphan lambs in the UK are managed?
⏲️ This anonymous survey takes 10-15 minutes to complete
📅 Deadline: Midnight 30th June 2024

➡️ Complete survey here: https://rvc.uk.com/orphan-lambs

17/06/2024

🧡🖤
Heifer out of Nora by
Little bull out of Polly by

09/06/2024

🔊🔊
Just passed a small blonde dog near webbery running towards Bideford. Muddy legs, didn't manage to get a picture if anyone is missing one?

27/05/2024

𝐅𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐫'𝐬 𝐆𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫: 𝐓𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫🐮

Download your FREE ‘Farmer’s Guide to Scour’ written by Dr John Henderson by clicking https://vist.ly/zsae

If you are a vet or farmer who would like to learn more about calf scour management, click the link in our bio!

08/05/2024

keeping these guys warm, no weight lost to heat production.
Transitioned off whole milk to calf milk replacer. Free access to fresh mains water, barley straw and calf starter all the time. Straw bed topped up daily so it remains dry

08/05/2024

These little lambies have grown into ( ⬅️ swipe) these large lambies and are now weaned.
⬅️ Off out to the field with ewes and lambs now!

07/05/2024

Preliminary outbreak assessments, qualitative risk assessments and updated situation assessments for bluetongue virus in Europe.

11/04/2024

Heifers and their baby heifers 😍
Pure Roxie and Beatrix (by )
Raven and baby Brie ( )
And me and baby Freya!!!

24/03/2024

18/02/2024

📢 Sheep farmer 📢

Survey relating to Schmallenberg virus in lambs this 2023/24 lambing season