Blackdown Farm Vets

04/06/2026

The RABI FarmersAid App Launches today.

Please take the time to download it.

Hopefully you will never need it, but it may make all the difference.

03/06/2026

June 2026 is Blackdown Farm Vets Sheep Fertility Month!

Among other offers, we are currently offering 10% off Ram fertility testing for visits booked in June, for summer 2026 (They can be done to suit your sheep calendar)

Why test your Rams?
Up to 30% of Rams are Sub-Fertile: They take longer to serve ewes and get fewer ewes in lamb. If your sub-fertile Ram is dominant, he may stop other more fertile rams breeding as efficiently. This has knock-on effects on the lambs sold per ewe and your overall profits.

Whats involved?
🐏The Ram is given a physical examination by the vet.
🐏A semen sample is taken using electroejaculation
🐏This sample is then examined under the microscope, looking at mobility, abnormalities and proportion of live s***m

For more information or to book, please call us on 01404 819150

02/06/2026

Blackdown Farm Vets Honiton Show Photography Competition

‘Why We farm: The dedication of farmers’

Why do you farm? What motivates you and makes all the hard work worth it?

Overall Winner - 2 tickets to either Exeter Chiefs rugby, Exeter City Football Club or Somerset County Cricket Club.

We have held a photography competition for Hontion Show for a few years now and we have had some spectacular photos in this time. In order to showcase the best of these, and raise some money for at the same time, this year we will be using your entries to make a 2027 calendar.

To enter: Please send entries to [email protected]. Please give your photo a title and assign it to a calendar month. The winners of the 12 months will be decided with a social media vote throughout July and will receive a small prize. The Overall winner will be announced on our stand at the Honiton Show. You do not have to be a client to enter and may enter every month once.

Entries Close: 5pm Thursday 2nd July 2026

01/06/2026

Sheep Fertility Month has started 🎉🎉🎉

These offers are for June 2026 only so book in quick!

01/06/2026

Happy world milk day and thank you to all the dairy farmers (and cows!) for your hard work!

Happy World Milk Day! 🌍🥛🐄

Creamy, refreshing and delicious, milk is so much more than just a drink. It’s the ingredient behind many of the foods we love, from creamy yoghurt and cheese to scrummy ice cream, buttery biscuits and milkshakes 😋

Packed with essential nutrients and high-quality protein, milk helps support:

🦴 Strong bones and teeth
📈 Healthy growth and development
💪 Muscle maintenance and repair
🛡️ Normal immune function

So raise a glass (of milk!) to the goodness of milk and dairy, and to all those who work tirelessly across our industry to bring it to the table! 🥛💙 🐄

01/06/2026

Last week, vets Jonah and Nikki joined for a talk on ‘The role of the farm vet’.

We had a great time and thank you to those who attended for their participation and excellent questions. You made us feel very welcome!

28/05/2026

Have you heard of the campaign?

The Farming Community Network have entered into a UK-wide partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support called the Rural Communities Cancer Project, which is helping to improve the support available to those living with cancer in farming communities and rural areas.
As part of this partnership FCN is working closely with Macmillan Cancer Support, including raising awareness in rural communities of the signs and symptoms of cancer and building referral bridges to and from Macmillan’s services.

Farmers, farm workers and people living in rural communities can have lower access to cancer services and support due to the nature of their work and rural life in often isolated areas.

Farmers can be particularly at-risk of certain types of cancer – such as skin cancer, prostate cancer, or cancers caused by exposure to carcinogens.

Cancer can impact a family business that may employ many people and can have significant impacts on an individual and their families – including their housing and extended family situation, or immediate welfare issues for livestock.

🐄FCN can be contacted in confidence on 03000 111 999, 7am-11pm, 365 days of the year. Speak to an empathetic volunteer who understands farming life.
🐂The Macmillan Support Line is available on 0808 808 00 00, seven days a week, 8am to 8pm.

Further information about cancer and support available is available on FCN’s FarmWell website: farmwell.org.uk/cancer/

Blackdown will be hosting a MacMillan coffee morning on Friday 25th September so look out for more information later in the year ☕️🍰🧁

21/05/2026

🐖🐏🐄Devon County Show 2026🐂🐑🐐

Join us at the at Westpoint Arena this year to celebrate all things agriculture. Nikki and Sam will be part of the onsite veterinary team this Friday and Saturday, ensuring the health and welfare of show stock is top priority!

Get your tickets here: https://devoncountyshow.co.uk/tickets-2/
Check your stock showing times here: https://devoncountyshow.co.uk/tickets-2/

Look forward to seeing you there!

19/05/2026

Our Summer 2026 Newsletter is now live! This volume contains articles on The Importance Of Good Cow Tracks, Cost Benefits of Whole Milk Feeding, Teaser Rams, The latest in our series on Sheep Iceberg Diseases and what Sam has taken from his recent trip to Grosvenor Farms and the Cogent Breeding Ltd Bull Stud!

Have a read now at: https://blackdownfarm.vet/summer-2026-newsletter/

Picture: MMS Photography

18/05/2026

Come to Harrison’s Farm on Sunday 7th June for an educational and exciting day all about farming!!

Open Farm Sunday,LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming)