LLM Farm Vets

25/06/2026

Yesterday, Will was attending the European Dairy Farmers Conference, taking part in a morning workshop focused on LEAN management and continuous improvement in dairy farming.

In the afternoon, he was helping out as a steward on one of the farm walks, supporting delegates as they explored practical innovations and best practices from fellow dairy producers.

A great opportunity to learn, share ideas, and connect with farmers from across Europe. 🚜🐄

24/06/2026

Heat stress during the last 6 weeks of gestation can reduce calf survival and impact milk production throughout the calf's first lactation.

With temperatures forecast to climb well into the 30s this week, now is the time to check you’re well prepared. Make sure your water supply is adequate, with extra troughs a sensible idea. Plenty of shade for grazed cattle, and crank up any ventilation and cooling systems!

A little preparation now can protect your animals this week and have benefits for both cow and calf long into the future.

24/06/2026

A great report in the Farmers Guardian about the benefits of using a bespoke vaccination protocol for tackling calf pneumonia.

Nasal swabs are a quick and easy way to identify which pathogen are involved in bovine respiratory disease (BRD) on your farm. Based on the results, our vets can come up with a prevention plan including the most appropriate vaccines.

It’s given a big boost to calf health at The Sycamores, and your herd can benefit too!

A dairy farmer in Shropshire has reported significant improvements in calf health and survival after identifying bovine coronavirus in his herd and taking targeted action

23/06/2026

What are the non-negotiables for building a resilient dairy business?

Join AHDB's upcoming event in Shropshire and hear the remarkable story behind Drumgoon Dairy – a world-renowned family-run operation that has grown from 1,400 cows to one of the most progressive dairy businesses in the USA. Attendees will gain practical insights into:

✅ Knowing your numbers and improving profitability
✅ Building robust systems that drive efficiency
✅ Strengthening sustainability and long-term performance
✅ Getting the best from your team
✅ Planning for future success in a changing market

This promises to be a valuable opportunity for dairy farmers looking to improve resilience, efficiency and decision-making on farm. Lunch and refreshments are included.

Book your place here: https://ahdb.org.uk/events/shropshire-the-5-non-negotiables-of-a-resilient-dairy-business

Drumgoon Dairy: Discover how this world-renowned family-run farm, has built resilience, efficiency and long-term success.

22/06/2026

A great day out for our clients and staff to Cogent Breeding Ltd.
Thank you for having us!

22/06/2026

Now is the time to book - the required worm egg reduction testing can be done around your existing treatment schedule, and gives you time to claim on the schemes both this and next. Please give us a call at the practice to book in.

21/06/2026

Summer is officially here!

With longer days and rising temperatures come a few seasonal challenges for livestock and farmers alike:

- More flies and parasite pressure
- Increased risk of heat stress
- Changing grazing patterns and pasture management

Now is the time to stay one step ahead. A few proactive checks today can help protect animal health, maintain productivity, and prevent issues later in the season.

Need advice on managing summer challenges on your farm? Our team is here to help.

📞 Get in touch with us to discuss your herd health plan for the months ahead.

19/06/2026

Have you booked your place yet?

Sarah will be sharing insights from her recent tour of some of the most progressive dairy farms in the United States at an informal evening gathering at the Edgmond Lion.

From large-scale dairy systems and labour efficiency to profitability and future opportunities, this is a chance to hear first-hand what UK dairy farmers can learn from innovative US operations.

We'll be discussing:
- Key takeaways from leading US dairy farms
- Practical ideas to improve efficiency on UK farms
- Opportunities to increase profitability
- Open discussion and networking with fellow dairy farmers

Whether you're looking for new ideas, benchmarking opportunities, or simply a chance to catch up with others in the industry, we'd love to see you there.

Please confirm attendance on 01948 663000 or [email protected]

18/06/2026

Pleased to say that our research into udder cleft dermatitis (UCD) in UK dairy herds has just been published in the Journal of Dairy Science (congratulations Will and Nat!) — and after months of work on farm with over 8,000 cows and data crunching by VetPartners, we wanted to share what's been taken away from it. The headline figure is that 9.9% of cows were affected across the 28 farms we studied. However, in the worst-affected herd, prevalence reached 27.4%. That's more than 1 in 4 cows.

Early lesions sit deep in the intermammary cleft and don't make themselves known at milking, making identification during milking difficult. By the time a cow is visibly uncomfortable, the lesion may already be large and hard to treat. We found that nearly 40% of affected cows had very severe lesions greater than 5cm — suggesting that by the time cases were detected, they had been present for some time.

Udder conformation has a big impact and cows with deep udders and loose fore udder attachments had higher odds of developing lesions – perhaps indicating a focus on bull selection for certain farms. Udder depth and fore udder attachment are heritable traits with published EBVs. The model we built explained only 12.5% of the variance in lesion presence, which tells us there are factors we haven't captured as well – more to come!

The most useful thing you can do is ask your vet or tech to look specifically for UCD. If you'd like to know more or want to discuss, get in touch.

Full paper: Journal of Dairy Science, 2026 — https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42034190/

16/06/2026

Last week, our team attended the BIVTA Conference, which proved to be an excellent opportunity to share knowledge, discuss industry developments, and connect with veterinary colleagues from across the sector.

Will delivered a presentation on how Veterinary Technicians can become involved in helping farms identify Udder Cleft Disease (UCD) and support the early stages of treatment. He highlighted how UCD assessments could be incorporated into mobility scoring visits, providing an additional opportunity to improve animal health and welfare. Will also encouraged Veterinary Technicians and ATTs to get involved in research projects and trial opportunities, helping to drive evidence-based progress within the industry. The presentation was very well received and generated some valuable discussions.

Delegates also had the opportunity to hear directly from Sarah Tomlinson about the new TB Strategy, which was officially launched on the day of the conference. It was great to hear first-hand about the plans and direction for the future of TB management.

Nat, Chair of BIVTA, played a significant role in the organisation and delivery of the conference. The positive feedback received from attendees has been fantastic to hear and reflects the hard work and dedication that went into making the event such a success.

Nat also provided an update on the progress being made towards Veterinary Surgeons Act reform, an important area of work that BIVTA has been progressing through consultation with Defra and the RCVS.

A huge thank you to everyone involved in delivering such an informative and engaging event. We look forward to seeing the positive impact of these initiatives across the veterinary profession and livestock sector.