An interesting survey from Freedom Food has shown how little the public knows about farm animals:

75% of people didn't know that a sheep can recognise 50 members of its flock
73% didn't know that chickens communicate using 20 different types of call, including one for each type of predator.
70% didn't know that chickens usually live for 5 weeks prior to slaughter
66% didn’t know a dairy cow produces on average 11993 pints of milk each year
60% didn't know that 63% of chickens are kept in battery cages

Mind you, some pretty obscure facts here. I wonder how many vets would have known all the answers.

Merial Animal Health has launched CIRCOVAC®, the UK’s first vaccine for PCV2 – the virus involved in post-weaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS) and other PCV2-related diseases.

An inactivated vaccine against porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2), CIRCOVAC is administered to sows and gilts, offering UK pig producers an effective solution to a disease which has been estimated to cost the industry £20m per annum.

“I believe it’s the single most significant disease problem that’s faced the industry since 1999,” says Derek Armstrong, veterinary scientist with BPEX. “The figures suggest that 80% of farmers have had experience of PCV2 since 1999 and most will have experienced at least a doubling of their mortality rates, with some unlucky ones seeing peaks far higher.”

According to a recent survey commissioned by Merial, 46% of UK pig veterinary specialists considered PMWS to have had a ‘high’ or ‘very high’ impact on their clients’ herd health status and economics. The priority for vaccination against the disease was put at ‘very high’ or ‘high’ by all respondents, who together have 70% of the UK breeding herd under their care.

This message from Graham Brook, President of BCVA, issued at 5:00pm today.

Most of you will have heard on the news that a suspect case of Foot and Mouth was reported this morning in Surrey near Egham. Initially, a temporary restriction zone was placed around the premises and the cattle have been culled as suspects.

Defra have now announced (2.45pm) that this is now positive for Foot and Mouth and protection and surveillance zones are now in force around the premises and a nationwide movement ban has been put in place. The terms of any licences etc for the movement of dairy cattle for milking etc. are not yet available.

It is understood that the cattle affected are on rented grazing land and the tenant has a number of premises in the area.

Until the strain of Foot and Mouth virus is determined it is too early to start speculating how this new outbreak has occurred. It is hope that the identification of the strain will be determined tomorrow.

Animals in auction marts at present will be licensed out either to the purchaser’s premises or back to their premises of origin.

A second temporary restriction zone has also been put in place around a pig farm at Dereham in Norfolk.

A report case in Lanark auction mart (Scotland) is also being investigated but no restrictions are in place at present.

We would like to take this opportunity to emphasis that all vets need to maintain the highest bio-security whilst visiting farms and they need to ensure that their clients are being vigilant for symptoms of Foot and Mouth at all times and to report all suspect cases. Please emphasise to your farm clients the need for vigilance and bio-security.

Virbac is launching the Equimax Challenge for vets at the British Equine Veterinary Association Congress (Sept 13-15th).

Entrants will take part in a number of challenges over the course of 6 months, with a Horse Weigh Supreme Extra Plus for the winner.

Richard Crane from Deloitte says that British meat on the supermarket shelves could become a rarity unless consumers are prepared to pay more.

Seems a tad optimistic to me in today's price-driven supermarkets.

CEVA Animal Health Ltd have introduced the UK’s first doxycycline-based antimicrobial for pigs. Soludox® joins Colivet® Solution, which is the UK’s only colistin-based antimicrobial, and maintains CEVA’s focus on water-based medication.

CEVA’s expanding portfolio of antimicrobials now boasts five different actives including Cyclosol® LA (oxytetracycline), Cyclo Spray® (chlortetracycline) and Spectam® Scour Halt (spectinomycin).

For further information contact Phil McGuire, CEVA Animal Health Ltd, 90 The Broadway, Chesham, Bucks, HP5 1EG, telephone: 01494 781510

A survey of more than 400 dairy farms has found that 10% of calves required antibiotic treatment for pneumonia last winter. Before accounting for the effect on in-contact calves, Pfizer veterinary manager Carolyn Hogan calculates that losses arising from this incidence are more than £700/year for the average 168-cow herd taking part. [1]

“This could increase substantially if you added the impact on in-contacts,” she says. “A major concern is that 44% of farmers said the issue of treating in-contact calves at the same time had not been discussed with their vet.”

[1] Andrews A.H (2000) Cattle Practice Vol 8 Part 2: 109-114. This paper estimates a case of pneumonia in a dairy calf to cost £43 per treated animal on average. In the survey being reported here, the average farm reported 17 cases of pneumonia in the past year requiring antibiotic treatment. Cost estimate = 17 cases x £43/case = £731.