All-year-round housing of the dairy cow in the UK leads to inevitable physiological challenges. There is a primary need to recognise this and the losses that are taking place. A basic understanding of the thermal dynamics of the animal/environment under UK summer conditions leads to a short list of areas where the adverse effects of heat stress can be mitigated. The presentation outlines a case study on a well-managed dairy unit in SW Scotland where interventions aimed at moderating the extent of heat stress produced 10,000 pound improvement in health metrics in one year, compared with the previous four years.
Disappointingly in 2024, BVD remains a real and present danger in both dairy and beef herds (at least in England). Here I present two cases seen in practice within 5 months of each other. One demonstrates the limitations of the sentinel check test in unvaccinated herds, the second, the impact of a lack of communication between farmers and vets. Surely now is the time for statutory policy change in England to really stamp out BVD.
