Farming at Capontree Vets

18/08/2026

🌱Preventing Milk Fever in Fresh cows at grass

Each lactation the risk of milk fever increases by 9%.
This is a combination of factors including
🩺increased milk production
🩺 less ability to mobilise calcium from bones as they get older.
🩺Body condition is also a factor, with cows BCS >4 at a 3 times higher risk of developing milk fever.

High Mg pre-calving helps get the body used to mobilising calcium before the significant increase in demand.
❗️Keep in mind that a period of rain and flush of grass will reduce Mg levels and increase risk❗️

So what can you do to reduce the risk of milk fever?
🐮Regular BCS. Cows should be 2.5-3 at calving
🐮Potassium locks up Magnesium in the soil. If you can, avoid grazing dry cows on fields that have had slurry or fertiliser applied
🐮Supplementing minerals at grazing
🐮High Mg lick buckets
🐮Rumbol boluses give 3 weeks of Mg supplementation
🐮Calcium boluses at calving for higher risk (older/fitter cows)

15/08/2026

🪰Fly control 🪰

Fly numbers are currently on the rise, and we have already heard some reports of blowfly strike in sheep.
Significant fly populations can have a negative impact on an animal’s ability to graze leading to reduced milk production and growth rates.

❗️One adult fly can lay up to 1,000 eggs in her lifetime meaning populations can quickly multiply.❗️

There are a wide range of products available on the market; it is important that you are aware which products you are using, at what interval they should be repeated for maximum effect and ensure they have a suitable withdrawal period.

• Ectofly -(sheep) - 6-8 weeks protection
• Clik Extra (sheep) up to 19 weeks protection
• Spotinor (Sheep and Cattle) 4-8 weeks protection

❗️Remember❗️
Check repeat-treatment intervals and withdrawal periods before use.

12/08/2026

🌟Bluetongue Vaccination Update🌟

We have been closely monitoring the developing bluetongue situation.

In addition to the significant impact of BTV in the southwest of England, where severe disease and mortality are being seen in sheep, cases are continuing to move north. Cases have now been confirmed near York and Preston, and yesterday a case was diagnosed in Dumfries and Galloway.

we are recommending vaccination of breeding ewes and replacement females, in addition to vaccination of tups and bulls.

Auctioneers are also stressing the importance of vaccinating breeding sheep intended for sale.

‼️Vaccine orders — deadline Thursday afternoon‼️
In order to secure supplies of Bultavo vaccine, we need to place our order by Thursday afternoon.

If you would like to discuss vaccination further, please get in touch with one of our vets. Please place your vaccine order before the Thursday afternoon deadline.

11/08/2026

🪱Haemonchus (AKA barber pole worm) 🪱
In the last few years we have seen a lot more problems with Haemonchus in this area

What is different about Haemonchus?
❗️Adult worms feed on blood from the stomach, each worm can take up to 0.5ml blood/day
❗️Sheep don’t develop immunity to this worm so adult ewes are at risk as well as lambs
❗️Worms produce high numbers of eggs often in the thousands
❗️Some Flukicides containing Closantel and Nitroxynil are effective against Haemonchus

🩺Clinical signs🩺
Very high worm egg counts,
poor condition,
lethargy – ewes/lambs not keeping up with the flock,
pale mucous membranes (eyes),
scour is not always a feature especially in ewes.

Please speak to a vet if you are seeing any of these signs in your flock.

07/08/2026

Important Information about Blue tongue from David.

07/08/2026

🐑Teaser Tups 🐑

Now is the ideal time to be thinking of giving your teasers the snip.
Teasers (vasectomised tups) help tighten the lambing period by stimulating ewes to cycle earlier. The procedure should be done 6-8 weeks before the teasers are introduced to the ewes.

Things to think about when selecting a teaser:
🩺Ideally homebred to reduce disease risk
🩺Shearlings are preferred to tup lambs
🩺Good feet & teeth
🩺Easily identified, consider a different breed to stock tups

Getting the best from your teaser:
🐏Ewes should have no contact with any males (including teasers) for at least 2 weeks before the teaser is introduced
🐏Keep the teaser with the ewes for 14 days
🐏When introducing the breeding tups, consider a greater tup to ewe ratio i.e. 1:30
🐏Teasers become less effective overtime, so they should be replaced every 2-3 years

Vets Mark, Laura and Charlotte were busy last week vasectomising 5 tups.

📞Please contact the surgery to book in.

03/08/2026

🐏🐄 Blue Tongue🐏🐄
You will have all seen and heard lots of information about bluetongue recently.
❗️Lots of cases have been confirmed down south which may seem far away but movement of sheep north for sales could pose a risk❗️

🦟 What is bluetongue?
Bluetongue is a viral disease, transmitted by midges. Sheep, Cattle and goats can be affected

🩺 Clinical signs include, lethargy, drooling, sores and ulcers of the mouth and nose, facial swelling, fever, lameness.

☎️ What do I do if is suspect bluetongue?
• Report the suspected case to
APHA 03000 200 301
• Isolate the animal inside as soon as possible, use fly spot on treatment to keep flies away from open wounds.
• Await testing - apha will decide what tests are required.
• ⁠Call the practice to arrange the visit for our vets to take the samples.

🕰️ Is it too late to vaccinate?
• ⁠It is NOT too late to vaccinate
• ⁠Sheep require a single dose and cattle 2 doses 3 weeks apart.
• ⁠The vaccine is safe to use in lactating and pregnant animals
❗️If you vaccinated last year it is only 1 single booster this year for sheep and cattle❗️
📞 Contact the practice to secure your vaccine

💉 Our vets are on hand should you want to discuss any of this further.

02/08/2026

30/07/2026

Happy ! 🌾🚜

Today we've been celebrating the incredible farmers who work tirelessly every day to care for their animals, produce our food, and keep our countryside thriving.

We are proud to be part of the farming community and to support the people at the heart of it. 💚

25/07/2026

🪱Lungworm 🪱
We’ve diagnosed our first case of lungworm on farm this year

In dry weather larvae are trapped within dry cow pats but rain can wash infectious larvae onto the pasture and increase the risk of infection.

Keep an eye out for animals coughing, especially youngstock. If you have any concerns talk to one of the vets!