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Sheep Vet Society announces upcoming conference programme
The Sheep Veterinary Society's spring conference will be taking place 23-25 May in Northern Ireland.
The event is open to all vets or industry representatives.

The Sheep Veterinary Society has published details about its upcoming spring conference.

Taking place in Templepatrick, Northern Ireland (23-25 May), the event promises an exciting lineup of workshops, discussions and presentations on various issues relating to flock health and welfare.

Kickstarting the programme will be a workshop covering liver fluke investigation, diagnostics, control and investigation of potential treatment failures. 

This will be followed by an introduction to sheep farming in Northern Ireland, and a keynote speech by Tommy Boland, University College Dublin on the challenges and opportunities for pasture-based sheep production.

Day two will feature speakers from all four provinces who will deliver presentations on liver and rumen fluke, border disease, ovine mortality and ewe breeding indexes. A DEARA NI representative will speak on the recent identification of Maedi Visna and its implications for sheep flocks in Northern Ireland. 

Mental health challenges will also go under the spotlight in a session entitled “Tackle your feelings”, delivered by Peter Hynes. There will also be short sessions from vets in practice research and students on sheep fertility, colostrum transfer and new test developments. 

The conference is open to all vets or industry representatives and more details, including the booking form, are available on the Sheep Veterinary Society website. 

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Reporting service for dead wild birds updated

News Story 1
 The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has updated its online reporting service for dead wild birds.

The new version allows those reporting a dead bird to drop a pin on a map when reporting the location. It also includes a wider range of wild bird species groups to select from when describing the bird.

The online service, which helps APHA to monitor the spread of diseases such as avian influenza, can be accessed here. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
NI chief vet urges bluetongue vigilance

Northern Ireland's chief veterinary officer (CVO) has urged farmers to be vigilant for signs of bluetongue, after the Animal and Plant Health Agency warned there was a very high probability of further cases in Great Britain.

There have been 126 confirmed cases of bluetongue virus serotype 3 in England since November 2023, with no cases reported in Northern Ireland. The movement of live ruminants from Great Britain to Northern Ireland is currently suspended.

According to the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), the virus is most likely to enter Northern Ireland through infected animals or germplasm (semen or ova) being imported.

Brian Dooher, Northern Ireland's CVO, said: "Surveillance for this disease within Northern Ireland has been increased to assist with detection at the earliest opportunity which will facilitate more effective control measures."

Farmers should report any suspicions of the disease to their private veterinary practitioner, the DAERA Helpline on 0300 200 7840 or their local DAERA Direct Veterinary Office.