LivestockMartin Heydon urged cattle and sheep farmers to vaccinate as new bluetongue cases appeared in Dublin, Meath, Roscommon, Longford and Waterford, and advised boosters and vaccination of calves born after herds were jabbed.
LivestockFrom 3 October cattle and sheep can move without licences across Scotland ahead of autumn sales; the disease has been found on 40 premises since 10 September, and leaders urge vaccination.
LivestockUnder the PPR eradication and foot-and-mouth disease control project, goats and sheep aged 3 to 12 months are being vaccinated free in the five unions and municipality of Naldanga, Natore.
LivestockNational Fallen Stock Company data show Devon up 310% and Somerset 228% in August, as BTV-3 is confirmed on 2,124 premises in Great Britain this season.
LivestockWith lamb above $12/kg, breeders expect sheep farmers to keep investing in genetics; rams averaged $1,864 at auction last summer and some studs about $3,000.
LivestockFederated Farmers is urging Dunedin City Council to require desexing and microchipping of cats, saying dumped town cats fuel feral colonies that spread toxoplasmosis, a major cause of ewe abortions.
LivestockThe Floctest: EBVs in Action pilot, funded by the Welsh Government and run by Hybu Cig Cymru, will DNA-test lambs to compare performance-recorded rams with farmers' own stock rams in hill and maternal flocks.
LivestockFarmers in the Ashburton high country moved stock and feed ahead of a well-forecast snowfall of up to 15cm, and expect some lamb losses but nothing catastrophic.
LivestockLamb schedules near $12/kg and record store prices lifted 2025-26, but falling lamb numbers, rising costs and US tariff risk set the tone for 2026-27.
LivestockThe three-year, $2 million Wisewool programme, with $800,000 from the Primary Sector Growth Fund, will test wool bedding against synthetics in homes and sleep labs.
LivestockWith more than 1,600 BTV-3 cases in Great Britain this season and eight in the Republic of Ireland, DAERA Minister Andrew Muir says clinical cases are likely to emerge in Northern Ireland and urges vaccination.
LivestockWith vineyards and orchards on the Heretaunga Plains being returned to pasture, landowners are eyeing lambs and Friesian bull calves; store lambs peaked above $6/kg liveweight in June and ewes with lambs at foot are $20 a head up on last year.
LivestockDAFM confirmed the first ovine BTV-3 detection on 21 September; more than 11,000 animals have been antibody-tested this year, 5.7 million vaccine doses licensed for import, and Britain has passed 1,500 cases this season.
