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Clostridial Diseases in Sheep What are Clostridial Diseases? Clostridial diseases are a group of severe diseases seen in sheep caused by Clostridia spp. bacteria. These bacteria are known to be pathogens in livestock, humans, and companion animals. They can survive in spore form in the environment for long periods of time and so are very dangerous. The primary source of infections picked up from the environment is faecal contamination of pasture. At the same time, it is normal for many of these bacteria…

Scrapie in Sheep: Everything You Need to Know What is Scrapie? Scrapie is a degenerative disease of the Central Nervous System (CNS) which is fatal, affecting sheep and goats. It is a type of disease known as a Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy and has a worldwide presence. It first emerged in Europe and the United Kingdom 250 years ago. Flocks can suffer from as much as 10-20% mortality rates due to scrapie, introducing a massive economic burden for the industry. Scrapie…

Heat Stress in poultry – what are the signs and how can we combat it? I’m sure many people across the UK have been enjoying the beautiful weather recently, which has been welcomed and made it a little easier to remain in our gardens following social distancing restrictions. The same cannot be said for the poultry industry – as the months become hotter and we venture into the peak of summer, heat is a real problem for poultry. The poultry industry…