Along with large dairy and beef herds, as well as numerous sheep flocks and goat herds, the farm department also provide veterinary services for all manner of small holdings, including so called ‘back yard’ poultry and farm animals. From cows to sheep, chickens to alpacas; there are no production animals to which the vets cannot turn their hands. For larger, economically driven farms, the availability of services could not be greater. Including routine fertility examinations, on farm inspections, foot and hoof trimming services, surgical services (such as caesarean section and displaced abomasums operations) and herd health and disease monitoring schemes, the department is able to offer the best possible farm animal care, in a very affordable manner.
For the hobby farmer, the department offers professional services from vets who understand the needs of an individual animal, so that each patient receives full and complete health care and is not just treated as a member of a larger group. With close links to many laboratories, all manner of tests, services and diagnoses can be achieved in the shortest possible time, and the farm animal vets are always up to date with the latest developments and monitoring schemes. When this level of experience, expertise and enthusiasm is coupled with a full out of hours emergency service and personable approach, it is not hard to see why the Stanley House Farm animal team continues to grow year upon year.
At Stanley House our dedicated farm vets are committed to providing an excellent service to our Beef and Dairy Farmers. We are willing to discuss any difficulties that may present, and attempt to resolve your clinical problems. In more recent years our work has increasingly covered herd management and finding ways to improve health and productivity.
We offer many services to achieve this including:
We offer a 24 hour emergency service from dedicated farm animal vets, covering such problems as difficult calvings, uterine prolapses and on farm casualty slaughter
We believe in offering a quality service from experienced farm animal vets. We endeavour to keep up with the latest developments in farm animal medicine and implement these changes in our daily work.
Calves may scour (have diarrhoea) at any age and for a variety of reasons. Scour can be caused by bacteria, viruses, parasites, nutritional issues and many other factors. The cause of scour cannot always be easily diagnosed for rapid accurate treatment. Please click on the link below to read more information on calf scour – causes and supportive fluids.
At Stanley House we are accustomed to dealing with a multitude of sheep enquiries and problems. Our farm vets are equipped to deal with those clients owning one or two pet sheep, to those farming two or three thousand. We have many pedigree flocks on our books.
Thanks to the variety of countryside in this area we see a vast array of breeds, from texels and suffolks to mules, swales and rare breeds.
Our vets are heavily involved with lambing time, which begins in late December in some of our pedigree flocks, and runs through until May. Our farm animal department is well stocked during this time with plenty of equipment the sheep farmer requires for lambing, with everything from rubber rings and lambing ropes to milk replacer and marker sprays.
Stanley House Vets are available to provide flock health plans for those farmers wishing to address specific problems on their farms, or those attempting to refine and improve their effeciency. We are used to investigating and giving advice on lameness, external parasites and abortion, and the use of specific vaccines for some of these diseases. We are familiar with the use and protocols of vaccines for Pasteurella and clostridial infections.
Our vets are well-versed in advising on external parasite control, i.e. scab and lice, and internal parasites, such as roundworm and liver-fluke.
Lambs may scour (have diarrhoea) at any age and for a variety of reasons. Scour can be caused by bacteria, viruses, parasites, nutritional issues and many other factors. The cause of scour cannot always be easily diagnosed for rapid accurate treatment. Please click on the link below to read more information on Lamb scour – causes and supportive fluids.
Over the last few years we have been presented with an ever increasing number of poultry/chickens suffering from many and varied diseases and illnesses. Many of these chickens originate in gardens, backyards and allotments and are kept as pets or to supply the owner with enough eggs for their own consumption. We also are involved in disease treatments, control and prevention in larger commercial units were the producer retails eggs to the general public.
We may be presented with an individual ‘backyard’ chicken or a large group of bird suffering from illnesses and diseases such as coccidiosis, mycoplasmas, infectious bronchitis, scaly leg and red mite infestations.
Chickens suffer from a wide variety of respiratory diseases that are highly contagious and can spread rapidly through a flock with a devasting effect on productivity and profitability. Avian Bronchitis, Infectious Laryngo-tracheitis and Mycoplasmosis are commonly found in flocks ranging from a few dozen to many thousands of birds. Mycoplasmiosis is a condition we encounter in chickens, and also in turkeys being reared for the Christmas market. The clinical signs of this disease include sneezing, nasal discharge, foam in the eyes, difficulty breathing and a severe sinusitis resulting in swollen heads. Our farm animal vets can advise you on methods of control and treatment, including specific antibiotics that are extremely effective.
Bumble foot is another condition we frequently see, presenting as lame birds with significant swellings of the toes and foot joints. Again we can help out with the correct use of specific antibiotics given either by injection in the muscle or medication of the drinking water.
Parasitic worms are commonly encountered in chickens reared in free range systems that have high stocking density. The symptoms are usually similar to those described previously for a sick chicken, plus weight loss and diarrhoea. Medication of the drinking water or feed is the method of choice in treatment and prevention, along with changes to stocking ratios and cleanliness, Coccidiosis, caused by a small parasite affecting the gut, will present with similar symptoms plus blood stained diarrhoea. Treatment is based on several days of sulphonamide solutions mixed in drinking water. Control is based on regular cleansing and disinfection of chicken huts and drinking containers, along with strategic dosing with sulphonamides in the drinking water.
Here at Stanley House we endeavour to provide the best and most up to date disease treatment and control programmes in order to keep your chickens happy, productive and in good health.
Goats are a lively, inquisitive and affectionate pets, but they can be high maintenance. At Stanley House we deal with a wide range of goats, from single pets to small groups kept for showing, up to large commercial herd where we are responsible for the health, welfare and productivity of over a thousand diary goats.
Here we treat and give advice on various common conditions including gut upsets and lameness problems. Diarrhoea is normally caused by sudden alterations in the diet or stresses due to changes in the environment or weather. It is surprising that for an animal that evolved up on hillsides and mountains how much they dislike the cold and the rain! Most of these upsets can be resolved by using stomach powders to re-balance the rumen bacteria, however there are certain infections that will cause diarrhoea and these may need antibiotic therarpy. In this west Lancashire weather goats can also be susceptible to foot infections, Regular checks of the feet and trimming of overgrown hoof wall will help to prevent these problems occuring, or spot them early before they cause the goat too much pain. Normally short term course of topical antibiotic spray will cure a mild case of foot infection.
Goats are able to adapt to a wide range of environments but do rely heavily on their owner for their well being. They are extremely sociable and do develop long term ‘friendships’ with other goats or animals on the holding including their owner. They can often be upset by changes in this social group or their environment or diet. These upsets or stresses can lead to disease.
Spotting signs of illness early is important, the quicker a problem is recognised the more likely any treatment given will be effective. The main thing is to know your goats; it is easier to spot any changes in behaviour. Lethergy, poor appetite or persistent bleating are all signs that there is something amiss.
At Stanley House we offer a 24 hour emergency service from dedicated, experienced farm animal vets.
During the course of our work here in the Farm Animal department at Stanley House Vets, we are asked to deal with various problems and diseases affecting pigs – ranging from individual pet pets, such as Vietnamese Pot Bellied breed, through to quite large commercial units producing pigs for the pork and bacon market.
Pigs similar to other farm animals, suffer from a wide variety of illnesses and diseases including Erysipelas, Parvovirus infection, E. coli diarrhoea, Mycoplasma pneumonia and swine Dysentery. If these, and other diseases like them, become established in a pig unit the effects on production can be devastating.
Here at Stanley House we can provide our pig owning clients with advice on treatment, control and prevention of specific problems as well as overall bio security and husbandry issues. There are several vaccines available that can be utilised in the control of many of these diseases. We can advise on the various vaccination protocols and tailor a plan to suit your needs. We can also produce a whole Herd Health Programme designed specifically for your herd, in order to prevent disease entering your unit via purchased pigs or contaminated material, as well as how to treat and control diseases already present in the herd.
Please dont hesitate to contact the Farm Animal department on 01282 868748 if you feel we can be of any assistance to you.
**Please ring 01282 863892 for out of office hours emergencies**
