Latest updates from Ruminant Health & Welfare
Welcome to RH&W’s latest newsletter
Recent rainfall has enabled many farmers to catch up with grazing and more forage for the winter and remarkably, things are back to normal for winter in some western parts of the country following the prolonged hot and dry summer. With conditions remaining variable, many farmers are now turning to housing plans for the winter.
However, significant challenges remain. Bluetongue (BTV) continues to have a devastating impact on sheep and cattle, with the UK experiencing its largest recorded outbreak. Our thoughts are with those who have been affected and recognition should go also those vets working hard on vaccination planning or treating infected animals. There are concerns for calving and lambing in the spring, given that BTV does hit fertility.
At our recent RH&W steering group meeting, Hannah Lloyd from Pinstone highlighted the progress of the cross-industry Battle Bluetongue campaign. As we look towards 2027, continued collaboration, practical guidance and preventative measures will continue to be essential.
We also welcomed Karen Covey and Sarah Wilkinson from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), alongside Esther Harper from Innovate UK, who outlined funding opportunities to help turn research into practical, applied on-farm improvements.
Dr Rob Howe from the British Cattle Veterinary Association highlighted the planned discontinuation of the Huskvac lungworm vaccine after the 2027 season. This reinforces the importance of working together to safeguard preventative tools, particularly given concerns around resistance to parasite treatments.
I was also delighted to welcome two new RH&W sub chairs. Agnieszka Dabrowska is now the new chair of our welfare subgroup and Jude Roberts chairs the interventions subgroup. Both bring valuable expertise, and I look forward to working with them.
The meeting was a brilliant example of the value of RH&W in bringing industry expertise together, identifying shared priorities and driving meaningful improvements in livestock health and welfare.
Thank you to everyone contributing to this important work and continued collaboration.
Gwyn Jones
RH&W chair
Bluetongue updates
Latest updates on BTV3 and BTV8 cases across the UK
There have been 3,498 cases of bluetongue serotype 3 (BTV-3) or unspecified serotype in the UK in the 2026 to 2027 bluetongue season. A case is defined as a premises on which bluetongue has been confirmed, based on risk and following laboratory or clinical diagnosis.
This includes:
- 2,934 cases in England
- 507 cases in Wales
- 57 cases in Scotland
- 0 cases in Northern Ireland
There have been no cases of bluetongue serotype 8 (BTV-8) in the 2026 to 2027 bluetongue season.
The bluetongue case map shows the location of all premises in Great Britain where one or more animals have tested positive by PCR for bluetongue or have been confirmed based on clinical diagnosis.
Now is the time to share BTV-3 impact in anonymous industry survey
UK livestock farmers are still being urged to share how bluetongue serotype 3 (BTV-3) has affected their flocks, herds and vaccination decisions via the bluetongue impact survey.
Developed by RH&W, AHDB, SVS and BCVS, the anonymous survey is open to all farmers, whether or not bluetongue has been confirmed, and asks only for a farm postcode to map responses.
Whilst having a response to all questions is helpful, there is an option to go straight to the open text option to share an overview if preferred at the end of the survey. Simply fill in the first page then skip to the end.
Those managing more than one farm should submit a separate response for each holding to help the industry plan future support: Complete the survey.
Farmers urged to share BTV-3 impact with new industry survey
UK livestock farmers are being urged to share how bluetongue serotype 3 (BTV-3) has affected their flocks, herds and vaccination decisions through a new industry survey.
Launched by RH&W, AHDB, SVS and BCVS, the anonymous survey is open to all farmers, whether or not bluetongue has been confirmed, and asks only for a farm postcode to map responses.
Those managing more than one farm should submit a separate response for each holding to help the industry plan future support: Complete the survey.
Catch up on the latest Battle Bluetongue webinars
Chaired by Zoe Lloyd, AHDB, the latest webinar covers an update on bluetongue case numbers, as well as an overview of movement controls in Scotland from 10 September 2026.With insights from representatives from Defra, the Scottish Government, Quality Meat Scotland, Institute of Auctioneers and Appraisers in Scotland and Nithsdale Farm Vets.
Missed it or any of our other webinars? Click here to watch again: Bluetongue webinar library – Ruminant Health & Welfare
Watch this page for upcoming webinar dates including 21 October Bluetongue virus webinars | AHDB
Industry explores future of Huskvac lungworm vaccine
Dr Rob Howe from the British Cattle Veterinary Association (BCVA) provided an update, at the recent RH&W steering group meeting, following the decision by manufacturer MSD Animal Health to cease production of the vaccine.
Huskvac is currently the only commercially available cattle lungworm vaccine worldwide, making its potential loss particularly significant for the industry.
BCVA and industry partners are exploring whether alternative arrangements could enable production to continue. Discussions remain at an early stage and there is currently no confirmed solution.
The announcement also highlights wider concerns around the availability of veterinary vaccines and the importance of preventative health measures, particularly against a backdrop of increasing resistance to parasite treatments.
Farmers are encouraged to work closely with their vet to review lungworm risks and develop appropriate parasite control plans, considering vaccination alongside grazing management and responsible use of wormers.
Find out more here: THE DISCONTINUATION OF HUSKVAC: A THREAT TO SUSTAINABLE PARASITE CONTROL | BCVA
Funding opportunities to support livestock health and welfare innovation
New and existing research funding opportunities could help farmers, vets and industry organisations develop practical applied solutions to livestock health and welfare challenges.
Representatives from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and Innovate UK outlined opportunities to support research, innovation and the adoption of new approaches on farm.
Innovate UK highlighted the Farming Innovation Programme, including the Accelerating Development of Practices and Technologies (ADOPT) scheme, which supports farmer-led trials of innovative ideas in real farming conditions.
The scheme offers grants of £50,000 to £200,000 for on-farm trials, alongside facilitator support grants of £2,500 to help farmers develop project ideas and applications.
BBSRC also outlined wider research funding opportunities, including forthcoming UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) programmes focused on areas such as animal health and agricultural technology.
The discussions highlighted the importance of connecting researchers with farmers, vets and industry organisations to ensure research addresses practical challenges, from disease prevention and biosecurity to improving animal welfare and productivity.
Find out more: Explore funding opportunities through UKRI and the Farming Innovation Programme.
VMD seeks livestock wormer prescribers for research into anthelmintic resistance
The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) is inviting suitably qualified persons (SQPs), also known as registered animal medicines advisers (RAMAs), to take part in research exploring wormer prescribing practices and anthelmintic resistance.
The research aims to better understand the experiences and perceptions of advisers prescribing wormers for sheep, cattle and horses, particularly the discussions and decisions made at the point of sale.
Participants will be invited to take part in a one-hour interview, either in person oronline via Microsoft Teams, to share their views and experiences.
The findings will build on previous research conducted before the 2024 amendments to the Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2013, which introduced a requirement for SQPs/RAMAs to record the reasons behind their prescribing decisions.
The research will help identify opportunities to strengthen best practice and highlight where additional training, guidance or resources could support responsible wormer use and efforts to tackle anthelmintic resistance.
SQPs/RAMAs interested in taking part can register their interest here.
Further information is available from Control of Worms Sustainably (COWS).
New research programme to support responsible antibiotic use
A new multimillion-pound research programme aims to support the responsible use of antibiotics and help tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR) across the livestock industry.
The newly funded AMAS research programme, brings together academic and industry partners to address shared challenges around antibiotic use.
The cross-sector initiative aims to strengthen the evidence base for responsible antibiotic use, supporting the development of practical approaches to maintaining animal health and welfare while reducing the risk of antimicrobial resistance.
The programme reflects the importance of collaboration between researchers, vets, farmers and industry organisations in finding solutions that can be applied on farm.
Responsible medicine use remains an important priority for RH&W, alongside disease prevention, biosecurity and effective herd and flock health planning.
The new programme offers an opportunity to build on existing industry efforts to safeguard the effectiveness of antibiotics for the future.
Interested in finding out more? Click here: The Global AMR Innovation Fund – GOV.UK
Other news from industry
General
- Bluetongue latest: Confirmed cases top 2000 | Ram fertility concerns could force breeding delays – Farmers Guardian
- M&S Rolls Out AI-Powered Tools to Support the Next Generation of Animal Welfare in its Dairy Farms – M&S
- Red Tractor is seeking feedback into proposed changes into its Beef & Lamb and Dairy Standards – Sheep Veterinary Society
- Bluetongue restriction zone extension a ‘positive thing’ for farmers – BBC News
- Vets can diagnose bluetongue to cut test delays – BBC News
- £54m investment to speed up animal vaccine and tackle biosecurity threats – Farmers Guardian
- Fertility checks urged amid bluetongue infection fallout – Farmers Weekly
Sheep
- Why there’s still time to target ewe condition before tupping – Farmers Weekly
- Ram fertility plea issued amid bluetongue crisis – VetTimes
- New genomic breeding values help sheep producers accelerate flock improvement – AHDB
- Vaginal prolapse in ewes: How big an issue is it? – Farmers Weekly
- PRESS RELEASE: New President for the Sheep Veterinary Society
- Sheep farmers signal strong BTV-3 vaccine demand for 2027 – Farmers Weekly
- SCOPS warns the blowfly risk continues after warm, wet conditions – SCOPS
Cattle
- The essential trace mineral proven to boost milk yields and liver function in dairy cattle – Farmers Guardian
- How to extend farm forage supplies and boost dairy yields in a drought year – Farmers Guardian
- Why vaccination is key to preventing clostridial diseases in beef cattle, and is more cost-effective than you think – Farmers Guardian
Upcoming events in 2026
- Sheep Breeders Round Table (SBRT) conference, Radisson Blu Hotel Derby, 20–22 November
Sheep Breeders Round Table (SBRT) 2026 conference – Sheep Veterinary Society
AHDB events: See all upcoming AHDB events: Farm events and agricultural shows | AHDB
We are an independent, industry-based body tasked with helping farmers and stock managers tackle sheep and cattle disease, and build the health and welfare status, resilience and production efficiency of our national flock and herd.
See more about our aims here.