Millcroft Farm

03/09/2026

🐑 🐄 BLUETONGUE & BREEDING 🐑 🐄

🌎 With Bluetongue continuing to spread
& cases now confirmed in Cumbria it’s
essential to think about the upcoming
breeding season.

🪱 It can have a significant impact on
fertility and pregnancies in sheep &
cattle, problems include reduced
conception rate, abortions and infertility
in Tups & Bulls.

🐑 Fertility testing is especially worth
considering this year to identify any
problems before this has an affect on
your scanning results.

🐄 Pregnancy scanning cows earlier will
give valuable information including
identifying empty cows and diagnosing
unusual levels of early pregnancy loss
potentially caused by Bluetongue Virus.

20/08/2026

⛔️ Bluetongue Update ⛔️

🌎 The first Bluetongue cases of the
season have now been confirmed in
Cumbria, with case numbers continuing
to rise nationally. Due to delays between
identification and publication on the
DEFRA website we expect further cases
to be confirmed locally in the coming
days.

🔵 Bluetongue remains a notifiable disease
& any suspected cases should be
reported directly to APHA.

🧪 Following APHA authorisation we can
visit farms to collect samples for
laboratory testing.

💰 Farmers are responsible for the visit
& sampling cost while government
funded laboratories cover the testing
cost.

🚛 No movement restrictions apply to
premesis where BTV-3 is confirmed.

🏥 We are able to advise on nursing care
and treatment of affected animals.

💉 Vaccination remains the only effective
preventative measure & availability
continues to be challenging with all
3 vaccines out of stock across the UK.
We are actively sourcing supplies
through several channels and expect
deliveries over the coming weeks &
available vaccine will be allocated in
order requests have been received.

☎️ If you require vaccine and have not
yet placed an order, please contact us
as soon as possible so we can include
your requirements in our sourcing
plans.

🗓️ Want to know more?? Daisy will be
speaking at the Bluetongue meeting
taking place at Carlisle Auction on
Tuesday evening. We hope to see you
there.

⬇️ Please book your place using the link
below:
https://bit.ly/4qmdwP7

11/08/2026

10/08/2026

⚠️ HAEMONCHUS WARNING - WE HAVE SEEN MULTIPLE CASES OVER THE LAST WEEK ⚠️

🪱 Haemonchus Contortus also known as the Barber’s pole worm is an abomasal blood sucking worm that affects ruminants

☀️☔️The recent weather has provided perfect conditions for larvae to develop on pasture, this combined with it’s short 20 day life cycle and symptoms of an infection not presenting until around day 14/15 allows for infection to build very quickly resulting in acute disease

🥚 Adult females produce 5,000 - 10,000 eggs per day

🩸 Adult worms have the ability to remove large quantities of blood 👿

🔴 Symptoms of an infection are:
➡️ Poor body condition
➡️ Lethargy
➡️ Weakness
➡️ ‘Bottle jaw’
➡️ Anemia - the pink conjunctivae of
the bottom eyelid turning pale/white
➡️ Sudden death

☎️ HOW CAN WE HELP?
✅ We can test muck samples in house
With a QUICK turnaround 🔬
✅ We can diagnose via post mortem
✅ We can advise on treatment options
& are competitive on pricing so
please contact the farm team to
discuss further 📞

31/07/2026

We are looking forward to seeing you all tomorrow 🙂

It's that time again! 🥳🐄🐑🍻

Who's coming to see us at the Cockermouth Agricultural Show on Saturday?

Proceedings kick off at 9am in The Fitz, Low Road. There'll be livestock classes, equine competitions, traditional crafts, children’s entertainment, local food, and trade stands.

And our tent! 👋🏼

See you there...

08/07/2026

25/06/2026

📣 Final call for the BVD meeting on Tuesday evening, please let us know by tomorrow morning if you would like to attend 🐄 🙂

⭐️ BVD MEETING ⭐️

❗️Did you know BVD testing in England will be mandatory from 2027❓

🗓️ We would like to invite our clients to join us at Mitchells Auction Mart on Tuesday 30th June at 7pm.

🐄 We will be covering all aspects of BVD including the Mandatory Control Program set to launch in 2027.

🥧 A Pie & Pea Supper will be provided.

☎️ Please contact the Farm Team on 01900 826666 to book your place.

🙂 We look forward to seeing you there!

25/06/2026

⭐ MASTERING MEDICINES COURSE ⭐️

🗓️ Friday 3rd July 2026, 9.30am-12.30pm.

🌍 Highfield Community Centre, Cockermouth, CA13 9JF.

🔴 W3W: cocktail.soggy.happy

☕️ Light refreshments will be provided.

☎️ Please contact the Farm Team on 01900 826666 to book your place.

❗️DID YOU KNOW?
As of 1st February 2025 Red Tractor Standards changed and require at least one person working on the farm to have undergone training in the last 5 years.

24/06/2026

HOW DO YOU IMPROVE YOUR LAMB PRODUCTIVITY? 🐑

Join us and Daisy Roper from Millcroft Veterinary Group, as we discuss figures post lambing, from weaning numbers to scanning and lambing losses.

📆Monday 29th June, 6:30pm start for a light supper
📍Strudda Bank Farm, Calderbridge, CA20

For more info and to book your place please visit this link - https://shorturl.at/w9Yof or ring the office on 01768 868615

19/06/2026

⭐️ BVD MEETING ⭐️

❗️Did you know BVD testing in England will be mandatory from 2027❓

🗓️ We would like to invite our clients to join us at Mitchells Auction Mart on Tuesday 30th June at 7pm.

🐄 We will be covering all aspects of BVD including the Mandatory Control Program set to launch in 2027.

🥧 A Pie & Pea Supper will be provided.

☎️ Please contact the Farm Team on 01900 826666 to book your place.

🙂 We look forward to seeing you there!