Veterinary Services

• Dictyocaulus viviparous (lungworm) infection in young cattle
• Nutritional myopathy (white muscle disease) in calves
• Louping-ill in lambs
• Border disease in sheep
• Systemic pasteurellosis in lambs
• Acute fasciolosis in sheep

New measures to prevent the spread of bovine tuberculosis and reduce the number of cases in Scotland came into effect this month. Enhanced controls, introduced by the Scottish Executive, require Scottish farmers to test cattle for tuberculosis prior to movement from high incidence areas, which are currently only in England and Wales, and again on arrival in Scotland.

Of the last 50 outbreaks of bovine tuberculosis in Scotland 42 have been traced back to cattle imported from high risk areas. Farmers failing to test animals within 60 - 120 days of movement will have movement restrictions placed on their premises.

Scottish abattoir deadweight prices for steers, heifers and young bulls in September were well below equivalent figures for 2004 as were liveweight prices at Scottish auctions for new season lamb and ewes.

September weather featured a heatwave with a temperature of 27°C recorded at Prestwick in the first week followed by progressively unsettled westerly weather. The mean temperature for the month was 12.1°C, which is in the well above average category and the warmest since 1999.

Rainfall and sunshine were close to average.