This podcast aims to raise awareness of ‘Heat Stress’ in dairy cattle. Host Alison Braddock, Marketing and Business Development Manager asks Colin Mason, Centre Manager and VIO Dumfries about the potential impact of heat stress on the dairy herd. They explore its impact on production, touch on THIs and offer an overview of this important issue. Disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in SRUC and On the Hoof podcasts are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, ...
Jun 25, 2024•32 min•Ep. 68
In this On the Hoof Episode for Vets in Practice, Alison Braddock asks Colin Mason, Vet and Centre Manager, Dumfries about how to recognise and confirm lead poisoning in livestock. They also look at causes and prevention and the number of cases seen in the lab each year. This is particularly timely with livestock turnout at this time of year! Further information can be found in our blogs: SRUC Veterinary Surveillance blog: www.sruc.ac.uk/veterinary-surveillance SRUC Health Scheme Member blog: ww...
Jun 07, 2024•13 min•Ep. 67
This is episode 6 of our series on beekeeping, and the focus this time is on Integrated Pest Management (IPM) of varroa. Lorraine Johnston, SRUC's Bee Advisory Offices is joined by William Ancell, Head of Content and Digital and they are going to talk about what IPM is, why it is important, various approaches and much more. Links mentioned in the podcast are below. National bee unit: https://www.nationalbeeunit.com/ Managing varroa booklet: https://www.nationalbeeunit.com/assets/PDFs/3_Resources...
Jun 05, 2024•15 min•Ep. 66
Just in time for World Environment Day, SRUC Alumni Officer Julie Robinson chats with alumna Laura Young, aka Less Waste Laura: climate activist, environmental scientist, ethical influencer and recently-awarded Scottish Influencer of the Year 2024. Learn about how Laura got started as a champion for the environment, her most recent campaigns, future goals and how you can follow in her footsteps and get involved in making a difference in your own life and community. Dive deeper: Find Laura across...
Jun 04, 2024•33 min•Ep. 65
May is Vet Nurse Awareness Month so in today's podcast episode, Adam Masri, Lecturer at the SRUC School of Veterinary Medicine, is speaking with Kirsty Young and Nikki McLeod to highlight and celebrate the various roles that veterinary nurses play in the veterinary profession. They'll discuss what their roles entail, how they came into them, and what you can do if you would also like to study to become a Veterinary Nurse.
May 30, 2024•24 min•Ep. 64
This episode of the SRUC podcast is all about transition. Adam Masri, Veterinary Lecturer at SRUC’s School of Veterinary Medicine talks to Veterinary Surgeon Robyn Geddes - a 2023 graduate from the University of Glasgow - about the transition from vet school to that first year in practice. In the podcast Robyn talks about her experience at vet school, what she misses about it, what criteria she thinks are important to consider when looking for that first job in practice, the RCVS’s Vet graduate ...
May 16, 2024•29 min•Ep. 62
This episode focuses on the SM@RT project and features an international cast of researchers. Sm@RT is a EU funded project, which started in 2021 and will finish later this year. It is about encouraging uptake of innovations and technologies by sheep and goats farmers in Europe and beyond, and facilitating exchange of knowledge and ideas between farmers and researchers. The project identified farmers needs in terms of technologies, proposed practical solutions and ran participatory events on farm...
May 16, 2024•40 min•Ep. 63
In this episode Alison Braddock, Marketing and Business Development Manager asks Heather Stevenson, Veterinary Investigation Officer based at Dumfries Disease Surveillance Centre about Nematodirus. This parasitic worm causes problems in lambs, so this podcast looks at clinical signs, diagnosis and top tips on treatment, prevention and control. The link to SCOPS | Sustainable Control of Parasites in Sheep is a useful tool to use. Please also see our Veterinary surveillance blogs | SRUC...
May 01, 2024•16 min•Ep. 61
There are ten species of bats in Scotland ranging from the Common pipistrelle to the rare Whiskered bat. They are a source of free pest control - with a single bat capable of eating up to 3,000 midges in a night - and are vital for maintaining healthy ecosystems. Learn more about the benefits of bats to farming landscapes and what actions farmers can take to support this protected species on their farms in this episode with Communications Officer Rosie Free and SAC Consultant Harry Fisher. To re...
Apr 29, 2024•15 min•Ep. 60
On this special episode of the SRUC podcast, Veterinary Lecturer Adam Masri is joined by Shereene Williams, Global Animal Health Advisor (Vet) at Brooke, Action For Working Horses and Donkeys. Shereene has had a successful career in equine veterinary care, and Adam chats with her about her career journey and the challenges past & present for women in the veterinary sector. Adam also highlights the career of Aleen Cust who became the first female veterinary surgeon in Ireland and Great Britai...
Apr 25, 2024•28 min•Ep. 59
Lucy and Ely run the Forest and Outdoor Learning Course at SRUC Barony. Here they sit down to have a frank discussion about the role of forest school in education, wider society and what they’ve learned delivering forest school training. LINKS: South of Scotland Training Courses (including forest and outdoor learning courses) SRUC Training Courses SRUC Wildlife & Conservation Management courses SRUC Forestry & Arboriculture (academic courses)...
Apr 19, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 58
We're back with another episode in our beekeeping series, and our second one looking at varroa. Lorraine Johnston, SRUC's Bee Advisory Officer, takes us through monitoring varroa and the dangers it can pose to bee populations. Varroa are tiny red-brown external parasites of honey bees. They are sometimes known as varroa destructor or varroa mites. Varroa is one of the most damaging honey bee pests in the world. A significant varroa mite infestation can lead to the death of a honey bee colony. LI...
Apr 18, 2024•12 min•Ep. 57
In this Veterinary Services ‘On the Hoof’ podcast episode, Alison Braddock, Marketing and Business Development Manager talks to Colin Mason, Centre Manager and VIO from Dumfries about turning out dairy youngstock. This podcast covers Coccidiosis risk and looks at how to prevent post turnout scours plus an overview of Summer Scour Syndrome.
Apr 12, 2024•16 min•Ep. 56
Opening in May 2024, the Rural and Veterinary Innovation Centre (RAVIC) is SRUC’s new £12.5m facility developing new links between science and industry to help address planetary health challenges and grow the natural economy. In this episode, William Ancell, Head of Content and Digital at SRUC, speaks with Professor George Gunn about the importance of RAVIC and how it relates to his own career. RAVIC will provide critical expertise and infrastructure to better manage planetary health challenges ...
Mar 20, 2024•19 min•Ep. 55
GreenShed, which has received nearly £3 million in funding from the UK Government, will use cattle waste products to power a methane capturing system and grow indoor crops. Led by SRUC and supported by partners at the University of Strathclyde, Agri-EPI Centre, No Pollution Industrial Systems Ltd, Galebreaker Agri, Organic Power Ireland, N2 Applied and Saturn Bioponics, the shed has been built at SRUC’s Easter Howgate farm. It addresses the need for the livestock farming sector to reduce its GHG...
Mar 19, 2024•10 min•Ep. 54
The Enterprise Challenge is an annual competition run by the SRUC Enterprise Academy for the Rural and Natural Environment that provides all students the opportunity to test, validate and fund new ideas. In this podcast, SRUC Website Officer Lacey Ward speaks with international student Eneyi Oshi - Mastercard Scholar and SRUC student studying Food Security, on her experience of coming to Scotland, studying at SRUC, working with the the Enterprise Academy, and ultimately winning the 2024 Enterpri...
Mar 13, 2024•22 min•Ep. 53
We all know plenty about best practice colostrum management for dairy calves and yet a failure of passive transfer still lies behind many calf health issues we see in dairy herds and beef units. Alison Braddock chats with special guests Katie Denholm and Ali Haggerty who have led several research projects in recent years focussing on these problems on commercial dairy farms. Katie Denholm is a farm animal academic clinician with a special interest in dairy calves and colostrum management at the ...
Mar 11, 2024•43 min•Ep. 52
Scottish Apprenticeship Week stands as a beacon of celebration, illuminating the invaluable contributions of apprenticeships across all sectors. It's a time when institutions like SRUC champion the virtues of hands-on learning, fostering a culture where individuals of all ages and backgrounds can thrive. Our guest of honour on this episode are two alumni apprentices. Nia Hunter who won modern apprentice of the year and agriculture learner of the year at last year’s Lantra ALBAS awards. She did h...
Mar 04, 2024•25 min•Ep. 51
In this episode, we talk to Annette Boerlage, Research Fellow at SRUC, who talks us through Aquaculture - what it is and what it entails. We learn about her academic journey through the Netherlands, Vietnam and Canada, and her work in epidemiology. In particular, Annette talks about the devastating impact of microscopic jellyfish on salmon farming in Scotland. Later on, we cover the approach to Aquaculture at SRUC, how the subject is being baked into courses at the new veterinary school in Aberd...
Mar 01, 2024•28 min•Ep. 50
This ‘On the Hoof’ podcast provides a quick recap about Bovine Abortion Investigation for vets in practice. Alison Braddock, Marketing and Business Development Manager asks Colin Mason, VIO and Centre Manager, Dumfries about what information is needed at the lab, when and what samples to take and not forgetting to celebrate the negative results! The Sampling Guide srucvs-sampling-guide.pdf is available on our website www.sruc.ac.uk/vets...
Feb 28, 2024•16 min•Ep. 49
In this latest episode in our beekeeping series, SRUC's Bee Advisory Officer Lorraine Johnston takes us through Varroa - the scourge of many a beekeeper. Lorraine goes through the basics of what Varroa is, how to spot it and what it can lead to. We’ll be doing more on Varroa in later episodes, as it is quite a detailed subject and a big one for beekeepers to be aware of. Lorraine is going on the road in the Highlands to spread the word about bee keeping to farmers, crofters and beginners. These ...
Feb 23, 2024•9 min•Ep. 48
In this ‘On The Hoof’ podcast for Vets in Practice, Alison Braddock, Marketing and Business Development Manager asks Lorna Shaw, Ruminant Nutritionist SAC Consulting about nutrition for ewes pre-lambing. Lorna explains about feeding systems and the importance of assessing the adequacy of nutrition on the farm. Troubleshooting common nutritional issues is also discussed plus how to identify areas for improvement. This podcast complements the bitesize webinar available on our website at Online CPD...
Feb 15, 2024•32 min•Ep. 47
In this ‘On The Hoof’ podcast for vets in practice, Alison Braddock chats to Dave Wilson, Health Schemes Veterinary Manager about what to do when a client’s animal tests positive for MV following a routine periodic blood test in the Premium Sheep and Goat Health Schemes. The podcast touches on how MV acts in the flock and the disease prevalence in GB. It also looks at the testing methodology and options to tackle the infection and how to cope with a larger flock breakdown. Further details can be...
Feb 01, 2024•30 min•Ep. 46
This ‘On The Hoof’ podcast caters for vets in practice with clients testing for Johne’s Disease in the Premium Sheep and Goat Health Schemes (PSGHS). Alison Braddock, Marketing and Business Development Manager talks to Dave Wilson, Health Schemes Veterinary Manager about the testing, paperwork and health plan requirements needed to become Johne’s Accredited and how to maintain health status. They also touch on the risk levels that are used. Further details can be found at www.sheepandgoathealth....
Jan 25, 2024•27 min•Ep. 45
This ‘On The Hoof’ podcast for vets in practice covers the Premium Sheep and Goat Health Schemes (PSGHS) ‘Monitoring’ Schemes for MV/CAE and Johne’s Disease. This scheme has been designed for flocks who are unable to meet the biosecurity requirements of Accreditation and is a lower health status but it does offer regular flock screening and an early warning to limit disease spread. Alison Braddock, SRUC Veterinary Services talks to Dave Wilson, Health Schemes Veterinary Manager about the testing...
Jan 18, 2024•20 min•Ep. 44
This ‘On The Hoof’ podcast for vets in practice covers MV/CAE Accreditation in SRUC’s Premium Sheep and Goat Health Schemes (PSGHS). Alison Braddock, SRUC Veterinary Services talks to Dave Wilson, Health Schemes Veterinary Manager about the testing and paperwork requirements needed to become MV/CAE Accredited, as well as how to maintain Accreditation and how farmer clients can go about adding animals to an MV/CAE Accredited flock or herd. Further details can be found at www.sheepandgoathealth.co...
Jan 08, 2024•27 min•Ep. 43
This ‘On The Hoof’ podcast for vets in practice, examines the importance of nutrition in suckler cows pre-calving. It covers feeding systems and how to assess the adequacy of nutrition on the farm. Alison Braddock, SRUC Veterinary Services talks to consultants and specialists in ruminant nutrition Lorna MacPherson and Karen Stewart (SAC Consulting). This podcast complements the bitesize CPD webinar for vets in practice....
Dec 20, 2023•22 min•Ep. 42
The investigation, diagnosis and control of Q fever to protect animal and human health does present vets and farmers with some challenges. In this podcast Alison Braddock Marketing and Business Development Manager asks Colin Mason VIO and Centre Manager about how vets should manage this disease with their clients. This follows a bitesize webinar on the subject...
Dec 15, 2023•24 min•Ep. 41
To place SRUC in the strongest possible position as we advance and develop our plans, to address a number of retirements from the Board, and to accelerate the pace of transformational change, the Board is seeking to recruit up to five new Non-Executive Directors. These roles present an opportunity to become involved and contribute to the future success of an organisation of strategic national importance at a period of exceptional change within the Tertiary Education Sector and the natural econom...
Dec 14, 2023•18 min•Ep. 40
Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD) is one of the most important diseases in terms of production losses and animal welfare. Disease dynamics are complex involving pathogens and the environment. In this podcast Alison Braddock, Marketing and Business Development Manager, asks Megan Fergusson, VIO (Veterinary Investigation Officer), about how vets can help their clients tackle this disease on the farm.
Dec 12, 2023•22 min•Ep. 39
