Beef

Fertility

As well as performing pregnancy diagnosis via rectal ultrasound from 30days in calf, our vets can also advise on synchronization protocols and heifer management. Castle Vets also provides bull fertility checks and certification, giving you peace of mind before introducing the bull to your stock or prior to sale.

Infectious Disease Management

We can advise on any infectious disease outbreak, including cases of abortion, respiratory disease or wasting syndromes. As prevention is always better than cure, we encourage our farmers to screen for common diseases such as BVD, as well as performing follow up diagnostics in cases of unknown diseases. We can also provide advice about and take the necessary samples for accreditation schemes.

Nutrition

Cases of bloat, infertility and poor growth nearly always warrant an investigation into your herd’s nutritional status. Pre-calving nutritional checks on cows via blood sampling can also be a crucial indicator of energy levels and mineral and trace element balance in your stock.

Herd Health Planning

Working with our team of vets to create a comprehensive health plan will benefit your stock. We aim to go above and beyond the Red Tractor guidelines, providing you with follow up support and additional resources such as disease management protocols tailored to your farm.

TB Testing

Our team of vets and dedicated TB testers aim to provide an excellent and efficient service. Both whole herd tests and pre-movements can be booked in by calling our reception team.

Vet Technician Services

Veterinary technicians can provide additional services to you, at a reduced rate. These include disbudding and calf health monitoring, both of which can save you time and improve the efficiency of your herd.

Beef Discussion Group

Castle Vets runs a successful and busy Beef Club, with a monthly subscription covering your herd health planning and attendance at excellent discussion groups and meetings. Certain inhouse diagnostics and discounts on courses are also included. The club has a broad range of members with a variety of commercial outputs including sucklers, stores and fat bullocks. We’d love for you to join us – please give our reception a call to find out more.

Emergencies

As an independent practice, we manage all emergencies amongst our own team of vets. Our on-call vet holds the phone, meaning you can always get directly through to the person you need. Cattle caesareans are always attended by two vets, giving the highest chance of a successful outcome through increasing the speed, quality and cleanliness of the operation. Just call our normal Launceston number to speak to our emergency vet – 01566 772371.