Up to 60% off
Up to 60% off
COUNTRY HOOF SOLUTIONS SPONSORS THIS MONTH’S WORD SEARCH
The lucky winner, to be drawn on Friday 16th June, will win a £20.00 Welland Valley Feeds Voucher. Developed by United Farmers in conjunction with industry experts, Country Hoof Solution Footbath (5ltr & 20ltr), Cattle Gel and Sheep Spray are 3 products newly stocked by Welland Valley Feeds. With an extensive Research & Development department, this range of products has been specifically developed and scientifically patented to be used as part of a lameness management plan for cattle and sheep. These natural animal health products play a role in the maintenance of good health and improving animal performance naturally using organic acids and tea tree oil. The word search describes the products and some of the qualities of Country Hoof Solution products.
There have been a few changes in all three key areas (Sales, Warehouse, Administration) of Welland Valley Feeds recently. CLAIRE joined us in 2005 and is moving out of the area so we will miss her banter in the warehouse but wish her well in her new venture. SAM, who started off as a Saturday / Weekend assistant 2018 has grown and developed to be a key resource in the warehouse and drives the vans. He is moving on to pastures new in sheep farming. JACK and MATT were recruited in lockdown as their Event Management Businesses were adversely affected by COVID-19. We are pleased that their businesses are now opening up with the easing of lockdown. JO, who has worked as a sales assistant, in the warehouse and latterly in the office, has moved on to pastures new. We thank them all for their hard work and support during their time with us at Welland Valley Feeds These changes present opportunities for ANNABEL (who will cover Mondays and Tuesdays and RYAN (who will cover Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays) as drivers and warehouse assistants. We are very pleased to be welcoming back LYDIA who will be filling the vacancy created by Claire’s departure. RACHEL and BELLE have recently joined the team as sales assistants on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays and we look forward to watching them grow and develop in the little family that is Welland Valley Feeds.
Show season after the time off due to the COVID-19 pandemic calls for special attention to your equine friends, especially their joints. Both leisure or elite performance horses are subjected to considerable stress during training and raiding. Since they pack a lot of muscles, horses’ joints are the first areas where you can see signs of wear and tear.
Yes, horses are built to run, but we often ask them to go above and beyond what they are naturally made to do during shows and competitions.
Cartilage and joint fluid are the first to suffer. Cartilage covers the ends of the bones in a joint. It is elastic and spongy material with the role to absorb the shock as a horse runs or jumps. Joint fluid is also a shock absorber. It’s a vicious and thick fluid able to lubricate the joint.
However, during a strenuous exercise or a show, joint fluid can become thinner, and cartilage can be damaged. As a result, your horse can perform poorly or experience discomfort. The same happens as horses age.
On the other hand, horses are very resilient. They might not show you that they experience discomfort in their joints before developing a serious joint problem or horse arthritis. It’s precisely why prevention is the best solution in this scenario.
Fortunately, there is an easy way to provide the necessary care to your horse and supports its joints. Horse joint supplements for senior and younger horses offer all the essential ingredients to keep the joints healthy in your active and happy horse.
Product Highlight
Provides a carefully balanced ratio of key electrolytes: sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium and magnesium.
We stock a range of Ezi-Groom products available in a variety of colours
Supreme Products Make Up £10.94
The Equine Pick ‘n’ Mix!
The population of pet dogs in the UK has jumped from 7.6 million in 2010/11 to over 12 million in 2020/21. Dogs are known to be your best friend and we believe you should ensure you care for them to reflect this important relationship. When the summer is upon us, we humans can’t wait to get out in the sun but our canine friends need a bit of protection and some common sense to ensure they don’t succumb to heatstroke – which can be fatal in minutes. Your furry friend isn’t able to sweat through their skin – they regulate their body temperature by panting and releasing heat through their paws and nose. They can’t strip off either! Once your dog shows signs of heatstroke, the damage is already done so prevention is better than cure
Preventing heatstroke
Ensure they have access to clean water at all times – at home, or on the move.
On hot days, walk your dog during the cooler parts of the day (early morning / late evening).
If the pavement is too hot for your hand it is too hot for your dog’s paw – place the back of your hand on the surface for 5 seconds – if you can’t, it’s too hot for paws.
Road Refresher Non Spill Bowl:
Watch your pet for signs of over-heating – heavy panting, loss of energy, dribbling, collapse. Stop and find a shady spot – with a draught if possible. Give your dog some water and wet their coat with cool (not freezing) water. Call the vet.
Make cool tasty treats by making ice cubes with your dog’s favourite food inside. NEVER leave your dog (or any pet) alone in a car, even with the windows open – a reasonable 22°C outside quickly (within an hour) becomes a life threatening 47°C. “I won’t be long” is TOO LONG.
Bear in mind that short nosed dogs and overweight dogs can get heatstroke simply by running around.
We also stock sunblock which is for horses but also other susceptible animals
The start of the summer is an excellent opportunity to regulate your dog’s or cat’s diet for optimal health. Unfortunately, our weight and diet often get “shaky” during the summer, and it’s the same thing with our favourite pets.
During the summer, your pets need an adjusted diet with less or more food, depending on their activities. For example, some pets eat less during the summer while others eat more. On the other hand, some animals are more active when it’s warm, and some feel exhausted as they aren’t used to high temperatures.
Weight and activity as leading indicators
During the summer, you should look for changes in your pet’s activity level and weight. For example, if the animal only likes to nap and rest during sunshine, you should reduce their food or find something with fewer calories.
But if your furry friend likes running around the park during the year, increasing their diet is a good idea. When it comes to weight, you need to monitor it closely and consult with your vet on what their ideal weight is.
Your best friend shouldn’t have visible ribs. But on the other hand, you should be able to “feel them” through their coat when pressing mildly on their torso.
Pay attention to what your pet does outside!
If you let your dog or cat outside, they might be grabbing a sneaky meal from someone else. This is especially common with cats. Neighbours and other people who love animals often like to feed animals outside.
More importantly, our furry friends can remember well where they can score an extra snack. So if you’ve reduced daily food and your pet is still getting heavier, consider giving them even less.
Even if you have an indoor pet, consider adding some activity and play with them in your home unless they simply can’t stand the heat that well.
Remember to ask about the Burns and Barking Heads loyalty scheme in store.
Now summer is finally with us it’s time to enjoy the results of your hard work in the garden from the spring. With the warmer weather with us, it also brings out the critters… and not all of them are desirable, take care with aphids as they will snack on your plants. It’s also important now to remember to water your plants (either early in the morning or late evening to avoid burning the leaves) to make sure that nothing dries out, and to also aid any young plant growth. This is especially important if you have any fruits and veggies growing. Borders and lawns should be continuously weeded to prevent them taking over, and dead heading should be done on flowers that have ‘gone over’ to encourage new growth. Mowing will now need to be done more regularly with the rain and the warmth causing the grass to shoot up(!), sometimes up to twice a week (weather permitting of course).
Our top picks for the garden this July...
United Farmers Country Hoof Care
Take time to control thistles in established grassland and prevent them spreading seed this summer. Treat thistles at the vegetative ‘rosette’ stage. Ensure the rosette is not taller than a wellie boot.Cut down tall, flowering thistles, and treat the fresh regrowth three weeks later. Don’t treat stressed weeds, as they will not be actively growing, and herbicides will not be translocated down to the roots. Treating stressed plants can cause a reduction in apical dominance in creeping thistle, resulting in more shoots emerging. If weeds are stressed, it is likely that the grass will be too. Treating grass which is stressed with a herbicide is likely to result in damage. Herbicide options for thistles: Where thistles dominate, spray with Thistlex® or Lontrel® 600 using a tractor mounted or self-propelled sprayer. Thistlex and Lontrel 600 controls all species of thistles. If the area taken by the thistles is less than 5%, it is more economical to spot treat with Grazon®Pro.
Welland Valley Feeds stock:
Even though the government in the UK has made efforts to suppress sheep scabs and eradicate this disease, the problem is still growing. As a farmer, you need to pay special attention to this pest regardless of the number of sheep you have in your flock.
It’s essential to control your animals and prevent issues before severe symptoms arise. A severe infection will ruin your sheeps’ condition, cause seizures, and even lead to death. Apart from this, your sheep might show signs like scab formation, fleece loss, itching, rubbing, and so on.
Prevention with biosecurity
Good biosecurity can significantly reduce the risk of sheep scab. Keep your flock closed and make sure to isolate the animals that are showing signs of sheep scab. Create solid boundaries and think about measures to ensure that parasites don’t get attached to your equipment, clothes, or other people.
When adding new animals to your grounds, keep them isolated as they might get infected during transport, at the market, or with previous owners. If you notice developing signs of scab, contact a vet and have them run blood tests on the animal(s).
Treatment in case of detection
If your vet has diagnosed your flock with the scab, you will have to eliminate the threat instantly. Your animals need to be treated for at least 17 days while all the mites are still active within the contaminated environment.
At the same time, you need to make sure to quarantine the environment and prevent the mites from getting onto you or anyone else. Even if you only diagnosed one sheep from your flock, treat them all as this is the only way to ensure that the parasites aren’t spreading.
Leave a comment