All Outputs (26)

Identifying veterinary surgeons’ barriers to, and potential solutions for, improving antimicrobial stewardship among sheep farmers in Northern Ireland (2024)
Journal Article
Crawford, P. E., Hamer, K., Lovatt, F., Behnke, M. C., & Robinson, P. A. (2024). Identifying veterinary surgeons’ barriers to, and potential solutions for, improving antimicrobial stewardship among sheep farmers in Northern Ireland. Veterinary Record Open, 11(1), Article e278. https://doi.org/10.1002/vro2.78

Background: In order to improve antimicrobial stewardship (AMS), including changes in antimicrobial prescribing and use, an enhanced understanding is needed of the barriers that veterinary surgeons (vets) encounter to institute such change. Methods:... Read More about Identifying veterinary surgeons’ barriers to, and potential solutions for, improving antimicrobial stewardship among sheep farmers in Northern Ireland.

The tales of contradiction: A thematic analysis of British sheep farmers’ perceptions of managing sheep scab in their flocks (2024)
Journal Article
Smith, A. E. O., Doidge, C., Knific, T., Lovatt, F., & Kaler, J. (2024). The tales of contradiction: A thematic analysis of British sheep farmers’ perceptions of managing sheep scab in their flocks. Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 227, Article 106194. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prevetmed.2024.106194

Sheep scab is endemic in Great Britain with an estimated national herd-level prevalence of 10.9% from a surveyed population of sheep farms. Previous studies have investigated how sheep farmers manage sheep scab on their farms in Great Britain, but th... Read More about The tales of contradiction: A thematic analysis of British sheep farmers’ perceptions of managing sheep scab in their flocks.

Improving analgesia provision for sheep: An analysis of farm medicine records and attitudes towards pain relief on sheep farms in Northern Ireland (2023)
Journal Article
Crawford, P. E., Hamer, K., Lovatt, F., Behnke, M. C., & Robinson, P. A. (2023). Improving analgesia provision for sheep: An analysis of farm medicine records and attitudes towards pain relief on sheep farms in Northern Ireland. Veterinary Record Open, 10(2), Article e75. https://doi.org/10.1002/vro2.75

Background
Management of pain is critical to improve the welfare of farmed livestock and meet consumer expectations. There is limited published information about the use of analgesic drugs in the sheep sector.

Methods
A mixed-method approach was... Read More about Improving analgesia provision for sheep: An analysis of farm medicine records and attitudes towards pain relief on sheep farms in Northern Ireland.

Longitudinal study of antimicrobial use patterns, vaccination and disease prevalence in British sheep flocks (2023)
Journal Article
Davies, P. L., Hyde, R. M., & Lovatt, F. M. (2023). Longitudinal study of antimicrobial use patterns, vaccination and disease prevalence in British sheep flocks. Veterinary Record, 193(2), Article e2786. https://doi.org/10.1002/vetr.2786

Background: The aim of the study was to describe the longitudinal dynamics of antimicrobial use (AMU) on sheep farms and explore associations between AMU and management factors, vaccination strategies, reproductive performance and prevalence of lamen... Read More about Longitudinal study of antimicrobial use patterns, vaccination and disease prevalence in British sheep flocks.

The impact of glutaraldehyde based footbaths on Dichelobacter nodosus prevalence and the antimicrobial resistant community of the ovine interdigital skin (2022)
Journal Article
Marshall, H. J., Blanchard, A. M., Kelly, K. R., Goh, J. N., Williams, A. D., King, L., …Tötemeyer, S. (2022). The impact of glutaraldehyde based footbaths on Dichelobacter nodosus prevalence and the antimicrobial resistant community of the ovine interdigital skin. Veterinary Microbiology, 272, Article 109459. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetmic.2022.109459

Ovine footrot, is a highly contagious polymicrobial bacterial infection, primarily caused by Dichelobacter nodosus. Preventative bactericidal footbaths are commonly used in the sheep industry to reduce the spread of bacteria. However, their effect on... Read More about The impact of glutaraldehyde based footbaths on Dichelobacter nodosus prevalence and the antimicrobial resistant community of the ovine interdigital skin.

Failure to detect Schmallenberg Virus in ram semen in the UK (2016-2018) (2022)
Journal Article
Curwen, A., Jones, S., Stayley, C., Eden, L., McKay, H., Davies, P., …Tarlinton, R. (2022). Failure to detect Schmallenberg Virus in ram semen in the UK (2016-2018). Veterinary Record Open, 9(1), Article e39. https://doi.org/10.1002/vro2.39

Background
Schmallenberg virus is a midge borne arbovirus that first emerged in the European ruminant population in 2011 and has since settled to an endemic pattern of disease The impacts of trade restrictions on genetic products (semen, embryos) f... Read More about Failure to detect Schmallenberg Virus in ram semen in the UK (2016-2018).

From the other perspective: Behavioural factors associated with UK sheep farmers’ attitudes towards antibiotic use and antibiotic resistance (2021)
Journal Article
Doidge, C., Lima, E., Lovatt, F., Hudson, C., & Kaler, J. (2021). From the other perspective: Behavioural factors associated with UK sheep farmers’ attitudes towards antibiotic use and antibiotic resistance. PLoS ONE, 16(5), Article e0251439. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0251439

Research suggests that many sheep farmers continue to carry out traditional antibiotic use practices despite new’good practice’ recommendations. The aim of this study was to group farmers depending on their attitudes around antibiotic use and antibio... Read More about From the other perspective: Behavioural factors associated with UK sheep farmers’ attitudes towards antibiotic use and antibiotic resistance.

Understanding farmers' naturalistic decision making around prophylactic antibiotic use in lambs using a grounded theory and natural language processing approach (2020)
Journal Article
Doidge, C., Ferguson, E., Lovatt, F., & Kaler, J. (2021). Understanding farmers' naturalistic decision making around prophylactic antibiotic use in lambs using a grounded theory and natural language processing approach. Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 186, Article 105226. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prevetmed.2020.105226

The routine use of antibiotics for prevention of disease in neonatal lambs has been highlighted as inappropriate, yet research suggests that many farmers in the UK still carry out this practice. The aim of the study was to understand farmers' natural... Read More about Understanding farmers' naturalistic decision making around prophylactic antibiotic use in lambs using a grounded theory and natural language processing approach.

Impact of Flock Health Clubs (2020)
Journal Article
Noble, N., Occhiuto, F., Lovatt, F., Johnson, M., Jones, W., & Kaler, J. (2020). Impact of Flock Health Clubs. Livestock, 25(6), 301-307. https://doi.org/10.12968/live.2020.25.6.301

Sheep farming is an important part of UK agriculture with significantly more breeding females than either the pig or cattle sectors. Whether grazing alongside arable rotations or utilising the marginal uplands, sheep farms arguably play a key role th... Read More about Impact of Flock Health Clubs.

Antimicrobial use practices and opinions of beef farmers in England and Wales (2020)
Journal Article
Doidge, C., Hudson, C. D., Burgess, R., Lovatt, F., & Kaler, J. (2020). Antimicrobial use practices and opinions of beef farmers in England and Wales. Veterinary Record, 187(12), e119-e119. https://doi.org/10.1136/vr.105878

© British Veterinary Association. Background Limited research exists on antimicrobial use practices of beef farmers. This study aimed to investigate antimicrobial practices and perceptions of beef farmers in England and Wales, and identify drivers of... Read More about Antimicrobial use practices and opinions of beef farmers in England and Wales.

Farmers' Perceptions of Preventing Antibiotic Resistance on Sheep and Beef Farms: Risk, Responsibility, and Action (2020)
Journal Article
Doidge, C., Ruston, A., Lovatt, F., Hudson, C., King, L., & Kaler, J. (2020). Farmers' Perceptions of Preventing Antibiotic Resistance on Sheep and Beef Farms: Risk, Responsibility, and Action. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 7, Article 524. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2020.00524

© 2020 Doidge, Ruston, Lovatt, Hudson, King and Kaler.

Antibiotic resistance is one of the most serious public health risks facing humanity. The overuse of antibiotics in the treatment of infectious disease have been identified as sources of the... Read More about Farmers' Perceptions of Preventing Antibiotic Resistance on Sheep and Beef Farms: Risk, Responsibility, and Action.

Variable selection for inferential models with relatively high-dimensional data: Between method heterogeneity and covariate stability as adjuncts to robust selection (2020)
Journal Article
Lima, E., Davies, P., Kaler, J., Lovatt, F., & Green, M. (2020). Variable selection for inferential models with relatively high-dimensional data: Between method heterogeneity and covariate stability as adjuncts to robust selection. Scientific Reports, 10, Article 8002. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-64829-0

Variable selection in inferential modelling is problematic when the number of variables is large relative to the number of data points, especially when multicollinearity is present. A variety of techniques have been described to identify ‘important’... Read More about Variable selection for inferential models with relatively high-dimensional data: Between method heterogeneity and covariate stability as adjuncts to robust selection.

Update on caseous lymphadenitis in sheep (2020)
Journal Article
Gascoigne, E., Ogden, N., Lovatt, F., & Davies, P. (2020). Update on caseous lymphadenitis in sheep. In Practice, 42(2), 105-114. https://doi.org/10.1136/inp.m455

Background: Caseous lymphadenitis (CLA), caused by the gram-positive bacteria Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis, has been present in Great Britain since the 1980s and is now considered endemic. CLA is considered to be an iceberg disease; that is, it... Read More about Update on caseous lymphadenitis in sheep.

Use of bootstrapped, regularised regression to identify factors associated with lamb-derived revenue on commercial sheep farms (2019)
Journal Article
Lima, E., Green, M., Lovatt, F., Davies, P., King, L., & Kaler, J. (2020). Use of bootstrapped, regularised regression to identify factors associated with lamb-derived revenue on commercial sheep farms. Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 174, Article 104851. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prevetmed.2019.104851

The profitability of UK sheep farms is variable with many farms making a net loss. For economic sustainability, farms have to be profitable, therefore it is important to maximise income whilst controlling costs. The most important source of income in... Read More about Use of bootstrapped, regularised regression to identify factors associated with lamb-derived revenue on commercial sheep farms.

Sustainable lamb production: Evaluation of factors affecting lamb growth using hierarchical, cross classified and multiple memberships models (2019)
Journal Article
Lima, E., Lovatt, F., Green, M., Roden, J., Davies, P., & Kaler, J. (2020). Sustainable lamb production: Evaluation of factors affecting lamb growth using hierarchical, cross classified and multiple memberships models. Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 174, Article 104822. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prevetmed.2019.104822

© 2019 Elsevier B.V. In light of current concerns about the sustainability of red meat production in a world with increasing global demand for food from animal origin there is a need for a better understanding of factors that influence the growth rat... Read More about Sustainable lamb production: Evaluation of factors affecting lamb growth using hierarchical, cross classified and multiple memberships models.

Do UK sheep farmers use orf vaccine correctly and could their vaccination strategy affect vaccine efficacy? (2019)
Journal Article
Small, S., Cresswell, L., Lovatt, F., Gummery, E., Onyango, J., McQuilkin, C., & Wapenaar, W. (2019). Do UK sheep farmers use orf vaccine correctly and could their vaccination strategy affect vaccine efficacy?. Veterinary Record, 185(10), 305. https://doi.org/10.1136/vr.105472

© British Veterinary Association 2019. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ. Orf, a parapoxvirus, is a zoonosis causing a contagious pustular dermatitis, and has a high morbidity in sheep worldwide. Despite a vaccine bei... Read More about Do UK sheep farmers use orf vaccine correctly and could their vaccination strategy affect vaccine efficacy?.

Dealing with maedi visna in UK sheep flocks (2019)
Journal Article
Ogden, N., Davies, P., & Lovatt, F. (2019). Dealing with maedi visna in UK sheep flocks. In Practice, 41(7), 321-328. https://doi.org/10.1136/inp.l4838

Background: Maedi visna (MV) is considered to be one of the ‘iceberg diseases’ of sheep; a group of infectious, production-limiting diseases which are endemic to the UK. Characterised by slow, progressive onset, these diseases lie undetected and can... Read More about Dealing with maedi visna in UK sheep flocks.

Using lamb sales data to investigate associations between implementation of disease preventive practices and sheep flock performance (2019)
Journal Article
Lima, E., Lovatt, F., Davies, P., & Kaler, J. (2019). Using lamb sales data to investigate associations between implementation of disease preventive practices and sheep flock performance. Animal, 13(11), 2630-2638. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1751731119001058

Although the UK is the largest lamb meat producer in Europe, there are limited data available on sheep flock performance and on how sheep farmers manage their flocks. The aims of this study were to gather evidence on the types of disease control prac... Read More about Using lamb sales data to investigate associations between implementation of disease preventive practices and sheep flock performance.

Increasing vet and sheep flock interactions in dairy practice (2019)
Journal Article
Gasgoine, E., Lovatt, F., Davies, A., & Reader, J. (2019). Increasing vet and sheep flock interactions in dairy practice. In Practice, 41(4), 177-181. https://doi.org/10.1136/inp.l1530

© 2019 BMJ Publishing Group Limited. Sheep medicine has traditionally been a low priority for cattle-dominated practice, as it is commonly thought that there is minimal financial opportunities in this sector. The perception has been that the vet's ro... Read More about Increasing vet and sheep flock interactions in dairy practice.

To prescribe or not to prescribe? A factorial survey to explore veterinarians’ decision making when prescribing antimicrobials to sheep and beef farmers in the UK (2019)
Journal Article
Doidge, C., Hudson, C., Lovatt, F., & Kaler, J. (2019). To prescribe or not to prescribe? A factorial survey to explore veterinarians’ decision making when prescribing antimicrobials to sheep and beef farmers in the UK. PLoS ONE, 14(4), Article e0213855. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0213855

Resistance to antimicrobials is one of the biggest challenges worldwide for public health. A key strategy for tackling this is ensuring judicious use of antimicrobials in human and veterinary medicine. Whilst there are many studies in human medicine... Read More about To prescribe or not to prescribe? A factorial survey to explore veterinarians’ decision making when prescribing antimicrobials to sheep and beef farmers in the UK.