Author Topic: Hello from Edinburgh  (Read 15357 times)

sophie_aj

  • Joined Sep 2012
Hello from Edinburgh
« on: October 02, 2012, 08:10:58 pm »
Hello,

I am a new member based in Edinburgh as I am on the Graduate Veterinary Medicine Programme. I am a budding "future" smallholder to speak. I have already made a few posts as I was looking for goats milk for my soaps which thanks to this great community I have already made links. I really enjoyed the show on Sunday too.

I am particularly interested in anything vet-related and particularly I'd be interested to find out what sort of issues smallholders face when encountering veterinary treatment for their livestock and if they wish that vets could support them better then (let's disregard money for a moment) what they would like to see from vet support.

So yes, hello from Sophie

bloomer

  • Joined Aug 2010
  • leslie, fife
  • i have chickens, sheep and opinions!!!
Re: Hello from Edinburgh
« Reply #1 on: October 02, 2012, 08:13:49 pm »
hello from alloa


i don't have a smallholding as such just pets, they cost enough at the vets...


but we won't hold it against you i'm sure you will be a very useful person to have around :-)


welcome

Lesley Silvester

  • Joined Sep 2011
  • Telford
Re: Hello from Edinburgh
« Reply #2 on: October 02, 2012, 09:17:07 pm »
Hi, sophie and welcome   :wave: .  From what I've noted on here, there is a distinct shortage of vets who know much about goats.  I have experienced that in the past but now am lucky enough to have a great vet who does know goats but many other members are not so lucky.

Womble

  • Joined Mar 2009
  • Stirlingshire, Central Scotland
Re: Hello from Edinburgh
« Reply #3 on: October 02, 2012, 09:26:41 pm »
Hi Sophie,

For us, the problem is that our four nearest vets won't touch livestock, so we end up going some distance away to find the nearest practice that deals with large animals (and this is in a rural area too!).
 
HTH!
"All fungi are edible. Some fungi are only edible once." -Terry Pratchett

sophie_aj

  • Joined Sep 2012
Re: Hello from Edinburgh
« Reply #4 on: October 02, 2012, 09:28:06 pm »
From what I've noted on here, there is a distinct shortage of vets who know much about goats.  I have experienced that in the past but now am lucky enough to have a great vet who does know goats but many other members are not so lucky.

Yes that does appear to be somewhat lacking from our teaching  :( but I'm hoping to find a good goat vet connection to learn from myself. Also I might be able to organise talks from somebody good to increase the level of goat knowledge in the vet school itself. Great tip!

Carl f k

  • Joined Aug 2012
Re: Hello from Edinburgh
« Reply #5 on: October 02, 2012, 09:34:53 pm »
Hi and welcome.. I think you'll be busy on here :roflanim:

Drummournie

  • Joined Jul 2012
  • Cawdor - Nairnshire
Re: Hello from Edinburgh
« Reply #6 on: October 02, 2012, 09:55:02 pm »
Hello, nice to see you here! :wave:

Rosemary

  • Joined Oct 2007
  • Barry, Angus, Scotland
    • The Accidental Smallholder
Re: Hello from Edinburgh
« Reply #7 on: October 02, 2012, 10:49:18 pm »
Hello and welcome from Carnoustie :wave:

I have to say our vets are very good - it's a big practice and they do small, large animals and equines, so all our lot are with one practice. There are four that specialise in large animals / equines.

They are always willing to answer questions and explain what they are doing and why (see video of our sheep C section  :thumbsup: ) and will give you wee amounts of stuff if that's all you need.

sophie_aj

  • Joined Sep 2012
Re: Hello from Edinburgh
« Reply #8 on: October 03, 2012, 03:41:47 pm »

They are always willing to answer questions and explain what they are doing and why (see video of our sheep C section  :thumbsup: )

Hi Rosemary could you point me in the direction of the sheep C-section please  :)

bloomer

  • Joined Aug 2010
  • leslie, fife
  • i have chickens, sheep and opinions!!!
Re: Hello from Edinburgh
« Reply #9 on: October 03, 2012, 03:47:59 pm »
Lamb born by cesarean section


thats the c-section on u-tube

sophie_aj

  • Joined Sep 2012
Re: Hello from Edinburgh
« Reply #10 on: October 03, 2012, 04:04:35 pm »
 :thumbsup: Thank you!

darkbrowneggs

  • Joined Aug 2010
    • The World is My Lobster
Re: Hello from Edinburgh
« Reply #11 on: October 03, 2012, 04:13:40 pm »
Welcome to the forum,  :wave:  I am sure you knowledge will be a great help  :)
To follow my travel journal see http://www.theworldismylobster.org.uk

For lots of info about Marans and how to breed and look after them see www.darkbrowneggs.info

Fleecewife

  • Joined May 2010
  • South Lanarkshire
    • ScotHebs
Re: Hello from Edinburgh
« Reply #12 on: October 03, 2012, 04:19:49 pm »
Ooh the video was helpful  :thumbsup:
 
Sophie - welcome  :wave:
 
Our local vet practice is very good with smallholders in many ways - they will always open large packs of products and dispense smaller quantities to us.  Giant packs of most products if you don't have all that many animals are expensive and most has to be wasted if you stick with the use-by date.
 
When we first came to the area this practice was a bit scatheing about our 'funny wee sheep' but the vets soon realised we are serious about them.  They now appreciate the special qualities of primitives and have educated themselves about them.  They are always helpful even if they think our questions are stupid - they let us know though  ;D
Initially too we had the 'it's not worth treating - it's only a sheep' attitude.  We breed pedigree breeding stock of several minority breeds, so they have a value beyond simple finance.  That attitude has changed now especially as more smallholders set up in the area, and the practice is adapting to help them.
 
So a bit more in vet school about the non-commercial side of farm livestock keeping would be helpful.
 
Our practice treats all sizes of animals and they have a price tariff for small animals and one for farm livestock which fortunately is far more reasonable.
 
We in turn are loyal to our practice, buying our meds there, seeking advice and always using them for all our animals, great and small.
« Last Edit: October 03, 2012, 04:21:50 pm by Fleecewife »
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Lesley Silvester

  • Joined Sep 2011
  • Telford
Re: Hello from Edinburgh
« Reply #13 on: October 03, 2012, 05:56:53 pm »
That was a fascinating video.

plumseverywhere

  • Joined Apr 2013
  • Worcestershire
    • Its Baaath Time
    • Facebook
Re: Hello from Edinburgh
« Reply #14 on: October 04, 2012, 09:20:00 am »
Hi Sophie

welcome  :)

Our vet seems very clued up on goats so I guess we've been lucky. Unfortunately our disbudding this year seems to have gone a bit wrong and our kid has scurs that are thick and growing awkwardly. Was reluctant to put him back under anaesthetic but its looking like we have no choice now  :(

Glad you found some goats milk. I make a bit of soap myself too.

LIsa
Smallholding in Worcestershire, making goats milk soap for www.itsbaaathtime.com and mum to 4 girls,  goats, sheep, chickens, dog, cat and garden snails...

 

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