Stuart Gough
Stuart joined the CMC Technical Team in March 2025, bringing with him over 30 years of experience as a farm-focused veterinary surgeon.
Originally from the Borders of Scotland, Stuart qualified from Edinburgh Veterinary College in 1993. His love for agriculture and rural life led him to Cornwall, where he has lived and worked ever since, developing a deep understanding of livestock health and farm business needs.
Throughout his veterinary career, Stuart has worked closely with farmers, providing practical, common-sense solutions tailored to their unique challenges. He has also mentored many early-career vets, helping them navigate the complexities of farm animal health.
At CMC, Stuart is keen to expand his expertise in the feed industry and contribute to delivering effective, farm-specific support and problem-solving alongside the technical team.
Stuart lives just outside Saltash with his wife Lisa, their son Ruairidh (Rory), and his loyal Labrador, Bing. When not working, he enjoys cooking and playing music, balancing family life with his passions.
Articles by Stuart Gough
Managing Metabolic Risk
Good dry cow management launches them into lactation. Every dairy farmer knows the weeks around calving are critical. The “transition period” (about three weeks before and after calving) is when cows face their toughest metabolic test. Feed intake drops just as energy demands rise, and the cow starts pulling on her fat reserves. Managed well, she glides through this phase and into milk production. Managed poorly, she’s at risk of ketosis, fatty liver, retained placenta, displaced abomasum, or fertility issues later on.
Read More...Friday 10 Oct 2025
Keeping cows steady: managing milk fever and low calcium
Why calcium balance matters
Around calving, a cow’s calcium needs triple to produce colostrum and milk. If her body cannot mobilise calcium fast enough, she may suffer from milk fever (clinical hypocalcaemia) or hidden low calcium (subclinical hypocalcaemia). Both can cause loss of appetite, weaker muscles, and higher risk of disease, leading to reduced fertility and milk yield.
Read More...Friday 03 Oct 2025
Transition Feeding Strategies - Launching into Lactation
The 3 weeks before and after calving are arguably the most important in the Dairy Cows calendar. Getting everything right is critical for the cow’s health, fertility, and milk yield. Often referred to as the “transition period” (−21 to +21 days around calving), poorly managed nutrition during this window can directly influence many aspects of cow's health and performance, impacting on future production and calf health.
Read More...Friday 03 Oct 2025
Managing dry cows without Kexxtone: New tools for a new challenge
With Kexxtone™ boluses no longer available, transition cow management is facing renewed scrutiny. For many, particularly those managing high-risk or high-yielding herds, the question is: how do we continue to support energy balance and rumen function in the final weeks before calving without relying on monensin?
Read More...Wednesday 18 Jun 2025
Where has all the Kexxtone gone?
With recent discussions around dry cow management gaining momentum, it’s important to address the ongoing unavailability of Kexxtone and how this impacts transition cow strategies on farm.
Read More...Sunday 01 Jun 2025
Are your Cows Trending?
Dairy farms generate huge amounts of data—some find it invaluable, others struggle to link it to daily decisions. And let’s be honest: a graph on its own never made anything better. But spotting trends and setting trigger points for review, that’s where the value lies.
Read More...Tuesday 01 Apr 2025