Bluetongue: Protecting Our Flocks, Our Cows and Our Future

In this episode, Karen and Will are joined by guest host Matt Holmes and Jonathan Hobbs, veterinary surgeon, Director of North Park Vets and newly appointed President of the Sheep Veterinary Society.

Their topic is bluetongue, which has become a real concern for livestock farmers across the South West. What started as a disease many farmers hoped would remain a distant threat has become an increasingly important part of livestock management, with implications for animal health, fertility, lambing, calving and the financial resilience of farming businesses.

They talk about what is happening on the ground right now, what bluetongue means for our sheep flocks, dairy and beef herds and, importantly, what farms should be thinking about as we look ahead to 2027.

_{Published: Wednesday, 04 Nov 2026}