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Foreword Proactive youngstock health management is critical not only to optimise animal welfare and production efficiency and profitability, but also to minimising the environmental impact of livestock production. The morbidity and mortality rates tolerated by some producers, and at times even accepted by their vets, are often far too high. Whether it is the loss of dairy bull calves, who may have little monetary value but nevertheless contribute to both the carbon footprint and other environmental impacts of a dairy if not utilised for food production, dairy heifers with the additional loss of the best genetics in the herd or a beef suckler calf representing the only product of the cow that year, we need to do all we can to prevent death and disease. Even where calves do not die, managing sick animals is costly in treatment and labour and antibiotic use in these animals to treat, and on some farms still to prevent disease, is very likely to contribute to antimicrobial resistance. The only logical conclusion that one can come to is that if cattle units are to remain viable and produce sustainable milk and meat, we need to redouble efforts to prevent disease. Sometimes we talk of new science, while at other times we find ourselves repeating ‘the same old message’. The need for adequate colostrum management is one such case, the messages may not be new but far too many calves still fail to receive enough maternally derived antibody, making the article in this supplement on colostrum vital reading. Don't assume you, or more importantly your clients, know everything there is to know about colostrum. After ensuring calves have received initial protection via maternal derived antibody from colostrum then we need to ensure they are protected from infections as they grow, particularly respiratory diseases. Despite having had good vaccines for over 20 years, their uptake in the national herd I believe is still suboptimal, far too many calves still receive antimicrobials, and poor growth rates are common due to chronic lung damage. Ellie Button explains well in her article ‘Calf disease: an immunological perspective’ the calf's innate and acquired immunity and describes how an understanding of the calf's developing immunity can be used to enhance disease prevention. Finally, Kat Hart and colleagues discuss communication and promoting behaviour change in ‘How to engage farmers in youngstock care: a clinical forum’, something that in the past we have often forgotten. It's not good enough for vets to understand the science and turn a blind eye to poor on farm practices, or to simply tell clients what to do and walk away expecting them to do as they have been told! We often need to motivate clients towards real lasting change, and to do that we all need to communicate better. Together the three articles in this supplement are a powerful combination, the challenge is to read them and then effect valuable changes on your clients’ farms.

Bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) is a significant cause of economic and production losses to the cattle industry worldwide. The significance of this disease has been recognised by a number of European nations and has led to the implementation of multiple national eradication campaigns over the last 25 years. The Scandinavians were the first to introduce national BVDV eradication measures in the early 1990s and this aim was achieved over a 10 year period. The successful Scandinavian programmes have demonstrated that eradication of BVDV at the national level is a real possibility. This article discusses the progress, testing regimens and methodologies of the various BVDV eradication schemes that are underway across Europe-from those that have now finished to those that are just beginning.

As farm veterinary surgeons, we are in the position of needing to communicate our information, ideas and feelings about animal health and welfare with our farmer clients. Studies looking at communication in the healthcare and companion animal veterinary profession show that effective communication skills help achieve a positive client/patient interaction and outcome, including satisfaction levels. Communication has three elements: verbal, non-verbal and paraverbal. Non-verbal communication conveys more effectively than the other two elements how we feel about and our attitudes towards a situation and person. Having a better understanding of non-verbal communication, as part of an overall approach to improving communication skills, could therefore help veterinary surgeons have better interactions with their farmers, leading to a more satisfying relationship for both parties. Research ongoing at the University of Nottingham and Bristol is aiming to establish a methodology to measure non-verbal parameters in the farmer-vet interaction using GoPro cameras.

Difficult conversations can happen in all aspects of daily life and can certainly take place during the working life of a farm animal veterinary surgeon. Conversations involve both verbal and nonverbal content. This article will examine why conversations can be difficult and provide examples within a veterinary context. It will explore the role that emotions play and the associated nonverbal behaviours exhibited. Finally, it will consider some ways to help manage emotions and highlight how nonverbal communication can be used to better engage with others, thus increasing the chance of positive outcomes for difficult conversations.