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.

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Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) remains an important condition of calves that leads to reduced weight gain and productivity as well as incurring significant cost in terms of management, treatment and prevention. The disease is multi-factorial with numerous viruses (bovine herpesvirus 1 (BoHV1); bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV); parainfluenza 3 virus (PI3); and bovine virus diarrhoea virus (BVDV)) and bacteria (Mycoplasma bovis, Pasteurella multocida, Mannheimia haemolytica, Histophilus somni) being implicated in its aetiology. While the economic impact is well documented, and despite in excess of 2900 research publications related to the disease in the last 30 years, BRD continues to be a major concern clinically.

Increasing numbers of veterinary practices are running courses on the safe and effective use of veterinary medicines. During the last 5 years, demonstration of medicines competence has become increasingly important as part of the farm assurance process. It is now compulsory for Red Tractor assured beef, sheep and dairy farmers to have undertaken recent and suitable medicines training. The correct use of veterinary medicines provides an essential contribution to many topical issues; including antimicrobial and anthelmintic resistance, animal welfare and consumer safety. This article discusses the requirements and content of a medicines course and then draws on the experience of a panel of veterinary surgeons to explore the various approaches to running a medicines course as a veterinary practice.