Project Timeline
Project updates as they happen.
Click on the titles for more information.
June 2021
New film to tackle liver fluke disease
Farmers, vets and livestock disease experts report the findings of the three-year Hill Sheep Health North project.
Together they used a collaborative approach to design, implement and understand disease control programmes in a more meaningful and efficient way.
The Hill Sheep Health […]
May 2021
Webinar – Managing liver fluke in Hill Sheep – 26th May 2021
Our focused webinar, ‘Managing liver fluke in Hill Sheep – a farmer led approach’, presented findings from a three-year project in which Cumbrian and Yorkshire Dales farmers worked with disease experts on a joint approach to tackle liver fluke disease.
Working […]
January 2021
Farmers, vets, and the operational group meet online with Prof Diana Williams, Liverpool University, January 2021
Farmers, vets, and the operational group meet online with Prof Diana Williams, Chair in Veterinary Parasitology, Department of Infection Biology and Microbiomes, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, Liverpool University, 28th January 2021
Diana presented information on how the different […]
November 2020
Farmers meet online with Lesley Stubbings, Sheep Consultant, November 2020
Farmers, vets and the operational group meet online with Lesley Stubbings, Sheep Consultant on the 4th November 2020
The aim of the online meeting was to discuss the role of the Sustainable Control of Parasites in Sheep (SCOPS) as an umbrella […]
August 2020
Watch now – Using the fluke app data with your vet
During the Covid 19 outbreak, the farmers in the groups have not been able to meet up on-farm, but some have been able to meet online instead. ‘Using the […]
March 2020
Workshop – Identifying liver fluke at Post Mortem – 11th March 2020
This spring, Hill Sheep North hosted a workshop for the Cumbria farmer group which explained what to look for when identifying Liver Fluke at post mortem.
We are grateful to Millcroft Veterinary Surgeon, Matt Linnett for delivering this informative session. For […]
Invaluable parasite forecasting tool relaunched
Sustainable Control of Parasites in Sheep (SCOPS) nematodirus forecasting tool will prove an invaluable method of checking the risk to lambs this spring.
To find out more and sign up to alerts, visit: https://www.scops.org.uk/news/5856/invaluable-parasite-forecasting-tool-relaunched/ […]
February 2020
Farmer meetings held in February
Farmers wanting to learn more about Liver fluke met with experts this week in Yorkshire and Cumbria. Full details will be published in due course.
January 2020
July 2019
On-Farm liverfluke event, Cogden Hall, Richmond, North Yorkshire
The Farmer Network hosted an event with the Yorkshire Farmers at Cogden Hall, Richmond, North Yorkshire on the 10th July 2019.
Farmers will learned what the Hill Sheep Health North Project had been investigating with a group of farmers in Cumbria […]
Hill farmers join forces to fight the threat of fluke
You can read about the project in July's The Northern Farmer publication here
On-Farm liver fluke event, Keswick Climbing Wall, Goosewell Farm, Cumbria
The Farmer Network hosted an event with Cumbria farmers at Keswick Climbing Wall, Goosewell Farm, Burns, near Keswick on the 11th July 2019.
At this event farmers were able to learn what the Hill Sheep Health North Project had been investigating […]
May 2019
Project information flyer published
In May, the operational group published an information flyer about the project. The aim of the flyer was to inform farmers, vets and industry specialists about how the project aims to tackle liver fluke with Yorkshire and Cumbria farmers.
You can […]
March 2019
Sign up to parasite alerts
Farmers can sign up to parasite alerts at NADIS animal health skills. NADIS publishes a monthly Parasite Forecast for farmers and vets based on detailed Met office data and the forecast. The Parasite Forecast outlines the parasitic challenge facing cattle and sheep in the different regions of the UK.
February 2019
Liver Fluke Post Mortem
Video and photos resources taken from the Liverfluke post mortem evening at Bainbridge Vets, Leyburn, with Davinia Hinde Following the meeting that took place with Yorkshire Farmers in January, participants discussed feedback from their abattoirs, those that were able to get feedback had been ok so far. Farmers received the AHDB Beef and Lamb information booklets that give guidance on likely causes of damage to liver and other organs.
January 2019
Yorkshire and Cumbria farmer meetings in January
Eight farmers in Yorkshire and six in Cumbria met to discuss their experience with sheep health last year, their progress with the treatments App and findings from tests for the presence of liver fluke in their flocks. No-one had seen any signs of liver fluke in lambs last summer and over the autumn. The dry year had reduced numbers.
October 2018
A busy time of year
It’s a busy time of year for our participating farmers. In September and October breeding and store sheep are sold and bought at sheep sales all over the north every week. This year, because of low rainfall and Brexit uncertainty, […]
September 2018
Composite faecal egg count reduction tests
In August and September, farmers sent faecal samples from their flocks in to Liverpool University for the standardised composite faecal egg count reduction tests (FECRT). This test detects the level of efficacy of the flukicide Triclabendazole (TBZ). The dry season […]
July 2018
Fight the Fluke animation by The Moredun Foundation
The Moredun Foundation have a series of useful animations, one in particular in relation to Liver Fluke, called ‘Fight the Fluke’. The animation was funded by the Moredun Foundation and AHDB. You can watch the animation here:
Liver Fluke talk presented by Iain Richards, Veterinary Ecologist at this year’s 160th Great Yorkshire Show
Iain Richards MRCVS, Veterinary Ecologist, Cumbria joined by Joanne Briggs, Communications Manager and Policy Manager for England, National Sheep Association and Dr Amanda Carson from APHA to speak directly to farmers about an environmental approach to controlling Liver fluke.
Attendees […]
June 2018
Event to showcase EIP-Agri across Europe, York, June 2018
Kate Gascoyne, Carol Moffat (The Farmer Network) and Holly Jones (YAS) will present at the EIP-Agri event in York on the 20th and 21st June.
To view the agenda, visit: EIP Agri Event Final agenda
The aim of the event is […]
May 2018
Phone application to track Liver Fluke disease launched
8th May 2018
The initial phone application which will support the data gathering process for Liver Fluke disease has now been developed and installed. The phone application will be rolled out farmers to begin data recording. It has been tested on latest iPhone and […]
April 2018
Hill Sheep Health North website launched
14th April 2018
The Hill Sheep Health North website has now been launched. You can find out everything you need to know about the project right here. If you would like to sign up to newsletter updates, please contact Holly Jones: […]
Farmers share Liver Fluke Management Routines
1st April 2018
Hill farmers in the Cumbria and Yorkshire Dales groups have shared their liver fluke management routines and many have completed questionnaires with more details as the Hill Sheep Health North project starts to gain traction.
Some farmers will complete […]
February 2018
Liver Fluke specialist Iain Richards to speak Great Yorkshire Show
12th February
We are delighted to confirm that Iain Richards BVSc CertVA CertSHP MVetSci MRCVS, Veterinary Ecologist, will be joining us at this year’s 160th Great Yorkshire Show to speak with farmers about Liver Fluke and the Hill Sheep Health North […]
January 2018
Meetings held with Farmers to introduce Hill Sheep Health North project
22nd and 23rd January
With special thanks to The Farmer Network, the first two farmer meetings held with farmers at Askrigg, Cumbria and Newton Rigg, Yorkshire, were a great success introducing the Hill Sheep Health North Project to the farming […]