Fears of shortages of an anaesthetic widely used on farm animals at this time of year have been addressed by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) – which has assured vets and farmers more supplies are in the pipeline.
All poultry owners - even those with just a few hens running round the farmyard - have been urged to do everything they can to help prevent the spread of bird flu.
The UK pig industry says it is "up for the challenge" of cutting antibiotic usage in livestock following the announcement by the British Government that there should be a significant reduction in the use of antibiotics by 2018.