Vets no longer working in outlying area

Poorbuthappy

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Devon
But it's not the case with plenty of other degrees, the UK average is around 60/40, but veterinary is extreme at around 80-85% female, just like engineering will be more like the opposite.
I don't think it's all down to girls being better students, I think it's more down to the nature of the job
But don't forget a majority will also want to go into small animal or equine.
Daughter is nearing the end of her final year and says this is the case.
She has also found it incredibly frustrating that the course is so weighted to small animal when she has no interest in this at all.
 

unlacedgecko

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Fife
My father in law was a general surgeon who dealt with things like injuries from accidents and whilst being incredibly well qualified and trained most of his work was stitching. I often meet people who on finding out who I am want to show me their scar because he was so good. My wife too is very good at stitching but I wonder whether you need seven years of training to do all of that obviously you need to know what bits do what but I often feel that there should be a shortcut for older people into these professions as at 28 I think you know much more than 18 at 18 you're just good at passing exams. Obviously being around doctors and Vets makes me a bit immune to the mysticism of medicine and I now think it's really easy apart from the blood and gore if I could get over that I'd be brilliant.
I know a few dog lads who are better at stitching than most vets.
 
But don't forget a majority will also want to go into small animal or equine.
Daughter is nearing the end of her final year and says this is the case.
She has also found it incredibly frustrating that the course is so weighted to small animal when she has no interest in this at all.
I don't forget that at all, with only 1 in 9 of our closest practices doing farm animals and very few of them even doing horses, it would be difficult to forget.

Even though many females want to do large animals, small animal practice tends to suit best if they have a family, so many end up going that way anyway.

If I'm to be honest I'd say that farmers have brought this on themselves in a drive to cut costs by cooking more skilled and keeping stock that need less intervention.
I haven't had a vet calve a cow in over a decade, if they come out they are only coming because I can't do a c-section.
So apart from blood sampling or something that is very ill I generally don't have them out as I see no point in having a vet out to do things I can do myself.
But back in James Heriot days the vet came out to put a bottle of calcium into a cow or debud a calf.
So I don't expect there to be a load of vets standing around waiting when I call every few months.
 

bluebell

Member
the thing is this, if you try to make a living? or make it pay? keeping livestock, you just cant afford to call the vet out? many times the animal must suffer? because its cheaper to either try to treat it yourself, or let it die? the biggest problem of all is everyone who services the livestock industry can put their prices up? but the livestock farmers costs? what they get is what the market? decides?
 

unlacedgecko

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Fife
the thing is this, if you try to make a living? or make it pay? keeping livestock, you just cant afford to call the vet out? many times the animal must suffer? because its cheaper to either try to treat it yourself, or let it die? the biggest problem of all is everyone who services the livestock industry can put their prices up? but the livestock farmers costs? what they get is what the market? decides?

No this is not the case. If the animal cannot be properly and effectively treated by the farmer then the vet just be called, or the animal must be shot asap. Letting animals suffer is unacceptable and will endanger our social licence to farm.
 

bluebell

Member
of cource your right, in an ideal world? if you cant treat an animal your self you would call the vet, like on the yorkshire vet, you would have the vet back to check how the animal is getting on that they had treated?
 

Dry Rot

Member
Livestock Farmer
I don't forget that at all, with only 1 in 9 of our closest practices doing farm animals and very few of them even doing horses, it would be difficult to forget.

Even though many females want to do large animals, small animal practice tends to suit best if they have a family, so many end up going that way anyway.

If I'm to be honest I'd say that farmers have brought this on themselves in a drive to cut costs by cooking more skilled and keeping stock that need less intervention.
I haven't had a vet calve a cow in over a decade, if they come out they are only coming because I can't do a c-section.
So apart from blood sampling or something that is very ill I generally don't have them out as I see no point in having a vet out to do things I can do myself.
But back in James Heriot days the vet came out to put a bottle of calcium into a cow or debud a calf.
So I don't expect there to be a load of vets standing around waiting when I call every few months.
I actually had a vet complain that I never called him out. My reply, "That's because they aren't ill". It's called good management which, it seems, the poster above is guilty of!:)
 

Netherfield

Member
Location
West Yorkshire
of cource your right, in an ideal world? if you cant treat an animal your self you would call the vet, like on the yorkshire vet, you would have the vet back to check how the animal is getting on that they had treated?
Never had a vet come back to 'see how it's getting on', on the Yorkshire vet i'm sure it's Daisybeck studios are paying for that privilege.

Also on the Yorkshire vet Julian doesn't seem to be doing a lot with large farm animals anymore and Peter seems to have plenty spare time to be able to drop a kitten off with Mr and Mrs Green.

When it comes to 'Springtime on the farm' you can be sure Cannon Hall aren't going to Pay for Julian or Peter to nip down to Barnsley, when Shona, Matt or David from the local vets are so much closer to hand.
 

Poorbuthappy

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Devon
I don't forget that at all, with only 1 in 9 of our closest practices doing farm animals and very few of them even doing horses, it would be difficult to forget.

Even though many females want to do large animals, small animal practice tends to suit best if they have a family, so many end up going that way anyway.

If I'm to be honest I'd say that farmers have brought this on themselves in a drive to cut costs by cooking more skilled and keeping stock that need less intervention.
I haven't had a vet calve a cow in over a decade, if they come out they are only coming because I can't do a c-section.
So apart from blood sampling or something that is very ill I generally don't have them out as I see no point in having a vet out to do things I can do myself.
But back in James Heriot days the vet came out to put a bottle of calcium into a cow or debud a calf.
So I don't expect there to be a load of vets standing around waiting when I call every few months.
Agree.
A lot more pro active and health visit type work these days. Which is ok, but whether a lot of it actually needs a vet or just a consultant? Not saying the vet isn't good at it, but are they over qualified for a lot of that aspect?
 
Agree.
A lot more pro active and health visit type work these days. Which is ok, but whether a lot of it actually needs a vet or just a consultant? Not saying the vet isn't good at it, but are they over qualified for a lot of that aspect?
Totally, I'd say consultants and vets aren't needed, there are plenty of accessable sources of knowledge these days.

However when you need a vet, you need a vet, and I for one am damned glad to see one when they are actually needed.

So do we give them work that they aren’t really needed for just your keep them in the game, or do we just let them keep dropping in number and availability?
It's a bit of a catch-22.
 

Bill the Bass

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Cumbria
No this is not the case. If the animal cannot be properly and effectively treated by the farmer then the vet just be called, or the animal must be shot asap. Letting animals suffer is unacceptable and will endanger our social licence to farm.
Not completely sure here, but don’t you need a vet on your farm once every 12 months if you want to purchase POM drugs?
 

unlacedgecko

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Fife
I know dog fighting is a nasty sport still I suppose there’s not much else going on in Brigg of a Saturday night.

You're talking about matching game dogs.

Dog fighting is where, on a night out, you pull the ugliest girl you can find. Then take her back to your mates, who are all doing the same thing. The one with the ugliest girl is the "winner".
 

Pigken

Member
Location
Co. Durham
You're talking about matching game dogs.

Dog fighting is where, on a night out, you pull the ugliest girl you can find. Then take her back to your mates, who are all doing the same thing. The one with the ugliest girl is the "winner".


Dog fighting club, used to be two dogs (k9s).
Or, big money involved apparently, dog (k9) verses human on knees with neck guard. Human seemingly had to be like lightning and knock dog out when released or be in bloody mess till dog restrained. Understand is sport of certain ethnically diverse group of alternative thinking people.
 

Pigken

Member
Location
Co. Durham
You're talking about matching game dogs.

Dog fighting is where, on a night out, you pull the ugliest girl you can find. Then take her back to your mates, who are all doing the same thing. The one with the ugliest girl is the "winner".


This is what some would call the 5 pint, 10 pint, not had it in a while or would not touch her yours if you paid me game.. 😆
Woman normally have similar game but based around size of somet.
 

MRT

Member
Livestock Farmer
Story on Heart Radio just now numbers of vets in Wales has halved in the last 6 years. It is bad, but that is hard to believe tbh. Even so, shows there is something badly wrong as all those vets were once very keen.
 

Top Tip.

Member
Location
highland
I was speaking to a former vet today about this and his suggestion was that farmers should group together and employ their own vet . You pay an annual fee based on the numbers of stock you have and that vet services the members of the group this also gives the advantage of enabling the group to buy their drugs at cost which would be a considerable saving. I thought it was a good idea and there are areas of the country that it would work.
 

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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