In this spring edition we take a closer look a factors affecting the quality of semen for successful use of AI on farms and we talk about the vets role in compact calving.

In this autumn edition we discuss dry cow management and how to best prepare for your next lactation, we also talk about some of the most common skin diseases found on Irish farms.

In this Spring issue we look at identifying the disease status in your herd and how to minimise it's effect. We also look at bull management, mastitis, minimising drug resistance, vaccination planning and a report from the XLVets Calf Health workshop on dairy calves on grass.

In this spring issue we take a look at the fertility management of cows, heat detection, Johnes disease and managing new born lambs.

In this edition we discuss bull fertility and treating your cattle for parasites during housing.

In this issue of Livestock Matters we look at dairy calf housing, preparation for laming, foaling mares and much more.

Inside the Autumn issue of Livestock Matters. Our vets will discuss equine reproduction, parasites in cattle and sheep flock health. We also are giving one reader the chance to win an XLVets calf jacket.

This Spring issue helps explain the Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP) which will deliver approximately €300M to 30,000 suckler farmers over the next six years. We also take a look at lameness in Sheep, offering advice on assessing lameness and the main causes of lameness in adult sheep

This Spring edition has a strong focus on herd health including Ecoli Mastitis, Cryptosporidium and lameness in dairy herds. Four Tipperary based vets offer invaluable advice to farmers on how to manage the major herd health risks in an expanding dairy herd. Nick Garvey, Old Church Veterinary Hospital describes the reasons why prolapses occur in sheep.

We look at why diseases caused by salmonella bacteria are of concern to cattle producers and how they can be tackled on-farm. As Autumn progresses, many spring-calving dairy farmers are now turning their mind's to drying-off cattle and we discuss the factors to consider during late lactation through to dry cow management. We also take a look at a new tool to help in the battle against high somatic cell counts in lactating cattle.

In this issue we take a look at the spread of Schmallenberg virus - a new challenge for Irish vets and farmers. We also look at the development of FarmSkills, a training initiative launched by XLVets that delivers practical on-farm training for farmers. We also have a feature on clostridial diseases in cattle and sheep and another looking at optimising fertility in the dairy cow.

The autumn issues takes a look at the role of the farm dog and cat in disease tranmission on farm, in the first of a two part series. We also have a feature on Redwater in cattle; investigating the increasing problem of this disease in herds. Milking procedures and mastitis are also under the spotlight in this issue.

The spring issue of Livestock Matters looks at joint ill in lambs and calves and neonatal calf management and features the second part of the two part feature on the dry period. We also take a look at XLVets HealthCheck - a series of programmes which use herd disease profiling to deliver effective solutions for herd health.

This issue focuses on liver fluke in cattle; looking at the signs and symptoms and how infection can be treated and controlled. We also look at lameness in dairy cows, with a specific focus on digital dermatitis and treatment of this condition. There is also practical advice on dosing cattle at housing and biosecurity in sucker herds.

In this issue of Livestock Matters we take a look at colostrum mangement for calves, preventing milk fever in dairy cows and ultrasound scanning. There's also a case study on BVD in cattle, which discusses diagnosis and control of the disease.