Ben Strugnell qualified from the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, Edinburgh in 2002 and spent 6 years in rural mixed practice in North Yorkshire. He then joined the Veterinary Laboratories Agency VI Centre/ diagnostic laboratory in Thirsk, where he worked as a Veterinary Investigation Officer for 6 years. In 2010 he obtained the RCVS Certificate in Pig medicine. In 2014 he undertook a pilot project with the Beef and lamb Levy Board in England (EBLEX), which established a carcase-based post mortem diagnostic service for farmers and their vets at a large fallen stock collection centre in North East England. He has remained at the same centre ever since, performing post mortem examinations on various classes of livestock, in what is now a sustainable enterprise. Since 2014 over 12,000 carcasses have been examined, and accumulated data on causes of death has been of use to the industry and government. He has also been a visiting lecturer at the Universities of Nottingham and undertakes regular teaching of veterinary undergraduates and post-graduates, farmers and allied professionals.
Session – The art and the science of feeding lambs/ kids on artificial milk replacer, with an emphasis on abomasal bloat
This session will attempt to outline the science and practice behind feeding lambs and goats on artificial milk replacer. It will include a review of the literature, explanation of anatomy and physiology and current nutritional recommendations in terms of amounts fed, how often, and constituents of milk powder. This is an area where physiology, pathology, nutrition and management interact, so for best results input from more than one person will be required, and only in this way will mortality be minimised while achieving optimal growth rates during this period of potentially efficient feeding of youngstock and future flock/ herd replacements.