Limited impact on Berkshire farms from Schmallenberg virus

New figures suggest farms in the area have so far been left largely unaffected by a virus which is causing stillbirths and birth defects in lambs and calves.

The latest data from the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency shows the Schmallenberg virus (SBV) has been detected in more than 1,500 farms across the UK, but so far only five cases have been found in Berkshire.

The virus has had a larger impact on Buckinghamshire, with 18 cases detected, mostly in cattle.

The threat of SBV, first detected in the UK in January last year, has not deterred unaffected farms from their preparations for the busy Spring lambing season.

Odds Farm Park, in Wooburn Green, will carry on with the season's activities as planned and the popular lambing weekend at the Berkshire College of Agriculture in Burchetts Green, scheduled for April 27-28, will continue as normal.

A vaccine for the virus is being developed.