Weekly Livestock-Equine News: June 15, 2026

OK racing commission finds excess thyroid hormone in 68 Quarter Horses

The Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission announced that in its ongoing review of horses covered by recent emergency protective orders, 68 of 96 horses showed findings consistent with thyrotoxicosis, an extremely rare and serious condition involving excess circulating thyroid hormone. The three emergency protective orders were issued to trainers Jed Vane, Josue Jacob Garcia and Leonardo Alcala after repeated incidents in which horses displayed severe post-race distress, including cases where horses could not safely leave the track under their own power.

Bimeda receives FDA approval for generic injectable for bovine respiratory disease

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a supplemental approval for KetoMed (ketoprofen), an injectable solution for the control of pyrexia (fever) associated with Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD) in beef heifers, beef steers, beef calves at least two months old, beef bulls, replacement dairy heifers and dairy bulls. The FDA approved KetoMed in 2021 for the alleviation of inflammation and pain associated with musculoskeletal disorders in horses.

Data fatigue: Dairy producers trading screen time for expert consultants

In the modern dairy parlor, the stream of thousands of data points — from health-activity systems to milk quality sensors — has transformed farms into high-tech data centers. However, while 90% of operators use tools for measurement, the vast majority lean on external experts — consultants, nutritionists and veterinarians — to interpret the numbers. In other words, producers possess the hardware, but they lack the time to be analysts.

UK poultry producers wary of the spread of Newcastle disease

Newcastle disease (ND) is on the march in Europe, with a major outbreak in Poland followed by new cases in the Czech Republic, Germany and Spain. In its latest report, dated March 30, the UK government noted that since the initial outbreaks in Germany in late February – the first instances since 2008 – ND has now hit a total of 40 outbreaks in poultry in that country. A further outbreak in poultry in Valencia, Spain – the country’s sixth case – underlines how the situation is spreading. “This is a growing concern for us as UK farmers, and subsequently the UK government has increased the risk of poultry exposure in this country from low to medium,” said Will Raw, chair of the National Farmers’ Union.

Eight agritech companies selected for incubator program to support expansion into US

The eight companies were selected for the inaugural Innovate UK Global Incubator Programme: Agri-Tech USA. Designed to help UK startups scale into the United States, the program will provide companies with access to Silicon Valley networks, partners, investors, growers and agrifood corporations. The selected companies are developing technologies in livestock and poultry monitoring, precision crop inputs, greenhouse automation, foliar spraying, sustainable natural fibers and crop protection delivery systems. They are HerdVision, CDotBio Ltd, Cordon Technologies, Fibe Ltd, FLOX, Fotenix, Glaia Ltd and SugaROx Ltd.

UK reports progress in combating lameness in dairy cattle

Launched in January 2025, the GB Dairy Cow Lameness Manifesto continues to work toward its goal of reducing lameness from around 30% today to below 5% in at least 95% of herds by 2044. The manifesto has brought together 27 organizations, including veterinary groups, milk processors, technology companies, universities and farmer support networks. Lameness remains the leading endemic health issue in UK dairy cattle, costing the sector an estimated £568 million ($763 million) annually through lost production, reduced fertility and increased culling.