Colin returned to Cheshire to start work in a large, mainly dairy veterinary practice. Here he ‘learnt the ropes’ at an exciting time when herds were expanding and cow production increasing.

He then moved back to Scotland and has worked for Scotland’s Rural College SRUC for over 20 years in the key livestock areas of Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway with an equal working split between dairy, beef and sheep farms.  Colin has worked in partnership with practicing vets and farmers across the region to diagnose, investigate and prevent disease at a herd and flock level. He has extensive experience of infectious disease control, disease investigation and health planning.  Always keen to dig deeper into the story, Colin’s work and research has focused increasingly on the bigger picture of why animals succumb to disease in the first place. By helping to improve the housed environment, reduce heat stress, optimise animal nutrition and day to day management disease risk can be significantly reduced. 

Colin has worked with wider dairy research teams at SRUC and across the UK to look in depth at major health problems such as dairy cow lameness, longevity and calf respiratory disease. Recently, a particular area of interest has been working with farmers within integrated dairy beef supply chains. The aim is to ensure that calves born on our dairy farms meet the health and welfare requirements of calf rearers improving animal welfare and sustainable productivity. 

At Ruminant Revival Colin brings an evidence based, proactive approach to investigating and preventing disease in our dairy, beef and sheep systems.  Looking behind the presenting health problems to consider the animal, environmental and nutritional risk factors, can ensure that high performing animals in a range of systems from intensive to extensive can lead healthy and productive lives.