Meet the farm animal team
Keith Cutler BSc BVSc Dip.ECBHM MRCVS
m: 07831 400978
Keith studied at the Bristol University Veterinary School qualifying in 1990 having already been awarded a BSc in Anatomical Sciences in 1987. He started working in the farm animal division of Endell Veterinary Group in July 1990. His main interests lie in the areas of cattle fertility and reproduction, bovine lameness, infectious disease [especially B.V.D. and Johne’s disease] control on a herd basis, suckler herd production and the management and welfare of large exotic animals.
He is a member of the British Veterinary Association, the Southern Counties Veterinary Association (of which he is a past President), the British Cattle Veterinary Association, the British Veterinary Deer Society, the British Veterinary Camelid Society and the British Veterinary Zoological Society. He is also Honorary Veterinary Surgeon to the National Beef Association and the Wessex branch of the British Deer Society. He lectures regularly on bovine topics at the various UK veterinary schools and at scientific meetings in the UK and around the world. Keith also regularly writes articles for veterinary journals and farming magazines as well as sitting on advisory panels for DEFRA, the NBA and CHeCS.
He was awarded his European Diploma in Cattle Health and Production in 2006 - one of the very few vets working in general practice to be awarded this qualification. In 2007 he was the first person to be named Farmer’s Weekly Farm Livestock Advisor of the Year. In 2009 he became President of the British Cattle Veterinary Association.
Outside of work Keith endeavours to keep up with the social life of his two daughters and in the occasional moments when he finds a minute of free time he indulges his interests in photography, shooting and ballroom dancing.
Louise Silk MA VetMB MRCVS
m: 07827 818754
Louise graduated from Cambridge University in July 2007. She spent a year in mixed practice on the Dorset/Somerset border before joining our farm department in August 2008. Louise’s main interests lie in all aspects of sheep medicine and she dedicates much of her working week to our sheep clients, as this side of our business continues to grow. She is working towards a post graduate certificate in sheep health and production, writes articles for a national publication and is on the committee of both local and regional sheep organisations. Louise also looks after a number of our dairy and beef herds.
In her spare time, Louise can usually be found in a field somewhere shooting clays or game and working her black Labrador “Indi”. She also enjoys walking both at home and abroad with her husband James and making cakes for him and her farm clients.
Jim Willshire BVSc DCHP MRCVS
m: 07770 573525
Jim is a 2004 graduate of the University of Bristol. After qualifying he went to work in mixed practice in North Wales although the bulk of his time was spent working with cattle and sheep. He then moved to a specialist cattle practice in Gloucestershire, where he worked mainly with dairy cattle and pedigree sheep breeders. In 2008 Jim left practice to take up a position with the AHVLA in Sutton Bonington to leave him more time for study for post-graduate qualifications. Finding he missed the challenges and “buzz” of working in practice Jim decided to go back to what he enjoyed and joined Endell Veterinary Group in October 2009.
During his time in Gloucestershire Jim was awarded his CertCHP (Certificate in Cattle Health and Production) and in 2012 he was awarded the DCHP (Diploma in Cattle Health and Production) - the highest post-graduate qualification available to practising cattle vets in the UK whilst investigating the associations between mobility score and reproductive performance. While working at the AHVLA Jim was involved in investigating disease on individual and herd or flock basis in all species of farm animals (cattle, sheep, pig, poultry and game birds) and some large exotics and so has experience in epidemiology and diagnostics.
Jim’s interests away from work include photography and his motorbike!
Katy Dalton BVetMed MRCVS
m: 07855 420570
Katy qualified from the Royal Veterinary College, London, in 2008 and has since worked on the south coast in both farm and small animal work. She has gained lots of experience in this time, and also completed her Veterinary Inspector training prior to joining our farm animal department in August 2010.
Her main interests are dairy herd health work and routine disease surveillance. She has also been involved in Hampshire Fire Service animal rescue work and is keen to continue working with them in order to improve their rescue procedures and training programmes.
When not at work, Katy can often be found helping out on the dairy farm at home, where she lives with her partner, Douglas. They have two dogs - Fletch and Keef - and enjoy spending time working and training them in and around the New Forest. She is also working towards her Private Pilot’s Licence at Thruxton Flying Club, and enjoys flying for fun on weekends off!
Josephine Child BVetMed MRCVS
m: 07825 748709
Josephine graduated from the Royal Veterinary College in 2011, joining Endell Veterinary Group in August having spent time with us as a student seeing practice. Josephine grew up in rural Sussex where she gained her first exposure to beef and sheep work, helping out with lambing and developing particular interests in herd and flock health. Whilst at university she became increasingly interested in routine fertility planning and completed a project in heat detection in the dairy herd.
Outside of work she enjoys various sporting activities including swimming, running, cycling and bodypump, as well as walking and riding in and around the Test Valley.
Peter Plate Dr Med Vet MRCVS
m: 07815 080059
Peter qualified in Hannover/Germany in 1990 and moved to the UK in 1994, working in practices in Cornwall, Wales and Dorset before joining Endell Veterinary Group in June 2012. Since qualifying he has had a special interest in organic farming, advising sector bodies first in Germany and then the UK on animal health standards. He has been a member of the Agriculture Standards Committee of the Soil Association for more than ten years and is a regular contributor to the “Organic Farming” Magazine. He also has a keen interest in nutrition, fertility and infectious disease control and running farmer training sessions, including AI courses
Outside work he enjoys running, cycling and spending time with his wife and three little daughters, often while chasing Hereford cattle, Saddleback pigs and various sheep on his wife’s smallholding.
Ed Hayes BVetMed DBR MRCVS
m: 07860 846878
Ed qualified from the Royal Veterinary College in 2003. He worked in mixed practice in Kent for two years and then in a farm practice in Sussex for two years. He joined Endell in June 2012 having worked for the previous five years in the farm department of a progressive mixed practice in Macclesfield, Cheshire.
He has a particular interest in cattle fertility work, including bull breeding soundness examinations. This resulted in working towards a two year Masters level degree, the Diploma in Bovine Reproduction (DBR), which he completed at the University of Liverpool in 2010 while continuing to work in practice.
Ed particularly likes working on fertility and health and production management in block calving and high yielding herds. He also enjoys working on biosecurity and infectious disease programmes and enjoys looking at ways of reducing the incidence of commonly occurring diseases, especially in dairy herds, and has recently had an article published on this topic in the Vet Record.
Away from the practice Ed enjoys running and swimming to keep fit, walking two badly behaved dogs, hill walking and a long term project trying to do up a run down old cottage.
John Hemingway BVSc MRCVS
m: 07557 684085
John joined Endell Veterinary Group in July 2012, immediately after graduating from the University of Bristol. He is originally from rural Staffordshire and grew up surrounded by sheep, perhaps leading him to develop his interest in sheep health planning and flock management. During his time at university, John found himself particularly interested in parasitology and is keen to help implement sustainable parasite control schemes in both the cattle and sheep sectors.
In his spare time John will often be found in front of his piano or playing at open mic nights in various pubs and bars. He also enjoys shooting and very occasionally goes to the gym.
Neil Fox BVM&S MRCVS
m: 07557 684086
Neil joined us in August 2012 having graduated from the Royal (Dick) Veterinary College in Edinburgh. He is originally from Lanarkshire, just outside Glasgow. Having grown up working on various dairy farms, he has developed an interest in working with dairy cattle. His main interest is herd health planning, and in particular he is interested in mastitis investigations and the prevention and treatment of herd lameness.
Away from work Neil is a keen rugby player and describes himself as a frustrated number 8 playing in the front row. Outside of the rugby season he likes to go kayaking and sea angling. He also enjoys films, photography and reading.
