Jim graduated from the University of Bristol in 2004 and returned initially to small animal practice in Kent where he provided maternity cover. Towards the end of 2004 he moved to Snowdonia to pursue mixed practice where, over time, his interest moved towards the farm variety spending increasing amounts of his time on the dairy farms in the area and pedigree ram breeders.

In 2006 Jim moved to the Gloucestershire where he worked in predominantly dairy practice, developing his interest in fertility and lameness. During this time Jim completed the RCVS Certificate in Cattle Health and Production (CertCHP) and, together with Dr Nick Bell, published ‘An Economic Review of Cattle Lameness’ which they then used to develop the costing model used in the DairyCo Healthy Feet Programme.

In 2008 Jim moved to work with the Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA now APHA) initially at the University of Bristol and later at the University of Nottingham, to pursue his interest in diagnostic medicine and pathology. Jim worked with the the VLA toxicologist during this period and developed an interest in epidemiology and statistics, later publishing ‘Selenium and Vitamin E in Dairy Cows - A Review’.

In 2009 Jim returned to clinical practice with Endell’s and has helped to develop the dairy side of the practice. In 2012, following the completion of a research thesis involving 836 dairy cows, Jim was awarded the highest specialist postgraduate qualification available, the RCVS Diploma in Cattle Health and Production (DCHP). In 2014 Jim joined the partnership at Endell’s.

Jim specialises in dairy cow production medicine and metabolic disease together with reproduction in block calving herds and has presented at National and International Conferences on a wide range of topics from lameness to micromineral nutrition.

Jim’s areas of current research are listed below, but also include responsible and rational use of antibiotics on farm where Jim is an external expert to RUMA, sits on the DairyUK antibiotics working group and helped to develop the Level 2 City & Guilds qualification in “Responsible Antibiotic Use”.

When not working, Jim tries to find time for his wife and two young daughters!!

Publications

• Lim, P., J. Huxley, et al. (2015). "Unravelling the temporal association between lameness and body condition score in dairy cattle using a multistate modelling approach." Preventative Veterinary Medicine 118: 370-377.
• “Tips to manage twin-bearing cows as high numbers reported this year”. Farmer’s Guardian (2015).
• Willshire, J. (2014). The Practitioner's Approach - Estimating Performance Losses. Cattle Lameness Conference. Sixways, Worcester: 23-37.
• Willshire, J. (2012). The use of mobility score to predict dairy cow reproductive performance, Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. DCHP.
• “Take Care during the Dry Period”. Farmer’s Weekly (2011).
• Willshire, J. and J. Payne (2010). "Selenium and Vitamin E in dairy cows – a review." Cattle Practice 19(1): 22-30.
• Willshire, J. and N. Bell (2009). "An Economic Review of Cattle Lameness." Cattle Practice 17(2): 136-141.
• “Knowledge is key to conception”. Farmer’s Weekly (2008).

Current Research

BLOCK Project
Large scale research project aiming to identify the factors responsible for successful block calving herds.

Udder Academy
On-farm culture programme to reduce antibiotic use in clinical mastitis and to promote selective dry cow therapy.

Associations

• 2016-; RCVS Knowledge Chair for Antimicrobials, practice-based research, evidence-based veterinary
  medicine methodology, dairy cow reproduction, fertility and obstetrics and lameness
• 2016-; External expert for the NHS South Central Antimicrobial Network (SCAN)
• 2016-; Research and Development Board of Centre for Innovation and Excellence in Livestock (CIEL)
• 2016-; DairyUK, Antibiotics Working Group
• 2015-; Examiner for the RCVS Diploma in Cattle Health and Production
• 2015-; City & Guilds, External Expert.
• 2014-; Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture (RUMA), External Expert.
• 2013-; British Cattle Veterinary Association, External Expert.