Herd Health Planning

We are proud to be working with WestPoint Veterinary Group to provide Herd Health Planning to the TSBP members. We believe that good health planning can improve both the welfare of the animals and farm profit margins by taking a more proactive approach to herd health planning.

Health planning programmes are designed to positively foster the maintenance of good health in herds, but in such a way as to gain the maximum economic advantage.

Herd Health Planning is individually tailored to each herd, the first step is to evaluate each herd to find out which diseases are present and which pose a threat. It is then about understanding the cost implications caused by the highlighted diseases.

The next step is to come up with a strategy. Management change, vaccination, feeding change etc. It is also important to note that Herd Health Planning is not a one off, it is about continually monitoring risks.

WestPoint are working with the TSBP members to:

• Promote a sustainable and profitable approach to beef farming through dissemination of best practice, on farm and demonstration.
• Working closely with four producers through a proactive and preventative approach to livestock health.

 

We have chosen four farms which cover different systems of beef production.

Suckler Health

On the chosen suckler herd the first step was to go through the process of health benchmarking, which included testing for Fluke, BVD, IBR and Leptospirosis. After identifying which diseases were prevalent a risk assessment was made in order to prioritise a treatment programme. 

Rearer and finisher dairy origin.

For a rearer and finisher of dairy bred calves the first step was to identify the impacts on calf health of diseases such as Cyprtosporidia, Coccidiosis and BVD (even though the dairy herd were vaccinated). This was followed by assessing the risks and prioritising treatment. The affects of the treatments will now be continually monitored by measuring growth rates at 3 weeks and prior to weaning for calves and also weighing adult cattle at turnout, housing and mid winter.

Rearer-Mixed origin

An initial risk assessment highlighted respiratory diseases as the main challenge to growing cattle. It was then decided to vaccinate to control the disease. In order to monitor the affects on growth rates the cattle are to be regularly weighed.

Rearer/Finisher-Single and mixed origin

The final farm is a rearer and finisher of dairy bred cattle. Initially it was pointed out how important it is to match up dairy and beef farmers so that the finisher knows the health status of the calves. It was then about understanding how varying feed costs and calf value can have an affect on carcass value. Finally it is important to understand that by maximising health, a farm will reduce treatments and reduce finishing times, resulting in increased margins.