Biosecurity and flock health planning

Question 1

What is the purpose of flock health planning?

Answer 1

Improve health, welfare and productivity of sheep

may be done as part of specific assurance scheme

Question 2

Give examples of some components in a health plan

Answer 2

Welfare
Antibiotic usage
Organic schemes
Review of flock performance and record keeping
Nutrition plan
Lambing mangement - protocols
Endo/ectoparasite control
Vaccination 
Euthanasia policy
Biosecurity

Question 3

When should flock health visits be conducted by a vet?

Answer 3

Weaning time - June/July
Late pregnancy
(Although it’s an ongoing process)

Question 4

What should a vet do when conducting a flock health planning visit?

Answer 4

History and data collection - massive component!
Examine specific groups of sheep
Examine farm environment
Collect samles - FEC, serology, PM material

Question 5

What are the limitations of health planning?

Answer 5

Cannot fix/predict everything
Based on limited information
Disease situations change
May not be up to date

Question 6

What regulatory body monitors the farm’s medicines records?

Answer 6

VMR

Vet medicines regulation

Question 7

What records should be reviewed when flock health planning?

Answer 7

Medicine records for VMR
Mortality data
Production figures - KPIs
Disease outbreaks and investigations

Question 8

Give examples of key performance indicators (KPIs) for sheep

Answer 8

Scanning %
Lambing %
Ewe mortality
Replacement rate
Ewe: tup ratio
Lamb mortality
Lamb growth rates

Question 9

How much on average should a lamb grow per day?

Answer 9

0.2kg/day

Question 10

Give examples of how diseases get onto a farm

Answer 10

Animal movement - contact with neighbouring stock, bought in 
Wildlife, insect vectors
People
Vehicles and equipment
Feedstuff, bedding and water
Manure and slurry spreading
Airborne or waterborne
NO BIOSECURITY PLAN 100% EFFECTIVE

Question 11

What measures can be taken to improve the biosecurity of bought-in sheep?

Answer 11

Consider source of animals and testing
Isolate in housing for 3-4 wks
Monitor, test and treat isolation for diseases wish to control
Vaccinate

Question 12

Give examples of disease that have their own health schemes/monitoring programmes

Answer 12

Maedi Visna
Caprine arthritis encephalitis 
Enzootic abortion
Scrapie
Caseous lymphadenitis (CLA) 
Johne's