Farm Assurance and Herd Health Flashcards
What is the general structure herd health follows?
Assess and monitor current status
Take action and develop plans
Review outcome
What is Herd Health?
Vets providing planned animal health a production management services to herds and flocks
Primary objective is the maintenance of animal and production at the most efficient level that provides competitive economic returns to the owner
Which diseases are commonly targeted by herd health plans?
Mastitis Lameness Fertility Dystocia Milk fever and Staggers
What are vital for a herd health program to work?
Progressive livestock producer
Enthusiastic and competent vet
Post graduate qualifications (not a necessity but useful)
Health and production data information systems
Reports/meets with producer
What is important to keep in mind when using a data system?
You need good data input in order to get good results out and be able to give good advise to the farmer
If you don’t record a disease then the incidence will be recorded as zero (doesn’t mean its not in the herd)
What data does NMR record?
Milk quality, bulk milk SCC
Individual cow SCC and milk yield, fat, protein recorded once a month
Can also add in BCS and lameness score
What should the target level for mastitis in the herd be?
Less than 30 cases/100 cows/year
What should the target level for lameness be in a herd?
Less than 17 cases/100 cows/year
No score 3 in the herd not being treated as massive welfare issue, cull if untreatable
What are some examples of food assurance schemes?
Farm Assured Welsh Livestock (FAWL) Northern Ireland Farm Quality Assurance Scheme (NIFQAS) Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) Genesis Quality Assurance (GQA) Look for the red tractor
What do assurance schemes assure?
Quality of the product Safety of the product Standard of husbandry on farm Animals are properly look after - high welfare standards Environmental issues
What do assurance schemes have standards for in terms of food and water?
Standards of feed and water supply
Prescribes feed space per animal
Either have to have a feed plan or do regular BCS (0 and 60 days at calving, 100 day before and at dry off)
What standards do assurance schemes have in terms of animal health and welfare?
Livestock health plan established and implemented that is farm specific, accessible to all staff, updated when changes occur and is separate for beef, dairy and sheep
Records kept of health and performance and reviewed annually which has to be signed off by a vet
What are the minimum factors recorded for farm assurance schemes?
Lameness, mastitis, mortality records, culling records and reasons for cull, medicine records and abattoir feedback
In a records review, what data should be collated?
Lameness Mastitis Culling rate (and reason) Involuntary culls (excl TB) Calf mortality between 0-24 hours and 1-42 days (welfare indicator)
What should the vet do on a visit for signing off farm assurance?
Review records and data and inspect livestock then identify key issues and advice to improve on these issues
Review of medicines and antibiotic purchase and use
Health and welfare of livestock is being checked and managed by competent people
Effective and appropriate management of sick or injured animals
