Flock Health Planning and Biosecurity

Question 1

Describe the advantages of flock health plans for farmers

Answer 1

• Requirement of farm assurance schemes
• DEFRA welfare codes require a written health plan
• Opportunity to reflect and improve on flock performance and health and welfare issues
• Up to date advice e.g. parasite control, antibiotic usage

Question 2

Describe the advantages of flock health plans for the public/government

Answer 2

• Improved welfare standards
• Improved public health review drug usage, antibiotics
• Check legal compliance medicines, movement, welfare

Question 3

List the key factors of a flock involved in flock health planning

Answer 3

• Key performance indicators
• Fertility
• Nutrition
• Lambing management
• Parasite control
• Vaccinations
• Farm Specific Disease Issues
• Biosecurity
• Welfare Practices
• Calendar

Question 4

Before attending a flock health planning visit what may be discussed with the farmer?

Answer 4

• What do they hope to gain from a visit
• Specific issues to discuss
• What information you will need
• Which animals you want to see
• How long the visit will take

Question 5

What will happen once on the farm visit for a flock health plan?

Answer 5

• History/ data collection (can take a while!, tea and cake good!)
• Exam farm environment
• Exam specific groups sheep as necessary
• Collect samples E.g FEC, serology, PM material etc.

Question 6

Name some key performance indicators for sheep flocks (7 possible)

Answer 6

• Scanning %
• Lambing % e.g. born alive, weaned, sold
• Ewe mortality
• Replacement rate
• Ewe:Tup
• Lamb mortality
• Lamb growth rates

Question 7

Describe the different types of records that a farm should have

Answer 7

• Electronic data
• Paper records
• Medicine records
• Dates and times of current treatments antibiotics wormers, vaccinations
• Mortality data
• Production figures
• Disease outbreaks and investigations

Question 8

How are key performance indicators used on farm?

Answer 8

• Industry Benchmarking
• Farmers own goals
• Start thinking/ discussing about why figures might be low?
• What do you need to do to investigate that?
• Approximate cost benefit

Question 9

List some possible causes of a low scanning %

Answer 9

• Season
• Infectious fertility
• Ewe: BCS, age, disease
• Rams: age, disease, numbers, fertility
• Tupping management

Question 10

Name 2 examples of diseases that cause infectious infertility

Answer 10

• Toxoplasmosis
• Border disease

Question 11

What should be done/investigated on farm if there is a low scanning %?

Answer 11

Clinical examine the sheep
- Ewes and rams
- BCS, teeth, parasites, lameness
PM
Fertility test tups
Investigate infectious abortion
- Serology

Question 12

Name 4 samples that can be taken on farm to investigate losses in the neonatal period

Answer 12

• Lamb Postmortems
• Blood sample ewes (energy and protein status)
• Blood sample lambs (colostrum status)
• Faeces lambs (diarrhoea)

Question 13

How are KPIs used in growing lambs management?

Answer 13

• Clinical exam of representative lambs
• Assess Grazing
• Work out growth rates
• Abattoir feedback Post Mortem

Question 14

Name 4 factors that can be influenced in ram fertility

Answer 14

• Numbers of rams
• Genetics
• Ram health and MOT
• Fertility testing

Question 15

Name 4 factors that can be influenced in ewe fertility

Answer 15

• Aids (teasers sponges)
• Ewe selection/genetics/health
• BCS targets and nutritional management
• Health management

Question 16

How is nutrition managed/assessed in the flock health plan?

Answer 16

• Body Condition Score and Targets
• Lamb growth and targets
• Feed plan for flock
• Grassland management
• Peri-parturient nutrition

Question 17

How is lambing managed/assessed in the flock health plan?

Answer 17

• Dystocia management policy
• Hygiene: pens, feeding equipment, etc
• Prolapse policy
• Abortion policy
• Colostrum policy
• Tail docking and castration
• Vaccination
• Policy for prevention and treatment lamb diseases (orf, joint ill, watery mouth, coccidiosis)
• Policy for prevention and treatment ewe diseases (hypocalcemia, preg toxaemia)
• Ewe parasite control

Question 18

How should endo and ecto parasite control be discussed with the farmer as part of the flock health plan?

Answer 18

• Encourage responsible use of anthelmintics
• Complex area
• Lots of opportunities to improve
• Discuss SCOPS principles
• Encourage and explain use of targeted anthelmintic use
• Testing for wormer resistance

Question 19

How should vaccinations be reviewed as a part of the flock health plan?

Answer 19

• Timing
• Regimes
• Handling/storage
• Products
• Additional vaccines
• Vaccination techniques

Question 20

Describe the 7 principles of biosecurity

Answer 20

1. Not possible to have zero risk of disease entering a herd or flock
2. Type of business and aims of the farm clearly discussed
3. Identify which diseases the flock is at risk from
4. Identify current flock disease status
5. Assess the risk of disease introduction
6. Quantify that risk
7. Devise control measures to reduce the risk

Question 21

Describe the methods that disease can enter a farm

Answer 21

• Animal movement
• Wildlife, insect vectors
• People
• Vehicles and equipment
• Feedstuffs, bedding, water
• Manure and slurry spreading
• Air

Question 22

List some questions that may be asked to a farmer to collect information regarding their biosecurity

Answer 22

• Are animals brought onto the farm
• Is the farm single or multiple holdings
• Are there livestock on neighbouring land
• What visitors enter the farm
• Where are vehicles parked
• Is any equipment shared between farms
• Is slurry from other farms spread here
• Are dogs wormed, with what
• Where is the water source

Question 23

List some biosecurity principles for sheep flocks

Answer 23

• Consider the source of animals, isolate any brought in for 3-4 weeks
• Monitor/test/treat
• Vaccinate as required
• Consider boundaries
• Control measures for wildlife, pests, dogs and cats
• Secure feed stores