Driving change in the livestock sector

As farming goes through a period of change, producers are under increasing pressure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as well as to continue in their drive to lower antibiotic use.

By positioning health and welfare at the heart of their businesses, farmers can become more efficient, and in turn cut the emissions from their farms.

A report from the independent industry body, Ruminant Health & Welfare, suggests livestock farmers can reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from their businesses by 10% by making improvements to the health status of their herds or flocks. Some Disease? Not On My Farm! ambassadors outline how they are adopting preventative measures.

Biosecurity

Ensuring high levels of biosecurity is especially important to Ian Alderson, who runs a beef, sheep and poultry enterprise across 540 acres near Craven Arms in Shropshire. He says he has learned a lot from the high biosecurity measures followed in the poultry sector.

“You can’t afford not to maintain hygiene,” he says.

“We’re hot on biosecurity because we have to be with our poultry flock – I even have separate wellies for their shed. We can’t take any shortcuts with protecting the chickens.”

This attitude has been mirrored on the rest of the farm and Ian ensures all pens are cleaned out and disinfected on a daily basis during lambing time.

Fiona Skeen, who runs a beef and sheep enterprise on the Scottish Borders with her son Graham, has a similar attitude to biosecurity.

She says: “Iodine on our calves’ and lambs’ navels is non-negotiable, and we also have buckets of foot dip outside the shed, which get changed every few days.

“This is particularly important to stop disease spreading when you’re in and out of the calf shed too.”

Vaccination

The National Office for Animal Health (NOAH) recently launched its Livestock Vaccination Guideline, urging farmers to vaccinate their cattle and sheep against key diseases as part of efforts to improve animal welfare and increase the productivity of the UK’s national flock and herd.

Like many farmers, Mr Alderson is thankful for the introduction of effective vaccinations during his farming career.

He says: “I honestly wouldn’t keep sheep on this farm if we couldn’t vaccinate for abortion, orf and footrot.

“Not only do vaccines result in healthier, more productive animals, but as farmers, whatever you can do to make your life easier on the farm is better for your own mental health. Looking after sick animals is just a massive drain.”

Welshpool dairy farmer Fraser Jones is also an advocate for a preventative vaccination strategy.

He says: “Vaccination is a pre-emptive insurance policy, working to combat problems that will have a detrimental effect on my business. All six of NOAH’s Category One vaccinations are already a vital part of our herd health plan.”

Louise Cooke who moved to a tenant farm in Dumfries and Galloway with her husband Tim during 2022, says they’ve experienced a lot of lameness in their new flock and are working hard to eradicate it.

She says: “We are very pro-vaccination. In an ideal world we would do all of NOAH’s Category One vaccines as it’s good from a welfare point of view. However, this does have to be balanced with cost and the time needed to implement, which can be difficult to justify. Personally, as a vet, I always think of it as an insurance policy.”

A good vet relationship

Having a close relationship with the farm vet is also important, with Fraser Jones describing his vet as one of his business partners.

He says: “I trust him implicitly and by having an open and honest relationship we’ve worked side-by-side to make consistent improvements; my vet understands my objectives and helps me reach them.

“The more the vet gets to know your system and how you think, the better it is. It’s so important to step back and consider how you can improve things.”

This is echoed by Mr Alderson who says he consults his vet before making any major health and welfare decisions.

He says: “I wouldn’t make any changes without asking my vet’s opinion; we work side-by-side.”

Minimising disease risk

Buying in livestock always comes with a risk. Mr Alderson works hard to reduce the chance of introducing infection and takes a preventative health approach.

“We only buy from trusted sources and also quarantine all our stock that’s bought in,” says Mr Alderson.

“The ewes we recently bought for our new April lambing flock were all given a drench and vaccinated for orf to tie in with our existing flock health plan. Having a proactive vet relationship makes a big difference.”

Good youngstock management

The drive to prevent health problems starts from the day animals are born. This is achieved not just through good hygiene practices and vaccination but also through giving calves and lambs the best nutritional balance.

Bristol dairy farmer, Gemma King, says the refractometer is one of the most used items on the farm for rearing calves.

She says: “Colostrum management has been a big priority for us, and we’ve been working with our vet to get the best approach for our farm.

“You need to test the colostrum to see the true quality, and not rely on what it looks like. We freeze it and this means we have high-quality colostrum before mum has been milked – the calves are fed in the first 30 minutes of being born.”

Mrs Kings says that the best colostrum is frozen which means they have a high-quality supply on-demand. “It’s vital not to miss the ‘golden window’ – by ensuring calves are fed within the first 30 minutes of birth gives them the healthiest start in life by improving their immunity.”

Improvements

Having the opportunity to learn how other producers successfully control disease on-farm can be an incredibly helpful way to make continuous improvements to your own system. Sharing learnings is an essential part of the Disease? Not On My Farm! initiative.

“I think it’s so important we work collectively to achieve the best outcome for our livestock and the entire sector,” says Mr Jones.

Mrs King agrees: “For me, every day’s a school day. Learning from other farmers is a key part of this. We can all benefit from taking a holistic view and by considering the long-term viability of the farm and the impact this has on the environment as well. I believe you should always strive to keep moving forwards.”