Dairy farmers in the West Midlands will be asked to fill out farm health planning questionnaires over the coming months as part of a pilot study.
The study, by Harper Adams University College, will look at what issues farmers face when it comes to herd health planning. Typically herd health plans have only been completed as a requirement for farm assurance schemes, but it is a useful tool, said postgraduate researcher at Harper Adams, Stacey Blease.
"Typically the plans have not been so user-friendly. They were initially put in place for reducing disease but they haven't worked for this mechanism," she told Farmers Weekly at the event.
The first part of the study involving the questionnaire aims to find out how farmers are using herd health plans, how they work with their vet and how the use of the plans could be improved. Ms Blease believes improving record keeping so farmers have an accurate baseline to work from will be important.
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