In the fourth part of our farm health planning academies, independent sheep consultant Lesley Stubbings outlines the benefits of putting in place an effective plan
What is a Flock Health Plan?
Although control and prevention of disease is the main objective of a Flock Health Plan, an effective plan aims to optimise output and maximise profitability, using good health and management.
Central to the process is the identification of disease risks and management weaknesses at the outset. Then, coupled with sensible targets for improvement, practical solutions are implemented and progress monitored.
What are the Potential Benefits?
Benefits will vary, but well thought out plans will improve performance and profitability in all flocks. Some examples are:
- Better lamb performance due to improved colostrum and milk production reduced incidence of coccidosis, nematodirus and pneumonia. A week's delay in finishing creep-fed lambs can lose 10p/kg added to the extra creep they eat this can cost £5/lamb.
- Saving labour costs with more vigorous lambs at birth, a lower incidence of lameness and avoiding unnecessary worming. With casual/contract labour costing about £10/hour, a 500 ewe flock only has to save 50 hours/annum to add £1/ewe to the bottom line.
- Every ewe/100 tupped (1%) that fails to rear a lamb, reduces income by about £80 in lost output and costs. These unproductive ewes can be minimised through tighter culling policy, protection from infectious abortion and improved ram fertility.
How do I get started?
The good news is that the plan doesn't need to be hugely complicated and you don't need to do it all at once.
However, it is unique to your flock so you need to tackle it methodically and set yourself clear targets and actions. Below are six steps to help you on your way:
1. Risks, Priorities, and Targets
The first step is to sit down and identify the current disease problems in your flock and the risks from outside. At the same time, use the facts you can get at easily (number of ewes tupped v lambs sold ewe deaths) to help you prioritise the problems.
Try to identify three main priorities to start with, for example increasing lamb sales reducing ewe deaths and tackling lameness. Then set yourself some sensible, targets for the coming year. Work through the next five steps to help you achieve them.
2. Medicines and treatments
Once you have decided what the risks are and your targets, you can begin to fill in the vet treatments you will use, or have as options as part of the plan.
Using a calendar or diary will help. This will include making sure any vaccines are used effectively, treatments such as blowfly protection reflect the risk period, and withdrawal times don't upset lamb sales.
Remember to include the diagnosis of disease which is central to success. So much time, effort, money and output is thrown away because a problem is not properly diagnosed.
The plan can be really helpful here, including instructions on what to do and when.
Don't wait for a disease outbreak before sampling for information e.g. samples required for infectious abortion, or dung sampling for worm egg counts.
3. Biosecurity measures
A flock is at its most vulnerable when either purchased sheep, including rams, are brought in or sheep return from elsewhere (e.g away-wintering). There is a long list of potential diseases including sheep scab, footrot, CODD, CLA, orf, anthelmintic resistance, liver fluke, lice... but they all have one thing in common - they will cost you dearly in terms of time, money and lost productivity if you let them in.
The cornerstone of biosecurity is making sure all in-coming sheep are kept in isolation for at least three weeks. The plan should specify the areas or buildings that can be used for isolation, what to look for and what treatments (and testing) are necessary.
The plan must also have protocols for contractors and other visitors, identify risky neighbours and consider steps such as double fencing where necessary. Feeding systems can also reduce the risk of diseases such as camplylobacter or salmonella, which are spread by birds and affect pregnant ewes.
4. Stock Selection and Culling Policy
Starting with sheep that are "fit for purpose" is the key to any successful flock.
It's not just about choosing the right breed, but selection within a breed to get the best animals. This may mean sourcing Enzootic abortion or MV-free sheep. There is also a new test available for screening for CLA and while we are all familiar with scrapie genotyping, in future we will be able to add things such as resistance to footrot and/or worms and good lamb vigour at birth to the list.
|
POTENTIAL BENEFITS FOR 500-EWE FLOCK |
| |
£/500 ewe |
£/ewe |
| Reduce % unproductive ewes from 12% to 8% |
£1600 |
£3.20 |
| Increase % lambs sold by early July from 60 to 80% |
£750 |
£1.50 |
| Decrease contractor time by 50 hours/annum |
£500 |
£1 |
| TOTAL |
£2850 |
£5.70 |
A strict culling policy is also needed. Many health and production problems can be minimised simply by making sure that unfit ewes are not allowed to slip the net.
Set out what standards you expect from ewes (e.g. rears lambs successfully, no prolapse or blind udder, sound feet, good teeth) and devise an indelible way of marking those that fail to meet them. You set the standard and then stick to it.
5. Nutrition
Nutrition is a key element of a health plan. Sheep that are poorly fed, either in terms of energy, protein or minerals and vitamins will be less able to withstand a disease challenge.
Ewes that are underfed in late pregnancy will not only have underweight lambs, but insufficient high quality colostrum, leaving their lambs vulnerable to a myriad of diseases. Fit ewes are also less susceptible to worms and respond better to vaccinations.
Forage analysis, setting a target specification for supplements and using body condition at critical points are all examples of the sort of things to include.
Many flocks spend a small fortune on supplementary trace elements without any evidence on which to base the investment. A good plan will seek to find out what, (if any) are necessary and establish the most cost effective way of correcting any deficiency.
6. Monitoring
By the time you reach this point, it will be obvious that maintaining and improving records is not only essential, but time well spent.
As the plan develops, you will use records to make sure targets are being met and the plan is delivering the benefits you expect. However, this doesn't have to be complicated, make it a means to an end, recording only what you need to make the plan successful and identify the next target.
The bottom line is that the only thing you stand to lose through health planning is the fear of the unexpected. Getting started doesn't require massive time investment. Just jot down three things right now that you would dearly like to improve or see the back of - take the top one on the list and work down through the next six and you're half way there. Then ask your vet or adviser to help fill in the gaps and the plan will start to work for you.