Dairy Event 2010: Health planning crucial

Biosecurity often starts and ends at footdips by dairy doors and restricting vehicular and visitor access to animal areas, but a North Yorkshire vet is also encouraging producers to think beyond the farmgate.

What is biosecurity about? questions vet Jonathan Statham of Bishopton Vets, Ripon, part of the XL Vets group. “It’s about protecting stock, keeping disease and, importantly, risk of disease as low as possible.”

The dairy sector is still some way behind both the pig and poultry sectors in biosecurity, says Mr Statham.

Bishopton Vets is working with dairy farmer clients on herd health schemes. This includes establishing disease levels within herds, prioritising action, monitoring disease level and the impact on cow performance, and identifying risks that could see further disease brought on-farm.

“By far the biggest risk comes from cattle-to-cattle contact at the farm’s boundaries – possibly through straying stock – and buying in stock,” warns Mr Statham.

Those units at greatest risk are often flying herds requiring regular purchase of replacements. Here, risk of importing disease can be cut by working with regular suppliers to agree a health plan and screening programme to keep risk of disease as low as practically possible.

“In all cases producers should question whether they can keep disease out, control it or simply manage it if it is already there,” explains Mr Statham.