Flock and herd health planning is a major part of a farm vets’ work here at Alnorthumbria. It is probably the most cost effective service we offer to our clients with potentially huge savings from using the best management practices.

Health planning can be a formal meeting producing a printed health plan but could also be advice given to combat or control a particular disease conducted at any time. Most of our health planning takes place during the summer months and is usually in the form of a yearly health plan where vet and farmer sit down to go through management and preventative measures that can be implemented on your farm. During this time we will discuss any issues that have occurred that year, discuss diseases present on your farm and create action points for the following year.

We believe that prevention is much better than cure and much less costly. Once an animal is sick you have already lost production and incurred costs of treatment or, in the worst cases, disposal of a dead animal. We use an annual review to also review any vaccination protocols, discuss use of preventative medicines such as wormers, and ensure correct biosecurity protocols are in place.

As part of looking at Herd or Flock health, we also look as humane slaughter techniques, quarantine protocols and husbandry, in particular the five freedoms, as covered by The Animal Welfare Act 2006. These include the need for a suitable environment, need for a suitable diet, need to be able to exhibit normal behaviour patterns, need to be housed with, or apart, from other animals, and the need to be protected from pain, suffering, injury and disease.

Health plans can be completed in conjunction with an Annual Health and Welfare Review as part of the Annual Health and Welfare Pathway or alongside an antibiotic review which is required as part of a Red Tractor inspection. To book in a health plan or to update a current plan please contact your local branch.