Implementing health planning in beef suckler and sheep enterprises

Abstract

In recent years herd and flock health plans have become an integral part of the farm quality assurance systems in the UK. This has helped to shift the focus from a reactive approach to animal health problems to a proactive approach that at its best utilises production data and risk management logic while making best use of the expertise of the veterinary practitioner. One common drawback is that the production of a health plan is seen as a one-off exercise. Another is that the plan does not adopt the basic management concept of plan/do/study/adjust, but is simply a tick box exercise in the quality assurance process. To overcome these drawbacks a more dynamic system is required to provide the framework for analysis of health and productivity as well as the delivery of advice and preventive medicine. Web-based software such as the Animal Health Planning System (AHPS) is specifically designed for beef suckler and sheep enterprises and is a practical aid in the documentation and administration of the health planning process.