With calving due to get underway on dairy farms in the coming days, one thing that should be put in place is a herd health plan.
A herd health plan should be developed with the help of your vet, and although one may already be in place, it is always a good idea to give it a yearly review.
On farms where there are staff present, you should ensure that everyone is aware of the practices they are expected to carry out.
Herd health
The plan should outline the main management practices and procedures that are carried out on the farm.
It should also include a vaccination programme, with diseases that are, or have been, an issue. The plan should also outline when the best time to complete these vaccinations will be.
Some of the other things that can be included in a herd health plan are:
- The management of calves at birth;
- How sheds are cleaned and disinfected;
- How purchased animals or those returning from shows are treated;
- How mastitis cases are dealt with and recorded.
The aim of this plan is to improve the overall health of the animals within the herd, and reduce the levels of sickness.
It is important to remember that vaccination in aid to prevent sickness in your calves will not help unless good management practices are in place.
Getting the basics right on farms is as important as carrying out a vaccination programme.
During the busy calving season, hygiene is vital for controlling sickness in the calving pens and calf shed.
A measure that will help prevent the introduction of disease or infections on your farm, is operating a closed herd.
This means that no animals are purchases and brought onto the holding.
Getting boundary fencing also ensures that contact with neighbouring livestock is prevented.
