Leading specialist in cattle health and housing Jamie Robertson has been working with a Welsh animal health project to share information and simple advice on cattle health and housing.
Stoc+, a flock and herd health project hosted by Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales (HCC), which is one strand of the Red Meat Development Programme (RMDP), a five-year Welsh government and European Union funded initiative aiming to enhance the red meat sector in Wales.
The project works with farmers and their vets to promote proactive flock and herd health management.
In a webinar last November, leading specialist in cattle health and housing Jamie Robertson joined the Stoc+ team and vet Olly Hodgkinson to share information on cattle housing and how this could impact their overall health.
Following on from the webinar, Robertson has been working with Stoc+ to produce a factsheet that will provide further advice and information to farmers.
The factsheet outlines five main areas to be considered in order to provide the optimum housing environment for cattle; hygiene; moisture; fresh air; air speed; and temperature.
Housing cattle over the winter months
Robertson explained:
“Housing cattle over the winter months help to protect the soil and grass, and helps to achieve better performance.
However, poor conditions at housing can lead to a number of health issues such as pneumonia, and the spread of a range of infectious diseases.
“Making simple modifications can help improve cattle performance when housing. The purpose of the factsheet produced in collaboration with Stoc+ outlines some key areas that farmers can check: some aspects can be changed very quickly and improve the next two-to-three months of housing.”
Heather McCalman HCC programme coordinator explained:
Mid-winter is a good time to check housing, especially in growing cattle, if any deficiency is identified alterations could improve cattle condition, health, performance and the farm’s profitability.
“Many beef farmers on the Stoc+ project have highlighted that cattle housing is one of the areas they need to explore as part of the project to help improve cattle health and minimise the risk of pneumonia and other infectious diseases within the herd,” she concluded.
