Biosecurity Risk Assessments
The farm risk assessments are interactive assessments of the bio-security risks that challenge your farm for farmers and vets to complete. A series of risk assessments have been developed to cover the major endemic diseases. Simply answer a series of bio-security questions and you will be assigned a level of risk level (high, medium or low) for each component. In this way you will be able to identify the risk priorities for your farm and deal with them effectively, to prevent disease getting onto your farm. A bio-security programme should be part of a veterinary health plan.
Louse populations are highest during late winter and may cause disrupted feeding patterns, fleece damage/loss, and self-inflicted trauma.
Nematodirus (nematodirosis) is an important disease affecting young lambs managed on pasture grazed by young lambs the previously year.
Ticks are very difficult to remove from the environment once the population has become established.
Blowfly strike is a major animal welfare concern: an average of 1.5% of ewes and 3% of lambs in the UK may be affected each year, despite preventative measures undertaken by most farmers
Gastrointestinal nematode (roundworm) infestation is the most important infection limiting sheep production in the UK.
Once established, it is almost impossible to eradicate liver fluke from your farm.
Bovine Virus Diarrhoea Virus (BVDV) is a viral disease of cattle that causes reproductive losses and a range of other disease syndromes in cattle.
Sheep Abortion is a major economic loss to the sheep industry with individual cases costing £85 each.
Leptospirosis is a common infection in dairy and beef herds causing infertility, abortion and poor milk yield.
IBR is a highly contagious, infectious viral disease affecting cattle of all ages. Infection occurs by inhalation and requires contact between animals.
Financial losses result from mortality and antibiotic treatment costs. Respiratory disease is also a major animal welfare concern.
Respiratory disease is estimated to cost the UK cattle industry £80 million annually (between £30 for mild cases to £500 when the animal dies)
Diarrhoea or calf scour can be a major cause of calf mortality and lost profit in many beef suckler herds.
Most outbreaks of lameness in sheep are caused by either interdigital dermatitis (scald) or footrot
Recent surveys have revealed that more than two-thirds of dairy calves do not receive adequate volumes of good quality colostrum within few hours of birth
Any person keeping 50 or more poultry (which includes game birds) should be registered with a veterinary surgeon and registered on the Great Britain Poultry Register through Defra.
The main signs of Johne's disease in cattle are progressive weight loss and chronic diarrhoea, If your herd has no history of Johne's disease it is critical that all measures are taken to prevent introduction of infection.
Factors affecting perinatal lamb mortality include farm management especially nutrition, level of flock supervision and infectious diseases