Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
The potential for improving welfare standards and productivity in United Kingdom sheep flocks using veterinary flock health plans.
- Journal:
- Veterinary journal (London, England : 1997)
- Year:
- 2007
- Authors:
- Scott, P R et al.
- Affiliation:
- University of Edinburg · United Kingdom
Plain-English summary
In the UK, farmers with around 1,000 sheep spend about £3,500 each year on veterinary care and medications. However, despite this spending, issues like skin diseases and increasing resistance to deworming medications are common, along with frequent reports of abortions in sheep. There are also concerns about the treatment of lambs, such as tail docking and castration, and the long distances sheep are transported for slaughter. To improve the health and welfare of these sheep, it's suggested that farmers adopt basic care practices, like treating for parasites and ensuring vaccinations are up to date. Implementing these measures could help address the current health issues and improve overall sheep welfare.
Abstract
Data from industry sources detailing variable costs in 2003 revealed that the average farmer keeping 1000 lowland ewes in the United Kingdom spent 3500 UK pounds annually on veterinary fees and medicines. Despite such expenditure, psoroptic mange and cutaneous myiasis are common in the UK, resistance to one or more anthelmintic group is not only common but increasing in frequency and distribution, and abortion outbreaks caused by Toxoplasma gondii and Chlamydophila abortus are frequently reported by veterinary laboratories. Welfare concerns also arise from farmers' intransigence towards tail docking and castration in lambs (mutilations), reported market forces necessitating long distance road transportation to slaughter plants, and an unwillingness to employ veterinary surgeons for obstetrical problems. The spread of sheep scab in the UK over the past decade illustrates the failure of flock owners to effect rudimentary biosecurity and disease control measures. A first step towards improving the health and welfare of sheep would be the immediate implementation of basic good husbandry practices, including ectoparasiticide treatment for sheep scab eradication, prophylaxis for cutaneous myiasis in selected lambs, and appropriate vaccination strategies for clostridial diseases and certain abortion agents. There would also be money from within current farm expenditure to provide veterinary attention for obstetrical problems affecting up to 2% of ewes per annum. Planned use of ecto- and endoparasiticides is urgently needed to maintain the efficacy of these unique drugs.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16632388/