This week’s Focus supplement concentrates on tips to try to avoid disease outbreak on the farm. Time and time again, studies have emphasised the fact that tackling subclinical disease on the farm, along with having a preventative approach, can be much less costly in the long term.

Achieving a healthy herd can only be done through proactive planning. A herd health plan is always a good starting point and is often one of the most valuable plans on the farm.

While some farmers may create a plan themselves to tick a box, a herd health plan will only really deliver with an active input from your local veterinary practitioner. The expertise and experience of the vet is vital in ensuring that disease outbreaks do not occur.

A plan is only as good as the information put in, so good record keeping is vital. On pages 4 and 5, Alan Kelly looks at the ABCDEFGs of calf health. With calving currently in full swing, we see the seasonal peak of calf rearing with both dairy and beef farmers partaking in the enterprise.

Alan points out best practice in terms of ensuring that calf health is not impacted along the way. Performance and health go hand in hand and for farmers looking at rearing replacement heifers, any setback a heifer calf receives in early life will have a significant negative impact on lifetime yield.

While grazing is only commencing on many farms, now is the time to focus on developing a dosing strategy for the farm that controls parasites, while at the same time reducing the risk of anthelmintic resistance developing. We must endeavour to ensure that signs of resistance in the sheep sector do not replicate themselves on cattle farms.

Johne’s disease is coming more into the spotlight on both dairy and beef farms right across the country. We get details from Teagasc, Moorepark, on research relating the disease and some tips on how to control the spread of it from within the farmgate.

On pages 10 and 11, the Journal Vet looks at mastitis in ewes and what farmers need to do to avoid it. As mastitis in ewes occurs moreso where litter sizes are larger, given the high litter sizes this year, it is a very timely piece.

The regional veterinary laboratories (RVLs) provide a critical service to farmers and vets around the country in terms of providing facilities for testing and conducting post-mortems on cattle and sheep. Darren Carty looks at the various costs of the different services offered by the RVLs to farmers and vets on page 13.

Vets are the cornerstone of animal health in the country. Peter Varley interviews Veterinary Ireland president John O’Roarke on page 14 to get his views on the role of vets in animal health on farms.

With the current focus on farm safety, we must urge farmers to be cautious when handling stock. Routine events, such as calving intervention, dosing, administering vaccinations, etc, all require close contact between farmers and livestock.

Safety should be to the forefront when handling stock. Before dosing or handling stock, the first job should be to ensure that handling facilities are safe and fit for use.

As the average age of farmers continuously gets older, especially in drystock enterprises, it should be noted that handling cattle, be it for dosing or testing, is not a one-person job, and most certainly not for a lone elderly farmer.

When handling cattle, always ensure that there is help nearby and above all else, avoid unnecessary risks.