As autumn weanling sales get underway in earnest and new stock begins arriving on farms, focus should shift to on-farm biosecurity protocols. That is according to Martin Blake chief veterinary officer with the Department of Agriculture.

Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal at the recent launch of the animal health surveillance website, he said following a hard spring and summer, biosecurity could help avoid unnecessary problems.

“It is now important to ensure animals aren’t exposed to unnecessary risks from an animal health prospective. Something we really need to focus on and re-emphasise is the biosecurity of animals,” he said.

In addition to looking after animals on a day-to-day basis, avoiding mixing new animals with an existing herd/flock is equally important. Martin said that by not mixing these animals straight away it gave them a chance to build up their immune system which would provide vital protection heading into the back end.

Website

Speaking about the website, he said it was the Department’s ambition to be “as transparent as possible and provide information” on all issues related to animal health.

He said: “We have a lot of information in the department and we publish and retain it in different places. The thinking behind the website is we’ll bring all the information we have with analysis into one place.”

It is hoped the website will be of relevance to farmers, vets, farm organisations and Ireland’s trading partners. Martin said in the age of information it was the right approach to be open and honest about the national animal health status especially as it is always good.