Taking a ‘silo approach’ to animal health misses out fundamentally on the impact this key principle of animal husbandry has across farming as a whole, according to veterinarian Dr. Sam Strain.
This was the clear message the vet delivered to the recent Northern Ireland Institute of Agricultural Science (NIIAS) annual conference.
He specifically referenced the link between animal health and the issues of production efficiency, carbon footprint, and medicine usage.
Moreover, he said these are all matters that determine the overall sustainability of farming and food at the present time.
Dr. Strain is the chief executive of Animal Health and Welfare Northern Ireland (AHWNI).
In his presentation to the NIIAS conference, he confirmed that animal health status has an overarching impact on livestock performance.
In other words, an animal’s genetic potential will never be fully reached if its health status is compromised, irrespective of the nutritional regimes that are followed.
According to the vet, clear links have also been confirmed between animal health status, production output, and the associated impact on the environment.
Dr. Strain explained: “Between 2007 and 2017, milk output in the United States rose by 24.9%.
“However, greenhouse gas emission levels only increased by 1% during the same period.
“Analysis of these results has clearly shown that animal health status is a clear driver of whole herd efficiency and sustainability levels.”
The AHWNI representative highlighted the need for calves to be tagged as early as possible. This is a key requirement, linked to the ongoing bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) eradication programme in Northern Ireland.
Dr. Strain also noted that further legislation will be required to allow for the full completion of the BVD measure.
Animal health
Animal health standards are directly linked to the usage of antibiotics within production agriculture.
He also confirmed that a specific disease breakdown predisposes animals to other health-related issues, which in turn can lead to increased antimicrobial usage.
He added: “There is a tremendous level of interaction between diseases. For example, BVD predisposes animal to pneumonia. Infectious disease move within animals.
“But simple steps taken by farmers to tackle one specific issue can have repercussions across other aspects of animal health.
“For example, improving hygiene standards in calving areas to reduce the prevalence of Johne’s disease will also act to reduce scour levels in newborn calves.”
Dr Strain also spoke of how improving animal health can have benefits for efforts to reduce carbon emissions.
“There is also a clear line between improved livestock health standards and the carbon footprint generated by a livestock farming business,” the AHWNI representative said.
“For example, reducing lameness problems within dairy herds will significantly reduce greenhouse gas emission levels.
“And reducing parasite burdens, such as those created by fluke and worms, will also deliver overall reductions in carbon footprint values.”
