Preventative services offered by veterinarians on sheep farms in England and Wales: Opinions and drivers for proactive flock health planning

Abstract

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Safeguarding the role of the vet in sheep farming

“…There are many examples of the divergence in views between sheep farmers and veterinarians (Kaler and Green 2013, Stubbings 2014, Bellet and others 2015), and clearly the resolution of these misunderstandings is essential to the building of successful flock health planning relationships. It has been suggested that greater success might be achieved by the veterinarian who focuses first on outcomes, for example, lamb growth rates and sales patterns, rather than the problems, such as anthelmintic resistance (Stubbings 2014).…”

“…Recent research suggests that many veterinarians do not have much contact with their sheep farmer clients, as they do not believe themselves to be sufficiently knowledgeable or expert enough to be proactive and they do not believe that farmers will pay for their services (Bellet and others 2015). …”

“…The challenge for all UK sheep veterinarians is to maximise their ‘motivation, capability and opportunity’ (Bellet and others 2015) so as to place themselves firmly in the position of delivering the high-quality and cost-effective advice that is required on sheep farms.…”

Australian Veterinarians’ Perceptions Regarding the Zoonotic Potential of Mycobacterium avium Subspecies Paratuberculosis

“…The reason for veterinarians not being more involved might be due to the veterinarians' and/or the farmers' perceptions and beliefs. A study highlighted that the proportion of time a veterinarian proactively spends in an advisory role with regard to preventative measures on a farm might depend on their required skill and motivation level, as well as whether counseling was seen as an income opportunity by the veterinarians, and if the farmers sought counseling [80]. In a survey of British farmers, inconsistent service, high turnover and a lack of expertise of sheep farming and concerns about independence of the advice given, were identified as barriers against the proactive use of veterinarians in sheep flock health management [81].…”

Engagement between vets and sheep farmers

“…However, some sheep farmers have seen the benefit of regular veterinary involvement, and suggested that a proactive vet might work with a group of farmers of smaller flocks to reduce the veterinary cost per ewe (Kaler and Green 2013). In a response to these findings and the challenge to all UK sheep vets to maximise their ‘motivation, capability and opportunity’ (Reader 2014, Bellet and others 2015), the concept of a ‘flock health club’ was launched.…”