Herd health app pools expertise online
© SRUC A web-based herd health planning tool promises to make livestock farming more efficient by drawing farmers, nutritionists, vets and other advisers together in one place.
Herdplan was developed by Scotland’s Rural College’s (SRUC) Veterinary Services and launched at the British Cattle Veterinary Association Congress last week (17 October).
The app is designed to encourage a proactive approach to disease prevention and management through regular discussions between the farm team and their vet.
See also: Finishing cattle: A guide to health planning and quarantine
Funded by the Scottish Government, it is free for vets and costs £99 a year for farmers. The app’s functions include records for:
- Vaccination strategies
- Infectious disease protocols
- Biosecurity measures
- Vet approvals
- Antibiotic reviews
- Health and welfare assessments.
Dr Foteini Manolaraki, animal health planning development manager at SRUC, said Herdplan would help ensure the entire farm team was kept up to date with the latest farm health information.
“By prioritising prevention over cure, HerdPlan ultimately keeps more money on the farm and ensures that essential tasks are completed on time,” she added.
Those wishing to find out more can do so by emailing herdplan@sruc.ac.uk or visiting the website.