August 23, 2020

Survey: Cattle lameness top health issue for UK farmers, vets

A survey of veterinarians and advisors conducted by Cattle Health Certification Standards (CHeCS) showed that cattle lameness is the top health and welfare challenge facing farmers and vets across the UK.

The survey listed infections diseases and lack of investment as the second- and third-most serious challenges of farmers, Vet Times reported.

The online survey was carried out in June, and 88% of the respondents were vets and the remainder livestock or animal medicines advisors.

Of the respondents, 36% specified "lameness" as the industry's biggest health and welfare issue, while 13% pinpointed infectious diseases, of which about half specified "TB".

For 9% of the respondents, economic pressures ranging from producing low margins to preventing reinvestment in welfare were their top concerns.

As to the biggest challenge related to farm profitability, 21% of cattle farmers and vets cited low market prices and/or high input costs, followed by competition caused by Brexit and trade issues (20%) and infectious disease (19%).

Abi Reader, chair of CHeCS and also a dairy farmer, noted that the survey raised a range of challenges outside of farmers' control, as well as ssues they can do something about.

 "At farm level, we are largely unable to influence Brexit or trade matters and have limited impact on sales price or input costs, or even misrepresentation, which can be incredibly frustrating", Ms Reader said as per report.

"However, lameness and infectious disease are problems we can and must take the opportunity to address as they have a knock-on effect in terms of both profitability and reputation."