A Study of Planned Health and Production in Beef Suckler Herds

Arnold, Carolyn Anne (1992) A Study of Planned Health and Production in Beef Suckler Herds. MVM(R) thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

The benefits of taking positive action on a herd basis to maintain animal health and efficient production have long been appreciated by the dairy industry. Planned health and production schemes in beef suckler herds have been run successfully in Canada, America and Australia since the late 1970's and their popularity has continued to grow. In the United Kingdom the subject of herd health has recently been fashionable in the dairy and sheep industries however it has had little recognition in the beef industry. There has been a renewed interest in beef suckler cattle and a move from the traditional extensive hill systems to more intensive systems on upland and lowground farms. Due to consumer pressure there are tighter specifications for carcase quality. Therefore more planned systems of production are necessary to maintain profitability and minimise disease. In this study it was hoped that after the implementation of planned health and production schemes on a cross section of beef suckler farms there would be an improvement in herd performance. Records of cow calving details and calf weights by the majority of the farmers allowed the monitoring of herd performance. In the herds studied there was great variation in husbandry practices and in the agricultural background of the farmers so advice was tailored to suit each individual. Certain problems were commonly encountered especially diarrhoea and pneumonia in calves and poor reproductive efficiency of cows. The majority of problems were best overcome by changes in farm management. On all farms there were improvements seen as a result of visits as measured by cow reproductive performance, incidence of calf diseases and calf performance.

• Item Type: Thesis (MVM(R))
• Qualification Level: Masters
• Additional Information: Adviser: Alison H Gibbs
• Keywords: Veterinary science, Animal sciences
• Date of Award: 1992
• Depositing User: Enlighten Team
• Unique ID: glathesis:1992-75320
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 19 Nov 2019 21:13
• Last Modified: 19 Nov 2019 21:13
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/75320