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SAC HEALTH PLANNING
A
n online health planning programme devised by the SAC is
proving beneficial for sheep and suckler beef farmers. It produces
a concise but comprehensive health plan, and allows health and
performance to be compared year on year. It also allows users to
benchmark against other farms.
Taking advantage of
a web-based health
planning programme
Jeremy West
Balmer Farm
Nanja Verkuijl
Cliffe Veterinary Group
The web-based Scottish Animal Health Planning
Programme is free to Scottish farmers, and for a
moderate annual cost is now also available to
farmers and vets in England and Wales.
Altogether, around 260 veterinary practices
have farm clients using the programme. The
sheep programme, launched three years ago,
has 700 sheep farms using it. The beef suckler
programme was launched last September and
already 470 herds have been signed on to it.
The SAC programme co-ordinator Linsay
Eaglesham explains: ‘In 2006 when we
first started to build the system, other
organisations had health planning
programmes but none were web-based,
or allowed online collaboration between
vet and farmer. The SAC programme is a
live dynamic system, so information can be
entered by both farmers and their vets,
giving a central set of data which is readily
accessed and can easily be reviewed.’
Sheep farmer Jeremy West of Balmer Farm
near Lewes in East Sussex has had a paper
flock health plan for several years. However
he has now signed onto the SAC programme,
recognising the additional advantages of a
computerised system with scope to include
more information and allow forward planning.
Veterinary Surgeon
Nanja Verkuijl
XLVets Practice
Cliffe Veterinary
Group, Lewes
Animal Health Planning
Programme...
Linsay Eaglesham
7
LIVESTOCK MATTERS
WORKING
TOGETHER
FOR A HEALTHIER FUTURE...