Animal Welfare

Sustainable management of animal health

MEANS BETTER MEAT

Our members are fully committed to the highest levels of animal welfare. Where possible minimising chemical/pharmaceutical intervention and adopting a holistic sustainable management which is the preferred option.

Achieving optimal animal health and welfare while not depending on chemical intervention requires knowledge, care, skill and compassion. Successfully managing a herd or flock holistically has significant benefits for the animal, environment and ultimately the product.

In summary our co-op members places animal welfare at the centre of a complex jigsaw of sustainable livestock management

To illustrate the potential impact of managing animal welfare that is dependent on chemical intervention the following offer examples and at the same time present the alternatives that support a more sustainable approach.

Liver fluke

Although there are many species of worm parasites harboured in the gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts of cattle, only a few target species are clinically and economically important. Liver fluke (Fasciola hepatica) is a leaf-shaped parasite which lives in the liver and bile ducts of infected cattle is an example.

The liver fluke life cycle involves a free-living stage which depends on the presence of an intermediate host, specifically Galba truncatula a species of mud snail. A survey by the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust in the autumn 2017 found a total of 462 snails, of six species or groups, across a total of 15 locations. Fasciola hepatica was only found in one species of mud snail: Galba truncatula. A total of 215 G. truncatula were found, with six (2.8%) individuals infected.

The seasonal nature of liver fluke infection results from infective larvae being shed by snails onto pasture primarily during late summer and early autumn.

With the effects of infection on growth rate and milk yield estimated to cost the UK cattle industry up to £40.4 million annually, effective and sustainable parasite control within herds is essential

As stated liver fluke is associated with wet meadows as the host the mud snail Galba truncatula is thought to be present. Our member raise livestock on which are potentially a habitat for the snail.

A simple and over used solution, has been for cattle and sheep to treated with antihelminths, i.e. chemical intervention, based on the assumption the fluke was presence. However the over use of chemical treatments has led to a well documented development of resistance to certain antiheminths. As a sustainable alternative, our members avoid indiscriminate use of antihelminths by screening individual animals for the presence of liver fluke and only treating those which prove to be positive. The strategy reduces the use of the chemicals and thus possibility of increasing resistance within the herd or flock. In addition to the targeted screening and treatment strategy, our members also provide mineral blocks which include plant and algal extracts that are known to support enhanced animal health which reduces the establishment of internal parasites.

Dung Bettle

Each dung pat is a micro-habitat, and you will find plenty of other things living in or on them.

Dung beetles are a group of beetles whose existence is completely dependent on animal dung, they exist in all sorts of dung, from cattle, sheep and horse through to alpaca and deer. Some are generalists whilst others are specific to only one breed of animals’ dung.

Therefore dung beetles perform a critical role in providing important ecosystem services in grasslands, including the recycling of dung from the surface back into the soil and are key to kick starting the process of pasture ecology soil health and provide economic benefits through the services they provide, by lowering the costs of maintenance.

Dung beetles are also a great tool to help naturally reduce parasite loading at pasture.

There are several ways in which they achieve this:

Beetles actually ‘drink’ dung pats feeding on the bacteria-laden juices from animals’ stomachs. This drying effect has multiple benefits:

Lungworm often uses a fungus called Pilobolus to transport itself from the pat to the leaf of the grass, ready for ingestion. Drying hampers the fungus from growing and prevents the hatched parasite from moving their way to grass.
It is believed that the fragile parasite eggs get damaged by the beetles as they source the bacteria which they feed on as they rummage through the pat. The burying effect of dung beetle tunnellers removes the parasites from the pasture and buries them into the soil.

It is widely understood chemicals used in the treatment of livestock parasites, those found in many of our commercial parasite treatments have a negative effect on dung beetles and other dung fauna. Therefore given stated benefits in the form of ecosystem service adopting a sustainable management of animal health and welfare clearly has the potential to impact more than livestock and is another driver behind our members livestock managment strategy.

Antibiotic resistence in general

Antibiotics are produced by living organisms or in the laboratory and have the capacity to kill or inhibit the growth of microorganisms . Even if antibiotics represent a positive aspect for both animals and humans, because of their great impact on their health status, their abusive use can lead to harmful consequences, and especially to the appearance of resistant.

The practice of using antibiotics is still widespread for prophylactic and curative purposes, and the problem of their remnants in animal products, groundwater, soil, and feed has caused (and is still causing) worldwide concern, generating vast costs to combat antibiotic resistance

Many scientific papers have been published over the years, focusing on antibiotic residues in food and feed. Antibiotics can be used as feed additives in livestock in order to maintain animal health; lately, however, there is an increasing attempt to stop this phenomenon as antibiotic residues can be consumed by humans with food of animal origin (meat, milk, eggs, fish, honey, etc.). It should be noted that, not only may food from animal origin have antibiotic residues, but also plant foods, which can be contaminated by soil and water.

It is well documented that over use of antibiotics within animal husbandry is a source of resistance within both human populations and ecosystems.

Our members adopt a holistic, sustainable approach to animal health and welfare. Starting with raising livestock on naturally species diverse pasture and forage derived from the same. The strategy avoids concentrated feed formulations and use of antibiotics as prophylactic. As a direct result our co-op members can guarantee a pure natural product.

As result of adopting an integrated approach to animal health the reduces the dependence on chemical intervention, our members;

Animal health and welfare

Wey Valley farmers Co-operative Registered in England.

Company registration number: XXXXXX. VAT no: XXX

Wey Valley Farmers Co-operative Registered in England.

Company Registration Number XXXX. Vat No XXX