Regular dentist check ups can hurt the pocket at the time but they can prevent a much bigger spend and a lot more pain down the track. Proactively monitoring a herd can offer the same protection and with rising costs, public perception pressures and competitive markets, more farmers are seeing the value in proactive herd health and welfare monitoring.
There are a raft of benefits that can appeal to any type of farmer and align with everyone’s unique values:
Assurance
All types of farmers can have assurance when the vet - an animal health expert - is regularly connected to the herd. They can help catch potential issues before they escalate and cost the farm business a lot more to fix and in lost productivity.
Trust
For the manager, data can be utilised to demonstrate they are doing a good job for their herd owners and be showcased to future employers.
Social licence
Farmers are becoming more aware of public perception and feeling like they are under a magnifying glass and they tell us that being involved in a proactive herd monitoring programme, like WelFarm, gives them confidence knowing they have data to cover their backside should they ever need it.
Peace of mind
Knowing they are doing the best for their herd and that they will have an opportunity to pick up on anything that may start slipping. As well as receive positive feedback when things are going right, which can be valuable for a herd owner.
Drive efficiency
A lot of time can be wasted trying to resolve a herd health issue where proactive management can be time budgeted and prevent the issue in the first place. And if issues are raised it is usually early enough to scope out the plan clearly.
And if managers are trying to pitch a business case for things they may need for the herd, data can provide evidence to assure owners it is a necessary spend. For example, feed from body condition score results or lameness figures to support race repairs or staff training.
Economic gains
Data can help determine the potential gains from improvement. Saving one cow from proactive monitoring, or lifting reproductive performance results by a few percent could mean the monitoring programme is paid for.
Benchmarking
Sometimes targets can feel unobtainable but a benchmark is the reality of what is being achieved. It also pays to benchmark against yourself, to see if your efforts are working or if you need to try a different tactic.
We know the industry is changing and there could be more requirements into the future, so engaging in proactive herd health and welfare monitoring could simply be to stay ahead of the game that makes it worthwhile for your business.
Talk to your vet about proactive monitoring for your herd using WelFarm.
