New health planning tool for UK sheep producers

Date: 20/7/2010

UK sheep farmers can now take advantage of a highly practical, visually based flock health planning tool that is simple to customise for any farm situation or annual production cycle.

Launched at the Royal Welsh Show, the innovative new EasiPlanner gives producers an easy, step-by-step route to more effective flock health planning, according to independent sheep consultant Lesley Stubbings, who has advised on the format and content of the practical, sticker-based wall chart system.

"Sound flock health planning and the effective implementation of proven disease management protocols are crucial for optimum profitability," she said. "But to be effective they must be dynamic and used on a day-to-day basis. Unfortunately, many flock plans are committed to memory or kept in a filing cabinet, and are simply a record of disease treatments - and this is where the benefit is lost. The EasiPlanner is a wall chart based system designed to be highly visible, easy-to-use and promotes forward planning, as well as encouraging farmers to record some key performance data. The system also conveys important best practice disease management advice."

The EasiPlanner has been developed independently by Geoff Hooper of VSM Limited following widespread industry consultation.

"This new system is designed to appeal to sheep producers who want to move towards a more active approach to health planning. It gives them a highly practical aide memoir as a flock management and chronicling tool that also fulfills the legislative need to have a written health plan in place. Used in association with their medicine and sheep movement record books, the system delivers everything a producer needs to become fully compliant in these important areas. It also provides a full flock health record for farm assurance inspections and helps ensure animal health products are used in the most timely and advantageous way," he said.

To use the new EasiPlanner, producers follow three simple steps:

Step 1: Starting with the month lambs are weaned, use the month stickers provided to customise the large A1 format wall chart for the particular farm system calendar year.
Step 2: Schedule in the timing of key management, husbandry and monitoring tasks using the labels provided.
Step 3: Incorporate the key dates when disease prevention measures will be taken.

To simplify the recording process, every annual EasiPlanner comes with comprehensive ready-to-use, peel off sticker sheets detailing all the key management tasks and disease prevention measures that need to be put in place.

The wall chart also includes best practice guidelines on in-coming stock quarantine procedures, lameness control measures and worming protocols. There are also blank stickers available and the chart can be written on with the non-permanent marker pen provided.

Further information on the EasiPlanner is available on the new www.sheephealthplanner.co.uk website. The system is supplied in a cylindrical storage tube and can be ordered on line with or without a voucher code. Producers can also enquire by telephone by calling 01296 484411.

The system retails at £25.00, but with a £10 discount voucher available from supportive third parties many producers will be able to secure their annual EasiPlanner for as little as £15.

Footvax from MSD ANimal Health is supporting the launch of the EasiPlanner - Flock Health Planner.  Vouchers are valid until 31st October and apply to each and every planner being ordered   ( i.e all planners ordered will be £15 each inckduing vat and postage)