Animal Health and Welfare Pathway

Update March 2023

As you will likely be aware, the Animal Health & Welfare Pathway (AHWP) has now launched.  Following our Q&A session we thought you might find the following information useful.

Who is eligible?

Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) eligible farms with at least 11 cattle or 21 sheep. Initially the funding will be for a SINGLE species (you do not have to decide this when you apply).  The scheme will later be rolled out to non-BPS farmers, and then multi-species funding will be available.

How do you apply?

Visit the gov.uk website .

It is up to you as a farmer to apply – this is not something that your vet practice can do on your behalf.  Similarly, whilst your vet will provide a report and results following the visit(s), it is the farmer’s responsibility to send the report in order to receive the payment.  You will need to provide:

• your customer reference number (CRN)
• the SBI number of the business registering for the review
• the business email address linked to the business registering for the review

Once you have applied you will receive approval and a link to sign up. Once you have signed up the work must be completed within 6 months. Please note this 6-month timeframe as it may affect when you want to apply, as some work you require will be seasonal, as might the timing of BVD testing (see relevant section) or checking for wormer resistance.

What do the visits involve?

For all species, a portion of the funding must be spent on testing for a specific disease problem.  The most significant cost to sheep production has been identified as wormer resistance; for cattle it is BVD.  For this reason the Pathway funding is focussing on these diseases, with required testing outlined below.

Sheep

Funding available £436

The required testing is to check for wormer resistance. The main period for testing is typically May to October, on samples from lambs.

Dung samples will be submitted for a worm egg count (counting microscopic worm eggs in faeces to give an indication of the level of worm burden present in the animal).  If the level is high enough to warrant worming, a second sample will be collected 7-14 days after treatment.  The difference between the two counts gives an indication of how effective the wormer has been.

In addition to this, the funding can be used for whatever you feel is appropriate.  Some examples:

• Trace element testing
• Ram fertility examination
• Ewe metabolic profiling and nutrition planning
• Thin ewe investigation
• Liver fluke monitoring
• Parasite control advice
• Lameness management
• More worm egg counting! Worm egg counts are most useful if performed regularly, as the challenge will be constantly changing, and growth rates can fall by half before signs of worm are apparent

Dairy

Funding available: £372

The required testing is a bulk milk sample for BVD virus.  This can be done at any time (block calving herds will need to take calving pattern into account)

In addition to this, the funding can be used for whatever you feel is appropriate to your herd.  Some examples:

• Mastitis investigation
• Cubicle assessment / cow flow / general shed assessments
• Calf health monitoring
• Lameness management
• Pneumonia/scour investigation and control planning
• Johne’s: tightening the screw on existing control measures

Beef

Funding available £522

The required testing is testing BVD antibody screening of youngstock.  Bloods will be taken from 9-15 month old homebred animals (six animals per separately managed group).This age range needs to be taken into account when applying – if for example you calve in March-April, you will have the right age animals on farm from December to July.

In addition to this, the funding can be used for whatever you feel is appropriate to your herd.  Some examples:

• Bull fertility examination
• Improving calving pattern
• Pelvimetry (heifers)
• Liver fluke monitoring
• Parasite control advice
• Pneumonia/scour investigation and control planning
• Johne’s advice
• Nutrition and trace element advice

Medicine Hub

You will need to record your medicines on the AHDB medicine hub.  You can sign up to this here .  You can then nominate Calweton Vets to have third party access.

How do I get the payment?

Once the work has been completed, your vet will provide a visit report and lab results along with their RCVS number.  You will need to submit this alongside the Calweton invoice raised against your account.  You will then receive the payment.

If you are still reading!

The driving force behind this scheme is that by working with your vet, the health of your flock / herd can be maximised – with the knock-on effect that productivity is as good as it can be.  We very much hope that this will be your experience.