Farmed Animals

Herd Health Planning for Livestock Welfare

Veterinary herd health planning integrates disease prevention, performance monitoring, and welfare assessment for livestock farms.

Key Facts

A herd health plan (HHP) is a written document developed with a vet covering health priorities and prevention
HHPs are required for Red Tractor assurance and recommended for all livestock farms
Annual reviews allow identification of emerging welfare trends and targeted improvement
HHPs reduce disease incidence and therefore animal suffering through preventive action
Welfare-focused HHPs go beyond disease to include behavioural health and positive welfare assessment

Welfare Considerations

Veterinary herd health planning represents the integration of disease prevention and welfare assessment into a systematic farm management tool. HHPs that include explicit welfare targets, monitoring protocols, and improvement plans are a powerful mechanism for progressive welfare improvement on individual farms and across sectors.

What You Can Do

Support mandatory herd health plan requirements for all livestock farms
Advocate for welfare outcomes to be explicit targets within herd health plans
Choose certified products from farms with documented herd health planning
Support veterinary training that equips vets to deliver welfare-focused herd health plans
Encourage farmers to engage proactively with herd health planning as a welfare improvement tool