A written flock health plan — developed annually with your flock's veterinarian — is one of the most powerful tools available for improving sheep welfare and reducing disease burden. Prevention is consistently more effective and welfare-positive than treatment of established disease.
Parasite control strategy: Worm control plan based on FECR (faecal egg count reduction) testing; fluke control based on regional risk; ectoparasite control (scab, lice, fly)
Lameness prevention: Five-point plan targets; vaccination for foot rot, footbathing protocols, treatment thresholds
Nutrition planning: Body condition score targets at key physiological stages; mineral supplementation (selenium, copper, iodine, cobalt — tailored to farm mineral status)
Biosecurity: Quarantine protocols for incoming animals; disease testing requirements; disinfection
Mortality monitoring: Recording and reviewing mortality data to identify emerging disease patterns
Annual Veterinary Review
The health plan should be reviewed at least annually with a veterinary surgeon. Key data to bring to the review: mortality records by age group and cause, lameness incidence and treatment records, scanning percentages, lambing percentages and losses, body condition score data, and medicine use records. This data enables evidence-based decision-making rather than reactive management.
Welfare Benefits of Health Planning
Farms with active health plans have been shown to have significantly lower lameness incidence, lower mortality rates, and better reproductive performance than farms without. Each disease prevented represents animals spared from suffering. Health planning also typically reduces antibiotic use by improving prevention and enabling more targeted, evidence-based treatment.