Managing disease risk on South West farms

For Esme Moffett, the biggest biosecurity threats facing South West farms range from endemic cattle diseases such as TB, Johne’s and BVD through to sheep scab, wormer resistance and the continuing concern around bluetongue.

“Any infectious disease is something that we should be aware of,” she says.

Bluetongue presents a particularly difficult challenge because it is spread by midges rather than direct animal contact. 

Boundaries, buying policies and testing

While farmers cannot control the movement of vectors, Esme believes there are still many practical ways businesses can strengthen their overall resilience.

She points to three priority areas:

1.      Strong boundaries to prevent nose-to-nose contact with neighbouring livestock

2.      Careful thought around buying-in policies

3.      Quarantine, testing and vaccination

“The top one is going to be boundaries,” Esme says. “Are you secure?”

Peter Delbridge agrees, although he acknowledges the realities of farming in the South West, particularly on Exmoor where sheep are sometimes adept at finding weaknesses in fences.

“We’ve got certain sheep around here that can jump cattle grids and do all sorts of things, so you’ve got to be realistic about it,” he jokes.

Running a largely closed flock has been an important part of Pete’s approach over the years, particularly around managing MV accreditation within his Exlana flock. He believes understanding disease status through testing is an investment worth making, especially when breeding stock sales are involved.

“At least it shows they’re making a decent effort, and you stand a better chance of not buying any problems,” he says.

Biosecurity is everyone’s responsibility

But biosecurity is not limited to external threats. Good habits within the farmgate matter too, particularly around youngstock and vulnerable groups of animals.

Esme also highlights the importance of visitors and contractors thinking carefully about hygiene and movement between farms. While livestock sectors cannot realistically operate with the same strict controls seen in poultry or pigs, she believes there is still much to learn from those industries.

Simple measures such as separate clothing and boots for off-farm visits, clean equipment and correctly maintained foot dips all help reduce risk.

Importantly, leadership and culture on farm play a huge role. If farm owners demonstrate they take biosecurity seriously, others are far more likely to follow suit.

“It almost sets a standard that this guy’s serious about biosecurity,” says Peter.

A changing risk landscape

The ability of disease threats to evolve over time is reflected as Peter recalls concerns shifting from sheep scab in the 1980s to wormer resistance, foot-and-mouth disease and today’s focus on iceberg diseases and bluetongue.

Regularly reviewing risks is seen as essential. Esme and Peter encourage farmers to make use of the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway funding available through Defra and to work closely with their vet to assess disease threats specific to their own systems.

“You’ve got to know where you’re at,” says Esme. “Risk awareness is the starting point.”

Ultimately, biosecurity is not about perfection, but consistent small actions, awareness and creating habits that protect livestock, productivity and long-term farm resilience.

Episode showstoppers

1.      Understand the status of your livestock and make disease risk assessment an intentional process, repeating it as risks change

2.      Mitigate those risks by setting up good boundaries around the farm, keeping groups of animals separate and potentially treating differently, depending on their naivety

3.      Implement good processes around buying-in stock, clothes and footwear used on and off farm, focusing on the small but effective changes

4.      Lead from the top – as the business owner, be seen to be serious about biosecurity

Listen to the full episode below - also available via Spotify and Apple podcasts.

About our guests

Esme Moffett is the clinical lead for the Lympstone Vet Team at Synergy Farm Health. She qualified in 2009 and has worked in farm animal practice ever since in both the UK and New Zealand.

Peter Delbridge is a fifth-generation sheep farmer on a 160-hectare property on Exmoor, running North Country Mules, Exlanas and Exmoor Horns with his wife and daughter. He is currently Chairman of the National Sheep Association.Top of Form