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Cattle and sheep farmers’ opinions on the provision and use of abattoir rejection data in the United Kingdom
Author(s) -
Hanley James,
GarciaAra Amelia,
Wapenaar Wendela
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
veterinary record
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.261
H-Index - 99
eISSN - 2042-7670
pISSN - 0042-4900
DOI - 10.1136/vr.105162
Subject(s) - livestock , veterinary medicine , animal health , welfare , medicine , animal welfare , geography , biology , political science , law , ecology , forestry
Background Communication between farmers and veterinary surgeons is reported to differ when involving abattoir rejection data on cattle or sheep. Methods Using surveys, distributed online and on paper at livestock markets, this study describes the interest and positive opinion of a sample of UK cattle and sheep farmers in receiving abattoir data. Results Forty‐nine per cent of respondents always received abattoir data (n=37/76). Over 80 per cent of respondents were interested in all suggested rejection conditions and particularly liver fluke and respiratory conditions. Eighty‐two per cent of farmers were willing to share data with their veterinary surgeon as the information could be used to inform health plans. Conclusion The study findings indicate that having an accurate and consistent data system, which is easily accessible to farmers and veterinary surgeons, appears an essential next step to improve the use of existing abattoir data and enhance animal health, welfare and production.