11 Apr 2022
Webinar is one of 16 now available as part of Wales’ Farming Connect Animal Health and Welfare programme, in conjunction with the National Animal Disease Information Service.
Paul Imrie
Job Title
Veterinary surgeons Matthew Evans and Rosie Wright of Fenton Vets, Pembrokeshire, part of the team delivering the workshops.
A training course led by vets has been launched to help farmers improve post-weaning lamb performance.
Wales’ Farming Connect Animal Health and Welfare has added the additional module to its fully funded training workshops, making it the 16th such webinar to be rolled out.
All content has been developed in conjunction with the National Animal Disease Information Service and is delivered by participating vet practices in Wales as interactive workshops either in regional face-to-face settings or online.
Matthew Evans of Pembrokeshire-based Fenton Vets, one of the practices that will be delivering the training, said the aim of the new module is to help all sheep farmers improve and maintain animal performance and productivity.
He said: “A strong emphasis will be put on disease awareness and prevention, as well as the importance of record-keeping, to assess lamb performance and aid production and management decisions.”
The main focus of the workshop is weaning management, identifying and managing infectious diseases, parasite control and nutrition – but health planning, biosecurity, and responsible use of antibiotics and anthelmintics will also form a part.
Mr Evans added: “We need all farmers to understand the basic principles of the economics of rearing lambs for either fattening or breeding, and the importance of weighing lambs and body condition scoring the ewes to aid weaning decisions.
“This training will cover all the key factors that should influence any decisions made about weaning management, despite these sometimes needing to vary year by year according to ewe body condition, feed availability and lamb growth rates, and will help them set realistic targets.”
To find out more about the training modules, and for locations and dates, visit the skills and training section of the Business Wales website.
Farming Connect is delivered by Menter a Busnes and Lantra Wales, and funded by the Welsh Government and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development.
