VetSalus has recently been involved in the first of a series of Knowledge Building Events for dairy giant ARLA. Throughout the year, suppliers to ARLA are incentivised, by an increased payment for their milk, to attend “knowledge building events”, which are organised periodically in a number of countries. VetSalus has developed a short training course on stress free stockmanship and the first of these was delivered in Denmark, by VetSalus consultants Anne Katrine, Ole and Tobias, in late April. Since then a further four have been delivered in Denmark, with online versions also available in Denmark and Sweden. Germany, and BeNeLux meetings are planned for later in the year. Work is also underway in the United Kingdom to develop another Knowledge Building Event on a different subject, for delivery later in the year.
Reducing the level of stress experienced by animals in any farming system is an important cornerstone for improving animal welfare. Handling animals, whether for routine events such as milking or more infrequent situations, including animal health treatments, are unavoidable in any farming system and the VetSalus course emphasises the importance of high quality, low stress routines whenever animals are being handled. The course is presented as a mix of theoretical and practical information and includes a formal presentation of material researched by VetSalus consultants, followed by practical on-farm demonstration of some of the best techniques, including how to move around and even under a cow. There is also plenty of time for useful discussion: the casual exchange of information between peers is often the most valuable aspect of many farm training events.
The courses are proving to be very popular with farmers and the project has recently been nominated in the “animal care” category of the International Dairy Federation Awards.
As an organisation, VetSalus is delighted to be involved with this initiative: work to improve animal welfare is core business for the veterinary consultancy group. If you would like to learn more about the work of VetSalus please visit: www.vetsalus.com