A Sheep Health Statement is your number one ticket to maintaining the health of your flock when moving sheep onto your property.
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Sheep Health Statements (SHS) are signed documents that advise on the health status of restocker sheep, including the presence of conditions such as ovine Johnes disease, footrot, ovine bruscellosis and lice. They are mandatory in some states such as NSW and Victoria.
A recent MLA survey found that more than more than 70% of sheep producers who were aware of SHSs found them to be an effective tool for disease management. However, the survey found that while half of producers used them all the time, the other half never used them.
MLA Manager Animal Health and Biosecurity, Dr Jim Rothwell, said the survey showed the animal health was top of mind for most sheep producers.
“A SHS is a producer’s number one tool for managing biosecurity on-farm. Managing common farm diseases involves closely monitoring what comes onto your property and the SHS are designed to do exactly that,” he said.
“Most producers are inspecting, monitoring and recording the health status of their animals, but not everyone sees a role for SHS in doing that.
“We’re encouraging all sheep producers to use all the tools at their disposal to stop the spread of endemic diseases, as well as getting more livestock agents put the issue on their buyers’ agendas.”
