Disease protection – especially against pneumonia – is key to animal health and welfare. Caring for livestock is vital.

We operate high health status calf units through a network of dedicated calf rearers that are all committed to improving the health of the animals in their care.

Since we began the Blade operation in 2001, we have focused on reducing health issues on the units by operating a herd health plan with Westpoint Farm Vets. On all Blade Farming’s dedicated rearing units, calves get an intranasal pneumonia vaccine on arrival against the two viruses most commonly associated with pneumonia in very young calves, RSV and PI3.

Shortly before calves leave the rearing unit, they undergo a further two-course vaccination against the same two viruses.

This system reduces the amount of medicines required throughout the lifetime of the animal and reduces production costs for beef finishers.

Each unit also has a specific health plan that is reviewed every six months with our rearers and Vets. The calf units have standard operating procedures in the format of a rearing protocol which gives the team a plan to work to. Alongside great stockmanship, this is our recipe for success in the calf rearing units.

The calves leave the rearing units with a full health history so that the beef finisher knows the history of the animal and is able to follow the health plan into the finishing phase.