Julian Sparrey, IAgrE member from Livetec will discuss the practicalities associated with the management of disease outbreaks in livestock.
Exotic livestock disease outbreaks such as Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza or Foot and Mouth Disease have had dire consequences for UK agriculture. Livestock farmers lose their livelihood and income, the country loses export markets and if not prepared to respond can lead to challenges to the high standards of animal welfare we aspire to in the UK.
I will review last season’s HPAI outbreak with 110 infected premises between October 21 and April 22. Explain the government’s response process and the operations required on the ground to contain the disease. How we managed 120 staff working 7 days a week deploying at 24 hours’ notice to infected sites, the logistics of moving equipment, gas and staff around the country.
Livetec have been involved in resolving all the notifiable poultry disease outbreaks in the UK for the past 12 years. Working with leading UK veterinary universities we have developed humane on farm culling equipment and proceedures to safely and efficiently depopulate farms. We also work with livestock farmers to prepare contingency and biosecurity plans to manage the risk of pathogen incursion and, if the worst happens, get back into production as quickly as possible.
Julian Sparrey is a Chartered Agricultural Engineer leading the development of equipment and procedures for the humane emergency killing of livestock on farm. He started out as a Research Engineer at Silsoe Research Institute, developing novel systems for the slaughter of livestock and later as a Technical Officer with the Humane Slaughter Association.
With the foot and mouth and avian influenza outbreaks in the UK and Europe in the early 2000s he turned his attention to mass depopulation on farm for disease control. Working with leading Veterinary Universities in the UK he has developed a number of novel technologies and processes for the safe, humane and efficient mass depopulation of livestock. In 2010 he established Livetec Systems Ltd which designs and develops equipment and operations to industry and government for the control of disease outbreaks. In addition, based on 20 years of involvement in livestock disease outbreaks, he provides biosecurity and contingency planning support to livestock farmers to prevent and manage these outbreaks.
Visit Livetec Systems to find out more about their services and solutions.
