The cattle and sheep health and welfare groups have merged to form the new Ruminant Health and Welfare Group (RHWG) to provide one voice for the health and welfare of ruminants in the UK and to include goats and deer in the future.
The group first met in September 2020 with Ms Kate Hovers, veterinary surgeon based in Mid Wales, representing the FUW.
Whilst the group includes numerous industry Stakeholders, it will maintain as an independent body focussing on maintaining and improving ruminant health and welfare with a focus on tackling endemic diseases.
Alongside the bi-monthly meetings of the group, Wales hosted the first ‘four nations’ meeting which focussed on the work done in Wales in active health planning.
The group has recently discussed the proposals for rearing dairy bull calves and a new device called Numnuts. Numnuts is a device licenced for use in Australia for the castration and tailing of lambs and calves which involves a controlled injection of local anaesthetic before applying the rubber ring.
Currently, the use of this device is prohibited in the UK as there are no licenses available for the use of local anaesthetic in sheep, however, the RHW group has recently written to the
Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) to request for such a licence to be made available.
Please find more information on the RHWG website and raise any particular diseases or animal health and welfare concerns with your local FUW Animal Health and Welfare Committee delegate.