The world is facing a really tough situation with concerns about population growth, food supplies, and the environment. Crucially, The UN is estimating we’ll hit a peak of 10.3bn people on the planet by the middle of 2080. So, it is important to start making changes as soon as possible to improve things, especially animal health. With that in mind, we want to look at three elements here that can improve sustainability for livestock farmers around the world.

Prioritise health to protect the environment

One thing every livestock farmer should keep in mind is how important it is to have healthy, happy animals. They’ll be more productive, preserving food supplies. Even better, good health and husbandry practices will reduce losses. All of this is important for profits as well as ensuring farms can stay afloat.

If you improve the health of animals, you’ll also help to lower emissions. Livestock, particularly ruminants, can be a major source of greenhouse gases. Therefore, it is important to maximise productivity to ensure we’re getting sufficient food for the emissions. Disease, unproductive animals, and animal losses are all factors to tackle. Better treatment and husbandry can massively reduce GHG and provide significant savings too.

The right feed is key

Proper nutrition is vital for animal health for several reasons. Most importantly, it supports growth as well as the immune system. This can ensure optimum health and productivity, meaning farmers may need fewer animals and can lower GHG emissions.

The right diet can also have a direct impact on the amount of methane and nitrogen emitted by animals. For example, sunflower oil or whole seeds can be beneficial. It is a good idea to check out studies on the topic to see what you should be including in diets for different animals. Some simple changes could have a big impact. Plus, you could also reduce reliance on crops that require a lot of energy to grow, cutting emissions even further.

New innovations

Finally, farmers should keep an eye on innovative new products, treatments, and husbandry techniques. There is rightfully a lot of attention on animal health and wellbeing. This leads to a huge amount of research and development. In turn, it can provide new resources and opportunities.

One of the most interesting areas at the moment is a focus on reducing methane emissions. While a good diet can reduce it, supplements and vaccines could do even more. There are trials around the world for different products. In the UK, there has been a lot of attention on Bovaer. It has approval from regulators, however there has been criticism from the BFU. We even had wave of misinformation and conspiracy theories.

Combination

Ultimately, if farmers aim to be more sustainable and also want to protect their interests, they need to look at all the potential opportunities. Combining good health, proper management, effective diet, and the use of appropriate treatments and supplements can have a massive impact.

Talk to us if you need supplies to improve animal health

JS Hubbuck Ltd is one of the best companies to work with if you want happy, healthy animals. The crucial thing is we’re knowledgeable; we ensure we have as many details as possible about all the products we stock. This includes feeds, wormer, and more. As a result, we can work with every client to ensure they purchase exactly what they need and get the best results for animals.

So, speak to us today if you’re looking for help or recommendations.