Student winner of 2018 RABDF Farm Health Management Awards.

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At the recent Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers (RABDF) Farm Health Management Awards, final year student Penny Stewart was named the 2018 Veterinary Student Winner. This marks the second year in a row that a Dick Vet student has come out on top, following the success of Ellen Smith in 2017. 

In the spring, Penny took part in a UK-wide competition to produce a 15000-word essay on the subject of the DEFRA/Industry Animal Health and Welfare Strategy.  This Government Strategy encompasses the health and welfare of farmed livestock, companion and other animals, aquaculture, and game animals. The Strategy is also concerned with wildlife where our actions affect their health or welfare, or where there is a risk of wildlife transmitting disease to other animals or humans.

Penny demonstrated her knowledge of the costs of disease and the financial impact of disease on business performance; her knowledge of the impact of good nutrition on the health and welfare of farm animals, the likely impact on the quality of meat and milk being produced for human consumption; and on the importance of collaboration between farm staff and veterinary and other advisers in formulating health management plans, alongside many other important issues.

The essays were judged by a panel featuring RABDF Council member and Gelli Aur College farm manager, John Owen; veterinary surgeon Oli Hodgkinson, and John Sumner, dairy consultant and award chairman.

John Sumner commented, “The standard of the essays was most encouraging and it was evident that the candidates had a good knowledge of the most common diseases that affect cattle and in some cases, sheep performance. The candidates had all grasped the fundamentals of proactive health management which was encouraging”.

Links

The Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers

2017 Award Winner