This document summarizes a project that evaluated multi-actor farm health teams in France and Greece aimed at reducing antibiotic use in dairy sheep farming. The project received European Union funding. It involved farm health teams consisting of farmers, advisors, veterinarians and coaches developing action plans to improve farm health and reduce antibiotic needs on 10 farms in each country. The teams identified health issues, assessed biosecurity practices, and developed plans to address weaknesses and improve practices through actions focusing on disease prevention and prudent antibiotic use. Evaluations found improvements in some farm practices and health status from the plans, though changing daily routines proved challenging. Ongoing monitoring is needed to sustain changes and motivation.

1. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No 817591
Disseminating Innovative
Solutions for Antibiotic
Resistance Management
Evaluation of a multi-actor farm team in prudent
use of antibiotics in French and Greek dairy sheep
Eric Royer1, Alexandros Mavrommatis2, Frederik Leen3, Lea Delaisse1, Eleni
Tsiplakou2, Helena Ferreira3, Raphaëlle Deffrenne1, Georgios Zervas2
1 2 3
72ND ANNUAL MEETING OF THE EUROPEAN FEDERATION OF ANIMAL SCIENCE
DAVOS – SWITZERLAND 30 AUGUST – 3 SEPTEMBER 2021
Session 54. Sheep and goats management and reproduction

2. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No 817591
Disseminating Innovative
Solutions for Antibiotic
Resistance Management
What is DISARM?
 As little as possible, as much as necessary
 Reduce, replace, rethink
 From disseminating solutions to
disseminating methods to identify the
solutions for a specific context
 From external motivation towards internal
motivation
 From focus on farmers to focus on the
entire complex of actors and factors
Reduce antibiotic resistance by cutting
the need for antibiotics in livestock farming
by focussing on disease prevention and
prudent use of antibiotics

3. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No 817591
Disseminating Innovative
Solutions for Antibiotic
Resistance Management
Role of Farm Health Teams in DISARM
Strategic communication, dissemination and exploitation of results
Assess strategies and
technologies to
reduce antibiotic
resistance on farms
42 on-farm case studies will
promote collaborative
working of farm health teams
to develop action plans to
reduce antibiotic use
Best Practice
Abstracts
Videos
Cross-border
exchange
Best Practice
Guides
Web and Social
Media content
Events and
Workshops
Policy and
Research Reports
Community of
Practice
State of the Art Multi-Actor Farm Health
Plans

4. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No 817591
Disseminating Innovative
Solutions for Antibiotic
Resistance Management
DISARM study: 42 Farm Health Teams in Europe
MA Farm Health
Plan
Farmer Advisor
Veterinarian
Coach
• Improve Farm Health Status
• Improve Farm Performance
• Reduce potential for AB resistance on farm
Input
State of
Art
Best
practice
examples
CoP
30: case studies
reports
Output
On-line FHT
toolbox
42 farms in 9 countries:
10 dairy sheep farms in
FR + GR
Video testimonies
Workshops
Knowledge exchange
between pilot farms

5. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No 817591
Disseminating Innovative
Solutions for Antibiotic
Resistance Management
MAFHT : How does it work ?
Source: ZLTO
Advisor
Farmer Coach/Facilitator
Veterinarian
Farm-specific
Action Plan

6. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No 817591
Disseminating Innovative
Solutions for Antibiotic
Resistance Management
• Baseline data recording and assessment of sanitary status
Preparation of MAFHP by the coach
Biosecurity level
Practices, barriers
and motivations
Disease incidence
Antibiotic use
Internal and external
biosecurity
Self-assessment survey
Points for improving
and action points
Sanitary data
Input to calculate
treatment incidences
Pigs
Poultry
Dairy cow Dairy sheep

7. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No 817591
Disseminating Innovative
Solutions for Antibiotic
Resistance Management
• Health Priorities
• Realistic target values
• SMART action points
• Roles and responsibilities
Meeting for the design of the MAFHP
1 – Feed-back and discussion
on assessments by team actors
2 – Table discussion 3 – MAFHP plan
• Biosecurity
• Strengths and weaknesses
• Points to improve
• List of actions

8. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No 817591
Disseminating Innovative
Solutions for Antibiotic
Resistance Management
• French farms
MAFHT case studies
Source : INAO
• PDO/AOP Roquefort cheese area
• Intensive or semi-intensive farming
systems
• 240 to 700 ewes / herd
• 290 to 440 milk liters / year
• Lacaune breeders
• 30 to 50 years old farmers and medium
education level

9. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No 817591
Disseminating Innovative
Solutions for Antibiotic
Resistance Management
• Greek farms
MAFHT case studies
• Central and South Greece
• Intensive, semi-intensive, semi-
extensive, or extensive farming
systems
• 190 to 1100 ewes / herd
• 150 to 380 milk liters / year
• Chios, Scopelos, local breed or
crossbred
• Young (< 40 years old) and medium
to high education level

10. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No 817591
Disseminating Innovative
Solutions for Antibiotic
Resistance Management
• Relationships among actors
FR + GR : Actors of the MAFHT
Taylor-made support:
milk control, body
scores, nutrition,,
reproduction,
culling decisions,
economic results,
….
FR1,2,4&5
GR3
GR4
GR1,2&5
Disease
treatments and
regulatory visits

11. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No 817591
Disseminating Innovative
Solutions for Antibiotic
Resistance Management
Jan-19 Aug-19 Sep-19 Oct-19 Nov-19 Dec-19 Jan-20 Feb-20 Mar-20 Apr-20 May-20 Jun-20 Jul-20 Aug-20 Sep-20 Oct-20 Nov-20 Dec-20 Jan-21 Feb-21 Mar-21 Apr-21 May-21 Jun-21 Jul-21 Aug-21 Sep-21 Oct-21 Nov-21 Dec-21 Jan-22 Feb-22 Mar-22
FR-1 FI MAFHP V
FR-2 FI MAFHP V V
FR-3 FI V
FR-4 FI MAFHP V V
FR-5 FI MAFHP V
GR-1 FI FI MAFHP
GR-2 FI FI MAFHP
GR-3 FI FI MAFHP
GR-4 FI FI MAFHP
GR-5 FI FI MAFHP
Time line MAFHP’s
Start Farm
recruitment
Multi-Actors Farm
Health Plans
Report
progress
 case studies
from MAFHP’s
Publish on-line
toolbox for MAFHP’s
Farm intakes &
baseline measures
1rst international
exchange
2nd international
exchange

12. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No 817591
Disseminating Innovative
Solutions for Antibiotic
Resistance Management
• Both countries :
• Health status & disease
outbreaks: farmer interviews,
sanitary registration
• AMU: Excel tool on basis of
sanitary registration
• Economic impact: questionnaire
Impact of MAFHP: Observation and assessment
parameters
• Greece: microbiological &
AMR evaluation
• Water, feed, milk, faeces
• Samples are cultured
• Detection of Escherichia coli
and Staphylococcus aureus
• Antibiotic resistance
determination.

13. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No 817591
• Main health challenges
• Similar for both countries: mastitis; hygiene; lamb mortality; ….
• Abortions in ewe-lambs and adults FR > GR.
• Antibiotic use partially because on a safety need and routine basis.
• Biosecurity
• Similar FR & GR. Lambing and physical distance as weaknesses compare to
other animal productions ? High level of external biosecurity.
• Several flocks (GR1 and GR2) are disinfecting regularly teats after milking. In
FR, only if disease signs (FR4 + others).
Results in Greece and France

14. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No 817591
Disseminating Innovative
Solutions for Antibiotic
Resistance Management
• A good biosecurity level
Results : Biosecurity FR + GR
A. Purchase and reproduction
B. Transport and carcass removal
C. Feed and water
D. Visitors and farmworkers
E. Vermin control and other animals
F. Health management
G. Lambing management
H. Lamb management
I. Dairy management
J. Adult sheep management
K. Working organisation and
equipment
0
20
40
60
80
100
A
B
C
D
E
External biosecurity
Dairy cow world
Dairy sheep FR
Dairy sheep GR
0
20
40
60
80
100
F
G
H
I
J
K
Internal biosecurity

15. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No 817591
• List of action points
• External biosecurity : FR satisfied (AI without purchase). More vigilance on
visitors (clothes). GR : use of warnings, visitors' booklet, easy washing of
vehicle wheels. GR3: building of a footbath for return from meadows.
• Difficult ↗ internal biosecurity (workload, old sheepfolds) but new
sheepfolds for young ewes (FR4, FR5). In GR, several groups  infirmary.
FR2/GR2  new area/building for lambs.
• Early detection of mastitis CC / CMTs to identify suspects. GR
antimicrobial resistance.
• GR+FR : search for causes of abortion to be systematised.
• Sanitary recording lacking for FR2, GR3 et GR4.
Results : Decisions of MAFHP FR +GR

16. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No 817591
• Modifications of practices for all farms
• After MAFHT meeting, actors were very enthusiastic ! 
• … but daily work difficult to change
•  Some changes of practices  
•  Better health for all herds
• Some improvements obtained before and after health action plan
• Biosecurity to evaluate again
• Role of follow up + (inter)national exchanges in keeping motivation
• key-role of advisor (FR) or coach (GR) ↔ no regular check by vet
• Antimicrobial use
• In process
Impacts of MAFHP on practices, health and AMU ?

17. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No 817591
• Extension to other farms …
• Testimonials, videos, ..
•  farmers with more barriers : age,
motivation, perceived costs, biosecurity
level
Extension of the approach by DISARM
• Promising results in DISARM for other species/ countries :
pig, poultry, dairy cow 
•  Role of the veterinarian / farmer relationship
• Business model :
• FR: tailor-made contract as basis for future coaching proposal ?
• FR: reinforcement of ‘Advising Coop’↔’Vet’ in the future ?
• GR: willingness-to-pay for advising or coaching ?

18. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No 817591
Disseminating Innovative
Solutions for Antibiotic
Resistance Management
Conclusion: promoting the approach
• Farm health can benefit of
coaching because of:
• Different sources of knowledge of
farmer, vet, (feed/milk)advisor
• Synergy in team discussion has added
value over individual consultations
• Shared ownership, motivation and
accountability from teamwork
• Coherent and streamlined advice in a
tailor-made action plan
• Support from other team members for
the farmer in making the change
Change
Awareness
Questioning
Actors are equal
Dealing with
difficult
problems,
without
interference
Multi-
disciplinary
approach
Free discussion

19. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No 817591
Disseminating Innovative
Solutions for Antibiotic
Resistance Management
Successes of farm specific health plans for AB
reduction

20. www.disarmproject.eu
@ProjectDisarm
Thank you !