The spread of infection amongst livestock depends not only on the traits of the pathogen and the livestock themselves but also on the veterinary health behaviours of farmers and how this impacts their implementation of disease control measures. Disease management practices employed by livestock owners can vary, due to differing responses to complex factors such as increased awareness of disease risks, pressure to conform to social expectations and the direct imposition of animal health regulations. Controls that are costly may make it beneficial for individuals to rely on the protection offered by others, though that may be sub-optimal for the population. Therefore, failing to account for socio-behavioural properties may produce a substantial layer of bias in infectious disease models.