GOING BVD FREE. A quick guide to support a BVD free future for your herd

Transcription

1 GOING BVD FREE A quick guide to support a BVD free future for your herd

2 WHAT IS BVD? Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) is a highly contagious and costly disease of cattle. Signs aren t always obvious and the financial impact on your herd is often hidden: Reduced reproduction early embryonic death, abortions, high rate of returns to service and extended days open can all result from BVD infection Reduced production lower milk yields, poor growth rates and high cull rate Secondary disease pneumonia and calf scours in youngstock and lameness and increased mastitis incidence in adults due to the BVD virus suppressing the immune system How is BVD spread? From infected dams to their unborn calf Through semen of infected bulls (natural service) Through nose to nose contact with infected carriers Persistently Infected Animal (PI) If an animal is persistently infected they will shed high quantities of BVD virus into their environment for life. They are the most significant source of infection to other cattle yet often account for only 1 or 2 in 100 animals. Contact with these animals leads to the infection of other animals and the spread of disease in your herd. Identifying and culling these PI animals is critical to eradicating and controlling BVD. How can I tell if I ve got PI animals in my herd? Identify them using antibody tests from blood or tissue samples. Tissue samples can be easy to take at the same time as routine husbandry tasks at the time of birth. For example by using a Tissue Sampling Tag (TST) which takes a small sample of the ear tissue as the tag is applied. The sample can be sent to the lab for analysis to help identify BVD infected animals. Adopt a structured and methodical approach to eradicating BVD from your herd. Using TST tags is only one part of a structured and methodical approach to the testing and eradication process on your farm. Work with your vet to: Investigate establish your herd s BVD status Control cull infected animals and buy in only BVD free animals Monitor check your herd s BVD status annually What are the benefits of a BVD free future for your business? Your herd could be a source of BVD free stock for other herds - commanding a premium price. With compulsory eradication schemes in Northern Ireland and Scotland this could be important Your herd s productivity will increase

3 TISSUE SAMPLING TAGS An important tool to help you towards a BVD-free future Officially approved cattle tags Take a sample of tissue as part of the normal tagging process TST SENIOR (LARGE) The sample is analysed to determine the BVD status of the individual animal Infected animals can be culled BVD free animals can be recorded and shown on a national database Available in 3 sizes TST JUNIOR (MEDIUM) TST BUTTON Ideal for tagging and testing new-born calves and has an advantage over blood samples (cannot be tested below 4 weeks of age) or bulk milk samples (only for lactating cows, ignores calves, heifers and bulls). For retrospective testing (i.e. if you are just starting your BVD eradication programme) older animals already officially tagged can be tested using management tissue sampling tags. Available in 3 sizes TST MANAGEMENT (LARGE) TST MANAGEMENT (MEDIUM) TST MANAGEMENT (BUTTON)

4 TISSUE SAMPLING TAGS Official animal numbers Sample collection needle Sample collection tube White cap for easy identification MORE INFORMATION For more information or to place an order for Tissue Sampling Tags: Visit Call

5 FARMER SHARES BAD EXPERIENCE SO OTHERS CAN AVOID BVD STING Cattle farmers in England and Wales are at significant disadvantage to those in Scotland and Northern Ireland, where testing new born calves for Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) is mandatory. That s the view of Wiltshire beef farmer Jeremy Cottle, who is willing to share his bad experience so that others can avoid the same thing happening to them. He keeps a 330 cow Limousin suckler herd in partnership with his father and brother, selling weaned calves at Frome market s autumn calf sale. Five years ago, we bought our annual replacements as in-calf heifers and sold their calves that autumn as usual, he explains. The following April, a purchaser contacted me to say one of the calves had subsequently died, with a post mortem indicating it was a persistently infected BVD carrier, known as a PI. Of course, we reimbursed the farmer the full price they had paid for the PI calf plus six months keep. As a supplier of high quality home-bred calves from pedigree sires, we rely on our good name and simply can t afford bad publicity. The financial loss arising from the PI calf and concern that it could happen again prompted us to take a new, proactive approach to BVD control. In consultation with our vet, we began vaccinating the cows, buying in vaccinated heifers only and have since introduced testing of all new born calves for BVD. Within a week of birth, calves have a tissue sampling tag (TST) inserted in one ear, from which the resulting tissue notch is analysed for BVD status. Results are available online within a week. According to Mr Cottle, TST tags are no different to apply than the standard ones. In addition to confirming every calf s status, each individual test result is automatically uploaded to providing traceability to purchasers who can easily check the BVD status of our cattle, he adds. In addition to reassuring our customers, this gives us valuable peace of mind. Helen Sheppard from the Allflex UK Group explains that BVD can be present undetected in sub-clinically infected herds. Considering the extensive cattle movements that take place, BVD-free herds are at significant risk of becoming infected without knowing until it s too late. Clearly, BVD testing of calves enables PIs to be identified and removed at birth and at relatively low cost, minimising the negative economic impact caused by disease associated losses. In England and Wales, we are seeing enlightened farmers like Jeremy Cottle deciding to test voluntarily rather than wait for testing to become compulsory UK wide. According to director of the National Beef Association John Hoskins, elimination of BVD is an achievable target for all UK producers. I do believe that ear tag tissue testing for BVD is making it easier for farmers to eradicate this disease, he adds. [ref 1]. 1 The Cattle Site, 22 December Ear tag testing could eradicate BVD

6 UK REGIONAL BVD CONTROL Country BVD Testing Status Website for more information England Voluntary Testing with BVD FREE Northern Ireland Scotland Wales Compulsory testing for calves born on or after 01/03/16 Stage 2 of BVD Eradication required compulsory BVD testing for all Scottish herds since 01/02/13. Scotland has been in Stage 4 of the compulsory eradication programme since 01/06/2015 Voluntary Testing phase SUPPORTING UK LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS TOWARDS A BVD-FREE FUTURE This guide has been produced by The Allflex UK Group Ltd. We strongly support the various eradication schemes and are developing a partnership programme aimed at working with livestock producers to help eradicate BVD from the national herd. For more information visit or call LBVD16F