Page 112 - British Blue 2025 Yearbook

SAFEGUARDING YOUR HERD
Balancing Genetic Value and Disease Prevention When
Buying Stock.
When buying in stock we may be bringing valuable genetics into the herd but be sure that you don’t bring in
disease as well. Pen cards provide health status information to help prospective buyers understand how this
compares to their own herd. The individual blood results displayed in pen cards are from within the last three
months. Individual animals that are not from CHECS accredited herds can be sold with a pen card however
breed society requirements must be met.
A mock pen card is displayed below.
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The scheme diseases are listed in the first column, herd
accreditation in the second column, individual animal
results in the third and vaccination details in the fourth.
The bull is from a herd that has been accredited free of
BVD since October 2020. The white box and date give
this information. If the bull was not from a BVD
accredited herd, BVD antibody and virus testing would
have been required.
The herd IBR status is unknown (herd status box is
blank) but the bull has tested negative for antibodies
and has been vaccinated.
The herd leptospirosis status is unknown, but the bull
has tested negative for antibodies.
The herd is in a four yearly TB testing area (number 4 in
first column) and the last herd test was in June 2022.
The herd does not have a CHECS TB score, but this would
be displayed if it did.
The herd does not have a risk level for Neospora. This is
only relevant for female animals.
The herd has been Johne’s disease risk level 1 (only risk
level 1 herds are shown in a white box) since Oct 2021
and 47 animals were tested at the last full herd test.
Only homebred animals can display the Johne’s herd
status.
Discuss with your vet what quarantine/testing/vaccination
is needed. Remember that when cattle are bought through
a market, or if they share transport, they could have
acquired infection just before arriving on your farm
therefore quarantine and testing will be necessary, even if
they are from a herd with a high health status. Ensure that
incoming stock are brought into line with the herd
vaccination policy (e.g. BVD, IBR, Leptospirosis).
You must also consider the health status of your own herd.
If your herd disease status is unknown, you risk infecting
naïve animals that you buy when you introduce them to
your herd. If for example you were to buy a bull from a
herd that is accredited free of IBR, but your herd has IBR,
the bull may acquire infection for the first time when he
joins the herd. This could result in him developing a fever,
possible severe respiratory disease, and result in him
being infertile for several months. Vaccination of the bull
in quarantine would protect him from clinical disease
associated with IBR.
Further information on CHECS health schemes, pen cards
and PCHS can be found here www.checs.co.uk (CHECS
Technical Document can be found under resources and
downloads) and SRUC Premium Cattle Health Scheme
www.cattlehealth.co.uk
Helen Carty, BVM&S Cert AVP (Cattle) MRCVS
SRUC Premium Cattle Health Scheme
110
www.britishbluecattle.org