AFUs: What they mean for herds under TB restrictions

Approved finishing units provide farmers under TB restrictions in England and Wales an outlet for their calves and store cattle, particularly those who do not have the facilities or feed to finish their own stock.

See also: All the latest news on bovine TB

Approved finishing units (AFU) in England fall into either annual testing areas (high-risk or edge areas), or four-yearly testing areas (low risk).

1. Those in the annual areas can source cattle from the whole market and can buy clear-tested cattle from TB-restricted holdings.
2. Those in the four-yearly zones must house cattle in wildlife-proof** buildings and buying is confined to officially tuberculosis free herds. However, if TB is found, it doesn’t usually trigger the testing of farms in a 3km radius.

AFUs can be set up with or without grazing, but different rules apply (see below for more detailed conditions). Both must have an individual county parish holding number and no sole occupancy authority or British Cattle Movement Service links with any other site.

AFUs in England at a glance

 AFUs without grazing in Wales at a glance

Conditions applying to both grazing and non-grazing AFUs in England

Biosecurity

• Strict biosecurity measures must apply for movement of people and equipment between the AFU and other cattle on the premises.
• Any cattle not part of the AFU, but on the same premises must not have access to it.
• Protocols for effluent and washings drainage, access to feed and vehicles, and movement of people must be in place.
• Equipment should be for sole use on the AFU unless contamination can be easily cleaned with a jet wash and disinfectant.

 Contamination

• Contamination must be dealt with immediately before contact with TB susceptible stock*.
• Generally, shared feed wagons are acceptable, but dung scrapers are not.
• Overalls or waterproofs must be worn on the AFU – these must not be worn elsewhere to eliminate the risk of disease spreading.
• Any shared equipment must have a biosecurity protocol.

Manure

• Manure must be stacked for three weeks on the AFU or an approved site. 

TB testing

• No tracing tests will be carried out.
• If TB is found, standard procedures for compensation, removal and post-mortem of reactors apply.

Additional grazing AFU conditions in England

Biosecurity

• Grazing must be within the same parcel of land as the buildings or on adjoining land.
• There must be no risk of direct or indirect contact with cattle not on the unit.
• Grazing patterns must be recorded and will be subject to checks.
• Well defined, effective, secure, double fenced boundaries must be used throughout the AFU.
• Housing or shelter must be available.
• Contingency plans for adverse weather must be in place.
• Access to watercourses is permitted provided no contact can be made with neighbouring stock – if it is shared it must be double stock fenced.

Slurry

• Slurry must not be stored, but spread a minimum of 10m from the farm boundary, or any land or buildings holding TB susceptible stock*.
• No access is permitted to slurry treated ground for 60 days following its spread.

 TB testing

• Testing of all cattle on the AFU is at 90 day intervals.
• If testing becomes overdue general licences will be withdrawn and the AFU may become invalid.

Additional non-grazing AFU conditions in England

Biosecurity

• Buildings must have space to allow for the growth of cattle to be allowed in the AFU.
• Buildings must be wildlife-proof** or the AFU must have a wildlife** proof boundary, for example electric fencing in addition to a stock proof fence.
• Where electric fencing is used at the boundary, strands of wire should be at 10, 15, 20 and 30cm above the ground.
• Boundaries of the AFU must be defined and no drainage of effluent or wash offs should run into areas where TB susceptible stock* have access.
• Wildlife** must not have access to effluent or waste water in soak away ditches and should be prevented by wire or electrified pig netting at mains voltage.
• Sides of the building should be closed, solid and a minimum of 1.5m high, for example adding solid metal sheets to five bar gates.
• Gaps at the sides and under doors and walls should be no more than 7.5cm and must not be able to be enlarged by digging or chewing.

 Slurry

• Slurry will be either stored for six months and spread a minimum of 10m from the farm boundary, or any land or buildings holding TB-susceptible stock*, or not stored but spread by injection into the ground.
• No access is permitted to slurry treated ground for 60 days following its spread.

 TB testing

• No testing is required, however the APHA may test in exceptional circumstances, for example if there is extensive evidence of TB identified post-slaughter or suspicion of clinical TB cases in animals held in the AFU.
• If testing is carried out, animals cannot move to slaughter unless they’ve been tested in the previous 90 days, or until testing on the AFU is finished.
• Cattle moved between AFUs must have a clear pre-movement test for TB within 90 days before moving.
• Pre-movement testing to relocate animals from a non-grazing AFU has to be carried out at the livestock owner’s expense.

 *Includes sheep, pigs, goats and camelids, farmed or park deer.

**Wild mammals that can act as reservoirs of Mycobacterium bovis, for example badgers.