Tag and test helps disease control on beef farm
In the final part of Farmers Weekly’s Breakthrough BVD campaign, Debbie James discovers how the disease was affecting fertility before being eradicated
A Welsh beef farmer is making more money with fewer cows after eradicating bovine viral viral diarrhoea (BVD) from his herd.
The disease was picked up in Phil Jones’ herd at Lan Farm, Carmarthenshire, after the sudden deaths of four weaned calves, which had appeared strong and healthy.
“We had never experienced such a severe outbreak of pneumonia. The calves had been well grown and seemed to be thriving. That day we blanket treated every animal,” recalls Mr Jones, who runs 90 spring-calving suckler cows with his wife, Shan.
Fertility had been a cause for concern, too. “We scan little and often and in 2010 we found that out of 30 cows only three were in calf. We hadn’t realised it at the time but BVD had made the bull sub-fertile.”
That year BVD was cited as a possible cause of poor herd health. “This was the turning point,” Mr Jones, Farmers Weekly Beef Farmer of the Year 2013, recalls.
He joined the Premium Cattle Health Scheme and, in conjunction with his vet, Helen Scott, of the Carmarthen Veterinary Centre, three groups of animals were tested – calves, bulling heifers and cows.
Five animals from each management group were tested with financial support from a combined Welsh government and HCC grant of £4 for each animal tested.
“A high number were antibody positive and further testing was undertaken to look for persistently infected (PI) animals,” Mr Jones explains.
Five PI calves were identified and these were immediately removed from the herd. At that point all cows and bulls were vaccinated with animals given an annual booster from there on.
Since 2011, ear tag samples have been taken from all newborn calves and no cases of BVD have been picked up.
The herd has been fully accredited as BVD free with the Premium Cattle Health Scheme since the spring of 2013. “It is a great relief,” Mr Jones admits.
The only animals he now purchases are bulls – these are quarantined for four weeks and screened for BVD. Mr Jones has sacrificed cow numbers by running a closed herd – he has 10 fewer cows than he did before he took control of BVD – but his profits have increased.
“We are rearing and weaning more kilogrammes of calf,’’ he says. “Calves are strong and vigorous at birth and heavier at weaning.”
There has been a massive decrease in cases of pneumonia, although improvements to building ventilation have also helped achieve this.
Better fertility has also contributed to his higher profit margin. “At our worst point, for every 100 cows presented to the bull our weaning rate was only 84%. By eradicating BVD alone that figure is now 92%. We are getting more pregnant cows, better fertility and fewer abortions.”
Another major cost benefit is significantly lower vet costs. Spending on medication has decreased by 70%, to just over £600, excluding vaccination. “We are no longer feeding the fire; we now focus on prevention rather than cure,” says Mr Jones.
He has health protocols in place to prevent a recurrence of BVD, which are mainly the rules and regulations demanded of the accreditation scheme.
“We are fortunate that three-quarters of our boundaries are sheep grazing, woodland and public highway, but where there is a chance of contact there is a 3m boundary.
“When we move cattle around for grazing I always keep an eye on what is on the other side.”
Mr Jones will continue to “tag and test” calves, an outlay of around £500 a year. He rates this as one of the most worthwhile expenditures on the farm.
“The tag we use is around 80p dearer than a standard tag, plus the lab fees; for that cost it wouldn’t make sense to stop,” he says. “We know before a calf is 10 days old if it is a PI; that knowledge helps me to sleep at night.”
Vet Jonathan Statham answers the most frequently asked questions by beef farmers relating to BVD:
How long does it take to test for BVD and how expensive is it?
It is a lot less expensive than you might think. The most effective way to screen a whole herd is to blood sample five animals from each separately managed youngstock group, aged 8-14 months. Often this costs no more than £50 even if you have a 200-cow herd. Tag and test offers a great way to hunt for BVD – but every calf needs to be tagged and this can be a more expensive way of screening in larger herds.
How do I avoid bringing BVD into the herd?
Ideally only buy from herds of known health status. The safest herds are ones that are Cattle Health Certification Standards (CHeCS) accredited BVD free. Second safest are herds that are screening for the disease with complete results from their vets, and thirdly, you can conduct individual animal tests. Tag and test is a very useful tool to avoid purchasing BVD-infected calves.
Can the bull spread BVD in my herd?
Yes, he can be a serious risk of transmitting BVD in three ways. He could be persistently infected (PI) in his first trimester as an unborn calf. He could be transiently infected around puberty and therefore may have a chronic infection – he may blood test virus negative, but he will shed the virus in his semen. And lastly he may have a temporary, acute infection if he has been exposed to a BVD virus carrier as an adult.
Q4. What should I do if I buy in stock bulls?
Ideally buy bulls only from known health status herds (CHeCS accredited). Failing this, make sure they’re tested before you buy and consider quarantine before use. Discuss the plan for your herd with your vet.
Missed earlier articles? Catch up online:
The current situation in the UK and Ireland
Advice on eradicting BVD in your herd