Newsletter December 2001
RECENT PROGRESS
We have held meetings in Westray, Sanday and Stronsay, and received
an encouraging reception and wonderful hospitality.
All the farms on Westray are taking part in the initial screening programme, which is good news for the whole island. When BVD can be completely eradicated, the island can be declared BVD free. The advantage of this is that the farmers there won't have to carry out an annual screen test any more, or worry about bio-security - providing any animals brought in to the island are of a known health status or are tested before being introduced to existing herds. This could also apply to areas on the mainland.
YOUR NEIGHBOURS
The BVD eradication scheme will work better and easier for you if your
neighbours are also taking part.
NOW is the time to get underway, as the funding package we were given by Orkney Islands Council will only be available to you for the next two years.
If your neighbours have not joined the scheme, and you do not know the health status of their animals, you must be very careful about putting your cattle across the fence from them -especially your breeding stock. Double fencing at least 3 meters apart will be required, or you may choose to vaccinate your breeding stock.
VACCINATION PROCESS
Vaccinating against BVD involves giving two sub-cutaneous (under the
skin) injections, three weeks apart for the first year, then an annual booster
every following year. You should start your vaccination programme before
the cows go to the bull - in most cases this means you should vaccinate
before you put your cows out to grass.
If you have had a whole herd test, and you know the status of your animals, you should only vaccinate the "white" cattle (animals that have never been in contact with the disease). "Green" cattle are naturally immune.
BUYING CATTLE
When you have started the screening and eradication programme, you must
be careful about bringing in animals from other holdings or from sales.
No Orkney farm has been issued with accreditation certificates yet, but there should be a few in the New Year. In the meantime, if you purchase animals from anyone who has had a clear screen, this should be quite safe. Any animals from a farm which has had a whole herd test done should also be a safe purchase, as they will know the health status of every animal that was tested on the farm.
Remember that you must quarantine and blood test any animals you wish to introduce to your herd, if you do not know their health status. "White" animals are perfectly safe. The same can be said for "Green" animals - unless they are in calf. Pregnant "Green" animals may be carrying a "Red" calf. If you have bought in an in-calf cow or heifer that is "Green", you will probably have no way of knowing when she came in contact with BVD. If it was before she was in calf, you have nothing to worry about.
However, if the animal was "White" and came into contact with a "Red" in the first half of pregnancy, she would turn "Green" but the calf she was carrying would turn "Red". A newbom calf can not be tested if it has already suckled, but we have heard of a way around this - and it's not easy! This is what we suggest you should do:-
- Inform your vet, that you have purchased a "Green" in-calf cow or heifer.
- Request a test tube(s) for a BVD blood test.
- As soon as the calf is born, and before it receives colostrum, try to get some blood from its navel into the test tube. The test tube needs to be about half full.
- Give the blood sample to your vet to send for testing.
- Make sure that the calf does not mix with your other calves i.e. keep it in quarantine until you have the results of the blood test.
Cattle abortions should be reported to your vet and it is advised to have them tested for BVD.
SCREEN TESTS
The first stage of the BVD eradication programme is a Screen Test. This
involves the vet taking blood samples from 10 of your young animals, preferably
aged between 9 and 18 months old.
The cost of this initial screen test has been reduced to around £45 (including the visit fee) as "Novartis" the vaccine manufacturer is sponsoring the laboratory costs.
If you only have a small number of cows, it may be best to perform a whole herd test. If you qualify for this, Orkney Islands Council will pay the laboratory costs.
Please ask veterinary advice on what is the best option for you if you have a small holding.
When you join OLA, you are issued with a membership number, which you should quote to your vet when you request a BVD screen test.
RESULTS & RULES
If your screen test is negative, you must vaccinate your breeding
animals if double fencing is impractical.
If your screen test is positive, under OLA rules you MUST carry out a whole herd test to identify any BVD carriers and white animals must be vaccinated.
As we pointed out earlier in this Newsletter, now is the time to do this, as the laboratory fees are to be paid by Orkney Islands Council for the next two years. You only have to pay the cost of the vet taking the blood sample, which is around £2.50 per animal (including VAT). The laboratory fee for each sample is around £7.50 - you are saving 75% of the cost of testing your whole herd.
PLANS FOR 2002
We are delighted that there are now over 230 OLA members.
We are also aware that many of you out there agreed to take part in the scheme, but have not yet joined, and have not started the eradication programme. WHY?
If you have any questions about how OLA operates, or how the eradication scheme is monitored, please contact our secretary:-
Karen Tait
Orkney Livestock Association
Unit 5
Orkney Auction Mart Ltd
KIRKWALL
Telephone 01856 87 8293 (Monday)
Mobile 07900 231 954
e-mail: karen.tait@ecosse.net
PROMOTION
We are planning to do more meetings and isles visits.
ERADICATION
All 4 farms on Flotta are OLA members, so we hope they can be declared BVD
free in the near future.
SALES
We are going to have a special sale at Orkney Auction Mart of breeding stock
and bulling heifers from farms that are accredited, have had negative screen
tests, or a whole herd test.
Despite a long wait on the funding, and this year's foot and mouth crisis, Orkney Livestock Association has had a very encouraging first 10 months, since it's official launch on 1 February 2001.
We take this opportunity to thank everyone who has supported the scheme, and we hope that next year will be even busier!
Special thanks to Orkney Auction Mart, and to Northvet and N McHarg for all their help and advice.
We wish you all a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.