Newsletter October 2003 OLA AGM
Alistair Foubister, OLA Chairman welcomed members to OLA's second AGM that was held on Thursday 4 September in the Ayre Hotel.

He reported that OLA has 531 members at present, and that there are only 25 farms in the whole of Orkney that have not joined the scheme.

Farms that have eradicated BVD from their herd have reported that their cattle are healthier. An evaluation will be carried out in the near future.

He recommended that screen tests should be done earlier by most members, as too many left it to the last minute before the cattle went out this spring. December, January and February are ideal months for screen testing, as this allows plenty of time for further testing if required. He added that Karen would send reminders to members from now on to let them know when their screens are due.

He thanked the Animal Health Department in Kirkwall, as they have been happy to arrange ministry testing to coincide with BVD whole herd tests, as well as being helpful in many other ways.

He thanked the Board Members and Karen for their efforts over the last year, and he praised the veterinary guidance given by lain McCulloch and Liz Flett.

TECHNICAL SUPPORT
Special guest at the AGM, Dr Sandy dark of SAC Thurso, reported that the vet labs are coping very well with the samples being sent from Orkney. The bar-code labelling system used for the test tubes for whole herd tests is a unique feature of the scheme and has revolutionised blood testing of cattle.

He said that since the scheme began in February 2001, 348 red animals have been detected, which is a tremendous achievement considering the damage that just one of these can do to a herd.

Shetland is already clear of BVD, and sales of anti-biotics have more or less stopped - even for conditions such as Foul of Foot.

HEALTH DECLARATION NOTICES
If you read the "Scottish Farmer", you may have noticed a feature about a Health Declaration Notice that has been created by SAC Veterinary Services in St Boswells, Roxburgshire, for displaying with livestock at sales such the Perth Bull Sales.

The declaration lists the animal's status for the following five diseases:-

1. BVD (Bovine Viral Diarrhoea)
2. Leptospirosis
3. IBR (Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis)
4. TB
5. Johne's Disease

This is in response to buyers wanting to know more about the health status of animals before being purchased and brought on to the farm.

This is surely proof that the rest of the country IS taking notice of what you have achieved here in understanding bio-security, and preventing disease. If you would like more information, contact the local SAC office situated beside the mart.

OLA can also provide you with notices for sales such as these.

PERTH BULL SALES
Karen will be present at the Perth Bull Sales on Sunday 19th until mid-day on Tuesday 21st, before heading back north in time for the fostered calf sale. OLA's display stand will be situated in the concourse (through the main entrance at the front, to the left near the stairs to the Gallery Bar).

If you are going to Perth to buy a bull, and need some advice, you can speak to her while she is there or telephone her mobile number (07900 231 954).

BUYING A BULL
When you bring any new animals into your existing herd, you should quarantine them for 2 to 3 weeks even if you know their BVD status. This allows any "bugs" they may be carrying to wear off before mixing them with your stock.

When you buy a bull you should check his BVD status. If the vendor informs you that he has been tested, we would recommend that you see proof of this by checking the laboratory report.

If the bull tested negative (white) when he was tested and was not vaccinated, he may have met the disease on route to your farm, and could test antibody positive (green) by the time you get him home.

If a "white" unvaccinated bull meets the disease, he will turn "red" for a short period before turning "green", but his semen may remain infected for up to three months.

When you buy a bull, you should know or find out about his present health status. When you bring him home, quarantine him for a couple of weeks, and then get him individually tested for BVD even if he has already been tested by his previous owner. If he tests "green" he may "have infected semen for up to three months, so this would be a serious health risk to your herd and would be very inconvenient if you were planning to use him as soon as possible.

You may also test him for other diseases such as TB and Johne's at the same time if you wish. For many herds in Orkney, bulls are the only bought-in animals, so it is extremely important that you are aware of the health risks they may carry.

To summarise the recommended procedure, these steps should be followed:-

1. Find out health status of bull(s) you are interested in.
2. Purchase bull(s)
3. Quarantine for at least two weeks, and arrange individual BVD test to be carried out by your vet. You may also test for other diseases at this point. Keep bull in quarantine until result of test is known.
4. Get result of test and discuss with your vet.

If you need a bull to put out with your cows in Spring, October is a good time to buy. Quarantine procedures are often easier at this time of year, and any "bugs" he may be carrying will have worn off before your calves begin to arrive.

Another good point is that they are often more reasonably priced at this time of year!

OLA RULES
It is very important to follow the rules of the BVD eradication scheme to stay clear of the disease. Unfortunately, some farmers have found out the reasons behind some of them because "break-downs" have occurred. There is always an explanation as to why a herd contracts the disease.

If your boundary is less than 3 meters from your neighbours, you must vaccinate all your breeding stock following a clear screen test. If you had a whole herd test, only the "white" breeding animals should be vaccinated. Green animals are naturally immune - but remember the danger is that a green cow could be carrying a red calf, or have a red calf at foot, unless you know she was green before she went to the bull.

If the status of the unborn calf is unknown, you may blood sample it by squeezing some blood from it's navel into a test tube as soon as it is bom and before it has suckled. You will need to request some test tubes from your vet prior to this.

All bought-in animals should be individually tested unless you already know their status.

BVD VACCINE
The BVD vaccine stocked by both Veterinary practices in Orkney is called "Bovidec", and is manufactured by Novartis Animal Vaccines Ltd.

It comes in 20ml vials, costing around £10 per vial and contains 5 single doses (4ml per dose), that can be administered by you by subcutaneous (under the skin) injection. It is recommended that vaccination be made high on the side of the neck.

The first time you vaccinate your animals, they require two doses given 3 weeks (21 days) apart. They require a single booster every following year. It is best to vaccinate your breeding cows and bulling heifers BEFORE they go to the bull.

If, for example, you plan to turn your cows and bulling heifers out with the bull at the start of May, it would be best to give them their first dose at the start of April, so that you have time to give the second dose before they go out.

It does not affect the cows if they are vaccinated while they are in calf, but the vaccine will not protect the unborn calf that is already in the womb.

BVD ACCREDITATION
Have you had at least two clear BVD screen tests? Have you vaccinated all of your breeding stock or is your farm boundary at least 3 meters away from your neighbours? If the answer is "yes" to both of these questions you may be eligible to become BVD Accredited. All you have to do is contact your vet and request a "Level 1" visit.

OLA SALES
We are delighted that our OLA sales have been so successful, and were very honoured when Orkney Auction Mart offered us the opportunity for their main fostered calf show and sale on 23 October 2003 to be run under OLA rules. The format will be pretty much the same as in previous years, but all calves forward will be of a known BVD status. Under veterinary advice and guidance, the rules have been tightened slightly for calves eligible for sale. Herds that had less than two previous clear screen tests, have had to screen test 10 of their fostered calves. We realise that this has caused a bit of extra work for some, but we need to be as careful as possible. It also gives buyers added confidence.

The day after the fostered calf show and sale, we have organised a special sale of bulling and in-calf heifers on Friday 24 October 2003.

Details of our forthcoming sales are enclosed with this newsletter, along with a list of all BVD accredited members and bulls available on the bull bank.

The whole object of OLA sales is to assure buyers that "red" animals are not forward for sale - if there is any chance at all of there being a risk, we can not sell them as being of a known BVD status.

There is no point in having an eradication scheme if we do not abide by the rules that have been set. This has already been proven. An OLA member was not amused when he was told that we could not sell his "green" cows at an OLA sale as they had tested "green" after they went to the bull -therefore the calves in the womb and the calves they had at foot were of unknown status. They were sold at an "ordinary" (not OLA) sale, and we now know that two of those calves infected two herds with BVD. Now the buyers are not amused!

SALE ORGANISATION
If you would like to sell cattle at an OLA sale, or wish to arrange a sale, contact Karen who will organise this for you with Orkney Auction Mart. Entry forms must be completed and returned to Karen as soon as possible so that a catalogue can be made.

It is also useful to give her your cattle passports so that they can be checked before the sale.

OLA ADVERTISING
OLA adverts for sales etc., and our sale reports will be published by "Orkney Today", which is on sale every Friday.

Orkney Auction Mart will also include OLA sales in their adverts - check their sales list.

Our after-sale reports are also welcomed by The Scottish Farmer and The Farmers Guardian.

WEB-SITE LAUNCH
We are looking forward to launching our first web-site within the next month.

This will be another tool for promoting Orkney's farmers and their livestock and increasing awareness of what we are about.

Sale information and catalogues will also be available on-line.

JUST ASK!
Please remember that if you need any advice regarding BVD testing, or if you are still confused as to how the disease occurs and/or how to prevent it, please seek advice from your vet or Karen.

Karen's set day for being in the OLA office is every Monday (except for Monday 20 October when she will be in Perth), although she is often in other days as well. She can be contacted by telephone from Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.