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H E R D S U R E F E A T U R E
RUP E RT H I B B E RD
Experience of the Herd
sure
®
Pilot Scheme
Veterinary Surgeon
Rupert Hibberd
XLVets Practice
Drove Veterinary
Hospital, Swindon
A BVD vaccination programme was started
in March 2008 following a number of
abortions and identification of two
'Persistently Infected' (PI) calves, presented
as stunted calves. In June 2009, Gerald
decided to attempt to eradicate BVD.
The team at The Drove Veterinary Hospital
had some experience of monitoring and
accreditation programmes but had not,
as yet, set out to specifically achieve full
herd eradication in a confirmed actively
infected herd.
There was an opportunity to participate in a
pilot of the Herdsure
®
Cattle Health Service
to trial its sampling, testing and management
protocols and the processes that were driven
by VLA's in house newly developed IT system
before its launch in November.
The herd was enrolled into the BVD pilot
at Level 2 as active infection had already
been established.
We agreed four essential points before
sampling began:
l
To ensure the farm staff understood the
basic epidemiology of the disease
and the threat to pregnant animals from
the PI animal.
l
To ensure there was a full commitment
to the prompt removal of identified PIs
whatever the value or pregnancy status
they may have.
l
To ensure the requirements for BVD
biosecurity would be met.
l
To ensure the commitment to adhere
to the full eradication programme
including the sampling of newborn
calves until a period of 12 months
without the disclosure of a PI animal
was achieved.
Two biosecurity issues were identified:
l
The farm was using a muck spreading
contractor and his equipment needed to
arrive clean and have a further wash
before entering the farm.
l
One field on the farm boundary had a
single stock fence and the next field was
periodically grazed by the neighbour's
cattle. It was decided that this distant
field should only ever be used for
weaned, non pregnant yearlings. The
threat of a recently acquired active
infection from the neighbour's stock was
considered to be minimal and could be
managed by a short isolation period for
stock returning from this area. Also, it
was decided to continue the herd
vaccination programme.
How it works
Herdsure
®
paperwork is straightforward
requiring completion of one registration
form for the practice and a form to enrol
each herd. Following registration a prompt
for sampling is sent with a sample
submission form that includes a BCMS
print out of ear numbers (with barcodes)
of cattle to be tested so that samples can
be matched with these.
The accompanying letter clearly explains the
date the tests are required by, the ID - or
age range - of animals to be tested and the
type of sample required. For the Level 2 BVD
protocol all cattle over four weeks old
needed sampling and they are tested at
the laboratory by the PCR test for BVD virus
in groups of 10 initially.
Any positive batches are tested to identify
the positive individuals by the antigen test.
This screening reduces the laboratory
costs involved.
Once this has been completed and all the
PIs are removed, testing of calves upon
reaching four weeks of age commences.
In a busy farm practice it can be a daunting
task to keep up-to-date with the sampling
of several herds in schemes for different
diseases. The Herdsure
®
protocols effectively
remove some of this workload from the vet
by prompting for the appropriate samples
at the correct times.
It is a big task that VLA is seeking with its
Herdsure
®
service but on this exercise it
has performed well.
Gerald Osborne manages an organic suckler herd of 100 Welsh
Black and Devon cows in the Pewsey Vale, Wiltshire, producing
finished cattle for a London farmers’ market.
SUMMER 2010 ISSUE
LIVESTOCK MATTERS
14