BVD tags

tismesoitis

With compulsory bvd testing finishing this year for those who participated in the voluntary phase of the scheme will it be possible to buy the standard tags this year. I have 4 left to calve before the burst in January and i have 2 sets of tags left don't want to order 80 tissue tags when i only need 2 more!! Thanks

Mac Taylor

tismesoitis wrote: »

With compulsory bvd testing finishing this year for those who participated in the voluntary phase of the scheme will it be possible to buy the standard tags this year. I have 4 left to calve before the burst in January and i have 2 sets of tags left don't want to order 80 tissue tags when i only need 2 more!! Thanks

Would you not continue with the testing any way? Haven't given it much time but will probably stick at it.

blue5000

I suppose you could just order 2 sample tags.

Not meaning to hijack the thread, but about 20% of the sample tags I got last year have fallen out in the yearlings. Were they faulty and will mullinahole replace them for free? What happens if I lose sfp because of lost tags, will mullinahole compensate me?

whelan2

Mac Taylor wrote: »

Would you not continue with the testing any way? Haven't given it much time but will probably stick at it.

thinking of doing the same at least you know early on if they have it.

Mac Taylor

Same here, rang mullinahoe, explained it to them and got free tags sent out to me. A pain having to re tag but at least I didn't pay twice.

tanko

tismesoitis wrote: »

With compulsory bvd testing finishing this year for those who participated in the voluntary phase of the scheme will it be possible to buy the standard tags this year. I have 4 left to calve before the burst in January and i have 2 sets of tags left don't want to order 80 tissue tags when i only need 2 more!! Thanks

You can order two BVD tags now to finish this years calves and order standard tags in December for next year. Maybe order a spare set or two in case of twins.

farmersfriend

How long does it take to get the sample tags?

Phil Iam

tanko wrote: »

You can order two BVD tags now to finish this years calves and order standard tags in December for next year. Maybe order a spare set or two in case of twins.

There is nothing to say that the BVD testing wont run for another 3 or 4 years,
And what effect it would have to the sale of a calf going through the mart not BVD tested where most other calves are tested ?

A cow called Daisy

Phil Iam wrote: »

There is nothing to say that the BVD testing wont run for another 3 or 4 years,
And what effect it would have to the sale of a calf going through the mart not BVD tested where most other calves are tested ?

Would figure it keep going for a while yet. If it as contagious as they say what stops anyone (unintentionally) bringing it onto your farm.
Also does anyone remember if the 'only for 3 or 4 years' story was said about T.B. testing when first introduced. Would I be to cynical to think of the jobs that might be lost????

skoger

With the number of PI being kept around the country the testing could continue for a few more years yet

blue5000 wrote: »

I suppose you could just order 2 sample tags.

Not meaning to hijack the thread, but about 20% of the sample tags I got last year have fallen out in the yearlings. Were they faulty and will mullinahole replace them for free? What happens if I lose sfp because of lost tags, will mullinahole compensate me?

I ordered a replacement tag for a 5 month old calf along with a few for cows online. I was charged for each tag at the time but when the invoice arrived I was credited with a "tag allowance" to the value of 1 tag. I never questioned them about it

tanko

Phil Iam wrote: »

There is nothing to say that the BVD testing wont run for another 3 or 4 years,
And what effect it would have to the sale of a calf going through the mart not BVD tested where most other calves are tested ?

True,the whole thing is a pure shambles at this stage. It should have been made compulsory to dispose of PI's from the start. Animal health Ireland will just turn out to be another parasite quango like Bord Bia.

whelan2

tanko wrote: »

True,the whole thing is a pure shambles at this stage. It should have been made compulsory to dispose of PI's from the start. Animal health Ireland will just turn out to be another parasite quango like Bord Bia.

any word on how the johnes scheme is going?

tanko

whelan2 wrote: »

any word on how the johnes scheme is going?

Sorry, don't know much about it. Hopefully they will learn from their mistakes with BVD.

Lizard_Moon

whelan2 wrote: »

any word on how the johnes scheme is going?

No idea of current Johnes results. However Johnes is a control scheme and not an eradication scheme. It will never be compulsory as requires a massive level of farmer commitment, something that unfortunately hasn't happened with BVD. (This is aimed at the farmers hoarding their PI's)

AHI are not to blame for not making PI removal compulsory, they are operating under the guidelines they were given. Technical veterinary advice given before the implementation of the program would have been for compulsory removal but that was no acceptable to other involved parties AFAIK. Compulsory removal would require compensation, as in the TB scheme, and I don't think the government of the time would accept that. Also I am sure it would have been a harder 'sell' to farmers, but I am only guessing that.

OP- discuss your bio security risk with your vet, if cattle movements onto the farm, or close neighbour contact you may consider vaccination. Also the tag is realistically the only was to show your animal not a PI at sale time.

LivInt20

You need to tissue test in 2015.

Because some farmers continued to hold BVD infected calves, the testing programme continues for another year.

You should have got a letter from Animal Health Ireland informing you about this recently.

http://www.animalhealthireland.ie/news.php?id=96

For 2015, the TWG has recommended, and the BVDIG has accepted, that tag testing of newly born calves should be the only method used for monitoring. The decision to confine the monitoring options to tag testing in 2015 has not been taken lightly, and is based on the analysis of the results of the programme to date. Two factors in particular have contributed to this decision: firstly, the retention by a small but significant minority of herd owners of PI animals, which remain as a potential source of infection for their own and other herds; and secondly, the spread of infection through the purchase of pregnant animals which, while not themselves PI, are carrying PI calves (commonly called Trojan animals).

piebaldskwbald

whelan2 wrote: »

any word on how the johnes scheme is going?

Done a good few risk assessments with the vet at home and there's a lot of lads on the scheme that shouldn't because they won't change their ways to reduce the risk of Johannes transmission... Next year will tell more when they actually start testing to see if the herd is high risk or not.

KatyMac

LivInt20 wrote: »

You need to tissue test in 2015.

Because some farmers continued to hold BVD infected calves, the testing programme continues for another year.

You should have got a letter from Animal Health Ireland informing you about this recently.

I didn't get any letter and was hoping that as my 3 years were up I wouldn't have to sample. Blast and humbug. Why can't we ever do things right the first time?

greysides

tanko wrote: »

Sorry, don't know much about it. Hopefully they will learn from their mistakes with BVD.

I agree with Lizard Moon's assessment. The 'they' you refer to has to be individuals in the farming community. There are no technical limitations to hide behind this time.

skoger

LivInt20 wrote: »

You need to tissue test in 2015.

Because some farmers continued to hold BVD infected calves, the testing programme continues for another year.

You should have got a letter from Animal Health Ireland informing you about this recently.

www .animalhealthireland.ie/news.php?id=96

For 2015, the TWG has recommended, and the BVDIG has accepted, that tag testing of newly born calves should be the only method used for monitoring. The decision to confine the monitoring options to tag testing in 2015 has not been taken lightly, and is based on the analysis of the results of the programme to date. Two factors in particular have contributed to this decision: firstly, the retention by a small but significant minority of herd owners of PI animals, which remain as a potential source of infection for their own and other herds; and secondly, the spread of infection through the purchase of pregnant animals which, while not themselves PI, are carrying PI calves (commonly called Trojan animals).

Reading that link again, if you have got a "Negative Herd Status" you only have to monitor your herd which I'd guess is you only test a certain percentage of calves. You can check if all your animals are tested directly or indirectly on ICBF. I've some heifers still undetermined but they'll be calving in the next month. I've also a teaser bull not tested yet. Could I order a sample tag for him and send it off for testing?

LivInt20

skoger wrote: »

Reading that link again, if you have got a "Negative Herd Status" you only have to monitor your herd which I'd guess is you only test a certain percentage of calves. You can check if all your animals are tested directly or indirectly on ICBF. I've some heifers still undetermined but they'll be calving in the next month. I've also a teaser bull not tested yet. Could I order a sample tag for him and send it off for testing?

The monitoring involves testing all 2015 born calves.

To achieve negative herd status you can order a tag to test any animals of unknown status.

skoger

Does this mean that the voluntary year was a waste of time? By 2016 everyone will have done 3 years testing and we'll all be in the same boat.

whelan2

skoger wrote: »

Does this mean that the voluntary year was a waste of time? By 2016 everyone will have done 3 years testing and we'll all be in the same boat.

hopefully we wont be on here in 2 or 3 years time still testing:cool: until such a time as its compulsory(sp) to get rid of bvd + animals the whole scheme is a joke, whats the point:mad:

KatyMac

Makes my blood boil hearing of PIs being kept. Heard recently a neighbour who only has 3 or 4 cows anyway and he kept a PI until it was big enough to sell. God knows what its done to the cattle around it.

LivInt20

skoger wrote: »

Does this mean that the voluntary year was a waste of time? By 2016 everyone will have done 3 years testing and we'll all be in the same boat.

Look at it from this point of view, you now know you have no PIs in your own herd.

I started testing in the year before the voluntary year.

This is for farmers own good, and it is only other farmers letting us all down by keeping PIs.

skoger

I agree with you completely. I think it's a great idea to try and get rid of BVD from the country. I'm just saying that when we started the voluntary phase we were promised that we'd be finished testing a year earlier but now it seems we won't. Suppose we'll have the wait and see what monitoring system they'll come up with next year for 2016.

Bodacious

I need to order more tags .. Will this year be the end of BVD tissue tests 13,14,15 ?

whelan2

Bodacious wrote: »

I need to order more tags .. Will this year be the end of BVD tissue tests 13,14,15 ?

cant see it happening as long as people are still holding on to positive animals

john8984

no it is not finishing this year you still have to continue tag testing, it is not decided yet when testing will finish.

LivInt20

john8984 wrote: »

no it is not finishing this year you still have to continue tag testing, it is not decided yet when testing will finish.

The Dept is going to publish the names of farmers holding PIs (BVD positive) calves soon, so all other farmers knows not to buy stock or deal with these farmers.