National Beef Welfare Scheme (NBWS).

jfh

that sounds much more appealing ,feed meal before weaning anyway so may as well get something . if I was sticking with sucklers I would go for the ibr testing ,think it would be beneficial to know. I do think it's the new mandatory test when bvd goes

mr.stonewall

Genotyping will be the new BVD test. Look at the hype out into the roll out of it, and the lack of uptake from dairy farmers. This is the direction it will go, as it provides better data and it will be death by submission making it mandatory for all calves to be genotyped for registration. Could see the IBR element going like the FEC sampling that AHI ran with the vets over the past 2 years.

Silverdream

idk why folks are saying "if you opt for the IBR testing"

It's mandatory.

With regard to the mael feeding

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120952397#Comment_120952397

You have to feed the weanlings for 4 weeks prior to Weaning, half blue blue barrels isn't much good unless you want the Cows to scoff up all the meal.

You'd be looking at a calf creep feeder which are roughly €500

mr.stonewall

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120956014#Comment_120956014

On the meal feeding it's all about making it easy. Those creep feeders are a disaster on 3 main fronts, keeping it filled, shy feeders and poaching around the feeder.

The biggest issue is getting the calves a taste for ration and easting out of some trough or container. In the past when getting wealings started, I just bought the cows and calves into the shed for a few days. Separate the calves once a day and give meal. After a few days they have a taste for ration. Back out to a paddock a and fence off a corner. Make sure to use the same troughs. A bit rebar and the screw on insulator to make taller stakes to the weanlings to creep.

I once saw a guy on an outblock, moved the creep gate from the shed to a cattle crush and set it up there for the few weeks

charolais0153

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120956014#Comment_120956014

no it isnt mandatory if you dont complete the testing they take off 10% off your payment for the meal feeding which leaves 31.50 per calf.

get some tall plastic fence posts , raise the wire and the calves go out ahead and have fresh grass and can eat the meal from the troughs

Lime Tree Farm

The day you put out the feeders, have the meal with you, raise the wire presenting cows access. Walk away, calves are nosy, they'll investigate. Over the following days, leave the bucket separate for the shy one. clean out the feeders or turn them over until the next day.

greysides

Looking at the information available it looks like we can test any 20 cattle on the farm. So you could test older animals going to the factory or mart as opposed to mothers and calves.

I guess anyone (like us) who give the pneumonia vaccines IBR live & RSV PI3 will show as positive

FROM THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS:

• For herds with 20 or fewer animals, all animals must be sampled for IBR gE testing.

• For herds with more than 20 animals, the vet should randomly sample 20 animals, ideally over 9 months of age and ideally destined to be used for breeding purposes.

Twenty samples are considered to provide an adequate estimate of within herd prevalence, which in turn informs the next steps in decision making at herd level – for example whether an IBR control programme is necessary for the herd.

Also be aware that:

Participants consent to uploading of their test results on ICBF systems. Subject to relevant data sharing agreement(s) being in place, anonymised data may also be shared with AHI and CVERA for the purposes of research which may feed into the development of a national IBR control programme.

**

IBR gE testing will differentiate between vaccinal responses and responses to the wild stain. The gE gene is not present in the vaccinal strains so a positive antibody response will indicate contact with the wild strain.

Sampling costs will be a matter for individual farmers and their vet. Laboratory testing costs are currently priced between €4-€5 plus VAT). The vet will provide professional interpretation of the results that will be fed back to the herdowner. The only implication of positive results would be that the vet may suggest vaccination. Given that IBR is a major contributor to pneumonia after weaning suckler calves, vaccination may not be a bad idea, especially where there's also a history if it occurring.

irishguy19772

Applied for it there. Any idea if I can go ahead and test now or do I need to wait to be accepted?

Sami23

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120956014#Comment_120956014

Won't get much of a creep feeder for €500 nowadays I'm afraid

Fotish

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120973975#Comment_120973975

Hopefully we can go ahead once the application is submitted, I did anyway.

I got the IBR testing done last week as the vet was back in the yard for the TB test check.

I got the impression from the Vet that he will take most of the €300 ! Even thought he did not have to make

a separate visit I’m waiting for his bill.

I got 20 cows tested, the documentation refers to ‘ Bovines’ , I presume that means cows !

irishguy19772

Need to do a private tb test to sell calves. Was planning on doing the blood test on 20 animals during the reading but fear now the vet will charge double.

Was quoted 220 for 20 animals to fo as a standalone test, 80 profit.

May just default on this part of the scheme and pay the penalty. Just do the meal feeding.. Works put around 10% to 15% so only losing 150 in total and no messing with blood tears.

Lime Tree Farm

Wouldn't the money be better spent on vaccines, we do the vaccines prior to weaning.

Sugarbowl

What happens if you have late May/June calvers? And you wouldn’t have them weaned by Nov 1? Or what if you have Autumn calvers?

mr.stonewall

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120976114#Comment_120976114

The late calves are snookered unless you wean them. The autumn born are ok if you have meal dockets. I'm April May calving and don't wean until after Xmas. This is one scheme that I will be giving a miss to

josephsoap

I cannot see why anyone would bother giving themselves the hardship of separating out 20 animals of the herd and testing same only for the veterinary practitioners to reap the benefits

Lime Tree Farm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120977420#Comment_120977420

Same, it killed KT.

893bet

Gonna skip and I hate leaving money from a scheme unclaimed.

1) small herd with autumn and spring calvers. Have 2 being prepped for sale in three weeks (to allow for 6 weeks dry period for the cows calving again. With no ration bought this year I couldn’t even pretend I was feeding them 4 weeks.

2) some late calvers only born in April and won’t be weaned will at least January 2024

3) Organic ration so the payment would only buy a half a tonne or so anyway.

4) the bother of IBR testing and handling.

Hard Knocks

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120976063#Comment_120976063

If you tested negative could you stop the IBR vaccine and just use the RSV PI3 on its own

Fotish

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120976038#Comment_120976038

€220 seems about right for 20 animals to be tested, 10/11 Euro per animal.

Diarmuid B

Can you pull out of the scheme if you’ve signed up already? Or do you just not carry out the two actions and don’t get paid then? I signed up initially but looking into the cost of testing and organic meal it’s not worth it, plus the calves are too young to be weaning in October/November

Fotish

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120980955#Comment_120980955

Once the application is submitted ,no changes can be made.

You won't get paid if you don't carry out the requirements.

Why are feeding organic meal ?

Diarmuid B

In the organics scheme so better follow them rules at least😅

Fotish

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120983845#Comment_120983845

Ah, the scheme doesn’t specify how much meal you should feed, so there is a lot of room to manoeuvre.

Hard Knocks

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120975705#Comment_120975705

Have you got the results back yet, or any idea how long it takes

Fotish

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120989258#Comment_120989258

No results yet, it’s a week since the samples were taken.

no bill from vet yet .

minerleague

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120980955#Comment_120980955

See in journal dept have reduced penalty if you dont bother with IBR testing part of scheme ( 10% instead of 15% )

Sugarbowl

Couldn’t you say they were weaned by Nov 1st and suck them away? Who is to know?

mr.stonewall

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120990633#Comment_120990633

Same could be said for spreading slurry in December and calling it dairy washings. Same could be said for a lot of things. It's a poorly thought out scheme with a penalty for those that wean after Nov 1st.

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120975705#Comment_120975705

I be a bit pissed. The taking of the blood should be no more than 4 euro per head. If he was out for the test there is no call out fee. After that it's the IBR test fee.

Herd test is here soon. Big issue with unskulled cattle in marts this year, so I have about 10-12 to be done but I expect only to have to pay the skulking charge

Siamsa Sessions

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120992803#Comment_120992803

I thought someone on here said horns on cattle are OK at the mart now. They just have to be penned separately.