Good article in the Farmers Guardian this week about the importance of testing for BVD. James Marsden from Shropshire Farm Vets describes the disease as “a slow puncture in a herds performance” and explains why BVD is intrinsically damaging to the animal, not only having a welfare cost but also diminishing beef and pedigree values. He goes on to explain that the real damage comes from the suppression of the immune system, leaving the animal open to a lot of other opportunistic diseases.
The new Bovela vaccine is a unique one-shot vaccine, with annual booster, which can be used in breeding females, and in calves from 3 months of age. Control of BVD depends on understanding farm BVD status, identification and removal of PI’s, biosecurity and ongoing monitoring, as well as vaccination. Seeking veterinary advice on how best to tackle BVD in your herd is the best starting point.
All PJL baby calves are BVD tested using the IDEXX system prior to going into rear.
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