The results from the 2024 National BVD Survey make interesting reading (if you’re into that kind of thing…). Compiled from responses from 673 farmers, 58% of whom are in England, with 14% each from Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, here Rob discusses the key points.

  • 478 farmers claimed to be running closed herds (71%).
  • However, 350 farmers buy cattle in (52%).
  • That’s 91 farms (13.5%) who class themselves as ‘closed’ but who buy in bulls. This suggests bulls pose a hidden or often-overlooked risk of introducing diseases, such as BVD, into a herd. From our experience, bulls are rarely quarantined and are often missed from disease testing or vaccination programmes. And yes, they’re just as likely to introduce BVD, Johnes, or another disease as a bought-in cow!

There’s good news too, and farmers who have eradicated BVD from their herd report seeing improvements to herd health:

  • An overall healthier herd (235 respondents);
  • Improved fertility (143 respondents);
  • A decreased level calf disease (137 respondents).

Sixty percent of those who responded are using BVD vaccines as part of their control plan. However, it is clear than keeping on top of vaccine protocols is tricky, with 86 herds needing to re-start vaccination courses due to errors with timings:

  • 30% of the mistakes were linked to the two-shot primary course needed with the killed BVD vaccine;
  • 21% were due to missing the 6-month booster that is required with the killed vaccine;
  • 49% were due to missing the 12-month annual booster.

When timings are out, a herd’s BVD protection can become compromised and the virus can become established in herds and often goes undetected for several months (until it is flagged by scheduled testing, or ad hoc testing further down the line. Unfortunately, we see this all too often with disastrous consequences!

BVD outbreaks are expensive, and so is re-starting a vaccine programme. Opting for Bovela, a live vaccine, could help reduce this risk. This vaccine has a flexible and simple single injection protocol, which can make a busy life managing a herd slightly easier. Talk to your vet to find out more.