The number of calves born in 2018 and testing positive for Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) is down 27% when compared with the previous year.From 1 January to 31 July 2018, there were 1,517 calves born in NI that were confirmed as persistently infected (PI) with BVD.
The number of calves born in 2018 and testing positive for Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) is down 27% when compared with the previous year.
From 1 January to 31 July 2018, there were 1,517 calves born in NI that were confirmed as persistently infected (PI) with BVD.
For the same period last year, data supplied by Animal Health and Welfare NI (AHWNI) shows that 2,069 calves were confirmed as being PI animals.
Across all of 2017, a total of 3194 calves were confirmed as PI. At present, 19,389 cattle herds are participating in the BVD eradication scheme, and to date PI animals account for 0.06% of the entire national cattle herd.
Calf Disposal
As of 31 July, 1,068 out of the 1,517 PI calves born this year have been registered as dead. That still leaves 449 PI calves born in 2018, that were on-farm at that date.
Of the PI calves that were born and disposed of this year, 784 animals are beef-bred from suckler and dairy farms. The remaining 284 calves are sired by dairy breeds.
Despite there being no compensation to encourage farmers to dispose of calves this year, calf disposal is running ahead of last year, which would suggest that the message is getting through.
A PI calf cannot move off-farm to another herd or to sale, and since 1 May 2018 cannot move to a slaughterhouse in NI.
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