The number of calves tested this year to-date as part of the Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) national eradication programme is running at 2,169,662 head.
This represents an increase of 44,270 calves on the corresponding 40-week period in 2019. The increase in the number of calves tested continues to stem primarily from expansion in the dairy herd.
While the number of tests carried out is significantly higher, the incidence of calves identified as persistently infected (PI) is trending in the opposite direction.
The latest results published by Animal Health Ireland and detailed in Table 1 show 713 PI calves identified on their initial test. This represents a reduction of 224 head on the corresponding period in 2019.
Of the 635 PI calves identified following confirmatory testing, 606 of these are now recorded as dead
The number of herds identifying PI calves has also significantly reduced, from 403 herds in the first 40 weeks of 2019 to 276 herds in 2020.
The continued improvement is linked to Department of Agriculture-enforced restrictions on movement for herds retaining PI calves introduced in recent years, along with higher compensation payments for swift removal of calves off farm.
Of the 635 PI calves identified following confirmatory testing, 606 of these are now recorded as dead, with just 10 herds possessing one PI calf alive for more than seven weeks.
The number of empty tissue tag samples recorded has also reduced after a spike in 2017 and 2018. There have been 17,589 tags recorded empty to-date in 2020, compared to 19,887 empty tissue tags in 2019.
Pre-2013 born animals
Further measures introduced by the Department of Agriculture in May 2020, which made it compulsory to test animals born prior to 1 January 2013 and remaining on farms is also reported as yielding a favourable outcome.
This has only affected a small number of herds, with many voluntarily testing these animals previously.
Autumn calving and
compensation
With autumn calving taking place on dairy and beef farms, it is worth farmers reminding themselves of the requirements for availing of the Department’s BVD compensation package.
Dairy herds
€160 if the female dairy and dairy-cross calves are removed within 10 days of the first positive or inconclusive test.€30 if the female dairy and dairy-cross calves are removed between day 11 and 21 of the first positive or inconclusive test.€30 towards the disposal of dairy bull calves through the abattoir or knackery, within 14 days of the first positive or inconclusive test.Beef herds
€220 if the calf is removed within 10 days of the first positive or inconclusive test.€30 if the calf is removed between day 11 and 21 of the first positive or inconclusive test.
The number of calves tested this year to-date as part of the Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) national eradication programme is running at 2,169,662 head.
This represents an increase of 44,270 calves on the corresponding 40-week period in 2019. The increase in the number of calves tested continues to stem primarily from expansion in the dairy herd.
While the number of tests carried out is significantly higher, the incidence of calves identified as persistently infected (PI) is trending in the opposite direction.
The latest results published by Animal Health Ireland and detailed in Table 1 show 713 PI calves identified on their initial test. This represents a reduction of 224 head on the corresponding period in 2019.
Of the 635 PI calves identified following confirmatory testing, 606 of these are now recorded as dead
The number of herds identifying PI calves has also significantly reduced, from 403 herds in the first 40 weeks of 2019 to 276 herds in 2020.
The continued improvement is linked to Department of Agriculture-enforced restrictions on movement for herds retaining PI calves introduced in recent years, along with higher compensation payments for swift removal of calves off farm.
Of the 635 PI calves identified following confirmatory testing, 606 of these are now recorded as dead, with just 10 herds possessing one PI calf alive for more than seven weeks.
The number of empty tissue tag samples recorded has also reduced after a spike in 2017 and 2018. There have been 17,589 tags recorded empty to-date in 2020, compared to 19,887 empty tissue tags in 2019.
Pre-2013 born animals
Further measures introduced by the Department of Agriculture in May 2020, which made it compulsory to test animals born prior to 1 January 2013 and remaining on farms is also reported as yielding a favourable outcome.
This has only affected a small number of herds, with many voluntarily testing these animals previously.
Autumn calving and
compensation
With autumn calving taking place on dairy and beef farms, it is worth farmers reminding themselves of the requirements for availing of the Department’s BVD compensation package.
Dairy herds
€160 if the female dairy and dairy-cross calves are removed within 10 days of the first positive or inconclusive test.€30 if the female dairy and dairy-cross calves are removed between day 11 and 21 of the first positive or inconclusive test.€30 towards the disposal of dairy bull calves through the abattoir or knackery, within 14 days of the first positive or inconclusive test.Beef herds
€220 if the calf is removed within 10 days of the first positive or inconclusive test.€30 if the calf is removed between day 11 and 21 of the first positive or inconclusive test. 
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