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General Measures For Health Security

These are measures applicable to the control of most infectious diseases; they represent good husbandry standards and adoption should be attempted by all health conscious cattle farmers.

1

 Where it is necessary to purchase replacement stock avoid infected cattle by acquiring from herds certified free of specific diseases (ie accredited).

2

Quarantine facilities should be provided for all added animals. These should prevent contact with other stock and neither air space, drainage nor dung storage should be shared with other cattle. A dedicated building separate from other cattle buildings is ideal, but a separate paddock which prevents contact with other stock may suffice.

It is also advisable to discuss with your vet any screening tests which must be carried out and ensure that animals are inspected regularly for signs of disease. A quarantine period of 4 weeks is sufficient for most diseases.

Dung from the quarantine facility should not be disposed of onto pasture which is to be grazed by cattle within 12 months. Similarly where paddocks have been used for quarantine purposes they must not be grazed by other cattle within 12 months.

3

 Avoid all contact either direct or indirect (eg dung or urine) with cattle from infected farms (eg at shows, at markets, in transit, over fences, on rented grazings). Where contact has occurred animals should enter quarantine on return to the farm.

4

Avoid introduction of infection on clothing or footwear (eg AI technician, vets, neighbours, hoof trimmer) or equipment (eg vehicles, crushes, dosing equipment).

Dedicated clothing, footwear and equipment for a particular farm are the safest option. A less secure though acceptable alternative is thorough cleaning and disinfection of clothing, footwear and equipment before use on the farm at risk.

Single use disposable overalls and disposable foot covers should be used for casual visitors.

Vehicles should be cleaned and disinfected with an appropriate disinfectant before they are used for cattle unless they are moving direct to a slaughter house.

Particular effort should be made to clean and disinfect any equipment likely to be contaminated with blood (eg hoof knives, instruments for castrating, disbudding or dehorning).

Injection equipment should never be shared between farms. Veterinary surgical equipment must not be shared between farms unless it is sterilised before use.

5

 Limit farm access to those people deemed essential.

6

 Limit and control access of vehicles to the farm. Delivery and pick up points should be at a site isolated from the cattle and at the boundary of the farm. Where possible the driver should remain in his cab and should certainly never assist in removing cattle from pens unless using farm dedicated overalls and footwear.

7

 Use piped mains water rather than natural water sources whenever possible.

8

Prevent access of vermin and wildlife to feed and bedding stores and the cattle whenever possible.

9

As purchased feed and bedding constitute a risk of introducing infection it is important to use reputable suppliers.

10

 Embryos and semen should be from donors of disease free status.

11

Sheep can harbour some of the diseases which affect cattle and therefore contact between cattle and sheep should be avoided. This is particularly important at housing when cattle should not share the same building with sheep.  If at all possible cattle and sheep should not graze together.

The dung from sheep sheds should not be spread onto fields to be used for cattle and cattle should not be allowed access to water courses which have sheep grazing upstream.

 

Contact

Premium Cattle Health Scheme
SAC (Scottish Agricultural College) Work SAC Veterinary Services, Greycrook, St Boswells,
Roxburghshire
TD6 0EU
TelWork 01835 822456
Fax 01835 823643

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