Break Free from BVD and help create a BVD Free England


Did you know that every day an animal persistently infected with BVD (bovine viral diarrhoea virus) stays on your farm, you are losing money through reduced fertility and poor growth rates?

BVD is a highly contagious viral disease of cattle. Finding and removing BVD from your herd will mean an end to the direct costs associated with BVD infection, such as poor fertility, ill-thrift and poor production. BVD also causes immune suppression, increasing the chance and severity of secondary diseases, such as pneumonia and scours.

The BVDFree England Scheme launched on 1st July. This is the first national scheme in England, with the aim of eliminating BVD from all cattle herds by 2022.

The Scheme uses a simple four step approach to achieve this objective, using the ‘ADAM’ principles:

  • Assess the level of biosecurity and disease risk on your farm
  • Define the BVD status of your herd
  • Act to remove BVD from your farm and/or to make sure you stay free
  • Monitor progress with an annual status check.

Once your herd/individual animals have been tested, those test results will be uploaded onto the BVDFree database. The negative BVD status of your animals is displayed on the database, so you can promote this when trading. You can also check the BVD status of animals before you buy any new stock, so you don’t bring BVD back to spread infection to your herd.

Joining all the other farmers in the scheme and working to achieve BVD free status means your herd will be recognised as BVDFree; a great way to differentiate yourself in the marketplace.

To join you can either:

  • complete the form included with this newsletter, or
  • visit the website www.bvdfree.org.uk and click on ‘Join the scheme’

For more information on BVD and the benefits of eliminating BVD through BVDFree England please contact your vet next time they are out on farm.

You can also visit bvdfree.org.uk or follow @BVDFree England on Twitter

Taken from our Newsletter No. 106, Autumn 2016

Can’t find the answer you’re looking for? Get in touch