Organisation: BVD

Less time to claim high PI incentive in BVD scheme

Major changes have been announced for farms where calves test positive or inconclusive for BVD.

Thu, 22 Dec, 2016

Advice for dairy farmers: BVD nearly beat: IBR and Johne’s next

Up to about a decade ago, BVD was wrecking many dairy farms, and the cause was not often clearly identified.

Thu, 25 Aug, 2016

Take advantage of advances in herd health investigation

In 2010, I embarked on a two-year course at UCD, the Certificate in Dairy Herd Health course.

Thu, 23 Jun, 2016

Cheaper BVD test option for 47,083 herds

Herdowners can use the www.icbf.com website to see if all their animals have a direct or indirect negative BVD status — which could entitle them to cheaper BVD testing.

Thu, 28 Jan, 2016

Removal of brucellosis testing has increased farming options

The options for stock rearing, stock outsourcing, and collaboration, become that bit easier after recent changes to Ireland’s brucellosis testing regime.

Thu, 12 Nov, 2015

Vets roped into schemes

The rollout of Targeted Veterinary Advisory Services next year will be a positive step for vets and farmers alike, said Animal Health Ireland CEO, Joe O’Flaherty.

Thu, 22 Oct, 2015

PIs and Trojans endanger BVD eradication efforts

Since BVD testing of calves began, there have been 5.62 million tests results.

Thu, 12 Mar, 2015

Coveney wants tougher BVD policy

Moves to identify BVD-risk farmers to their neighbours and to local vets are expected, after Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney said they threaten to delay progress towards BVD eradication.

Thu, 05 Feb, 2015

Free liver-fluke testing on 1,000 farms

Teagasc has offered free liver-fluke testing to 1,000 beef, sheep and dairy farmers, as part of a research project.

Thu, 11 Sep, 2014

Browne’s dairy farm hosts 3,000 visitors

Teagasc’s recent open day on large herd management drew up to 3,000 milk producers to the Browne family farm at Knocknagappagh, Killeagh, in East Cork.

Thu, 03 Jul, 2014

Beefing up communication

The oxygen of information is entering the beef industry via Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney’s industry roundtable discussions.

Thu, 12 Jun, 2014

Improved supports announced for BVD eradication programme

Farmers faced with the removal from their herds of calves persistently infected with bovine viral diarrhoea are to benefit from refocused and improved supports.

Fri, 06 Jun, 2014

Processors should talk with farmers

Failure of communication from beef processors to cattle farmers has been highlighted by Beef Activation Group chairman Michael Dowling, at this week’s beef roundtable meeting.

Thu, 05 Jun, 2014

ICMSA: Farmers should not have to pay for BVD eradication tests

ICMSA deputy president Pat McCormack has slammed a proposal that farmers on the BVD eradication programme should pay for their own tests.

Thu, 27 Mar, 2014

Excellent BVD screening as just 0.3% untested

At end of January 2014, just 14,800 out of about 2.1 million calves registered in 2013 remained untested, in year one of the compulsory phase of the BVD eradication programme.

Thu, 13 Mar, 2014

Beef Data Programme requires necessary information

If you signed up for the Beef Data Programme (BDP) in 2013, the necessary information must be completed throughout the first half of this year for calves born from August 2013 until the end of December, if they are to become eligible for payment.

Thu, 16 Jan, 2014

Budget for BGS based on take-up by farmers of similar schemes

The estimate of 550,000 calves benefiting from the new Beef Genomics Scheme (BGS) is based on experience of the average take-up by farmers of similar schemes, such as the suckler-cow welfare scheme.

Thu, 31 Oct, 2013

BVD programme update`

Dr David Graham, Programme Manager for Biosecure Diseases, Animal Health Ireland.

Thu, 31 Oct, 2013

BVD calf compensation is confined to suckler cows

Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney has said he confined BVD calf compensation to suckler herds because the “payback period” in suckler herds is more than twice that of dairy herds.

Thu, 18 Jul, 2013

Holding onto BVD infected calves bad move

Farmers have held onto nearly 5,600 calves which are persistently infected with bovine viral diarrhoea — even though only a minority of these animals will survive to breeding or slaughter age.

Thu, 20 Jun, 2013

ICMSA calls on minister to include dairy stock in assistance scheme

The ICMSA has called on Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney to include dairy stock in the BVD assistance measures.

Tue, 18 Jun, 2013

Historic landmark in Friesian breeding

“A historic landmark in Holstein Friesian breed improvement,” is how the Irish Holstein Friesian Association (IHFA) describes their adoption of SNP Technology/Genomics for parentage verification.

Thu, 25 Apr, 2013

BVD eradication drive keeps herd in top shape

The compulsory phase of the national BVD Eradication Programme is now well underway. As of Mar 11, results for approximately 700,000 calves born in 2013 have been processed by ICBF, with 0.82% giving a positive result and a further 0.07% giving an inconclusive result. About 1.04% of samples received were empty.

Thu, 14 Mar, 2013

BVD virus costs farmers an estimated €102m

The National Compulsory BVD Eradication Programme requires testing of all calves born from Jan 1, 2013, bans the sale of calves without a negative result, and provides for follow-up testing where PIs (persistently infected animals) are identified.

Thu, 03 Jan, 2013

Prepare checklist before switching to holiday mode

After the Christmas break, there are many important management, mental and physical tasks on the dairy farm.

Thu, 20 Dec, 2012

Compulsory BVD eradication programme

The compulsory BVD eradication programme will make it illegal to move an animal born after Jan 1,2013, unless it has a current negative test result.

Thu, 08 Nov, 2012

BVD testing compulsory soon

Testing all calves born from Jan 1, 2013, for BVD will be compulsory.

Thu, 04 Oct, 2012

Better run farms get better prices

Data from the 2011 Profit Monitor for spring calving herds show that the Gross Output from the top 10% was 39 cent per litre while it was only 34 cent for the lowest 10% which is over €250 per cow difference at similar milk yields, but as the top group usually have higher yields per cow, the difference per cow is much greater. Two cent/l of this difference was accounted for by milk price, mainly based on quality.

Thu, 21 Jun, 2012