BVD Cymru.

BVD Cymru

Annual BVD testing is now compulsory and from July 2025, movement restrictions will be imposed on farms that haven’t yet tested or have found Persistently Infected (PI) BVD animals.

To test, a blood sample looking for BVD antibody must be taken from 5 unvaccinated calves aged 9-18months old. This is the same as the Gwaredu BVD scheme that you may have tested for previously. Please consider when the best time is to test based on your system as it might be at a premovement test.

Please give us a ring to discuss testing for your herd before 25th July 2025.

Here is a handy breakdown of a few needs to know:

• Herds are given a status of BVD Negative or BVD Not Negative based on youngstock antibody test results.

• If negative, your herd will be classed as BVD Negative and you will not need to do a screen for another year. No movement restrictions will be in place.

• If the screen is positive, then the herd will be classed as BVD Not Negative and the herd is placed under movement restrictions. We advise sampling the whole herd to find any PI animal/s that are carrying the disease.

• Any PIs are restricted to your farm and can only move directly to abattoir. They must be housed indoors and isolated from the rest of the herd. PIs should be culled. The herd will not return to BVD Negative until all PIs are off the farm.

• In BVD Not Negative herds, you must test calves within 20 days of birth for the next 12 months (eg. Tag and test). This is to ensure any PI calves that are yet to be born are found at birth.

• While the herd is BVD Not Negative, for animals to move off the holding, they must have a negative premovement blood test within 30 days of movement.

• For all herds, buying in stock from outside Wales requires a post movement test within 20 days of arriving on farm.