Are there any regional differences in TB

controls for calves?Rob Drysdale MRCVS

Westpoint Veterinary Group Ltd

Who is Rob Drysdale MRCVS?• Managing Director Westpoint Vet Group Ltd

• Farm vet for 17 years

• Particular interest in calf health and welfare

• Vet to Blade Farming SW Ltd:– Complete and integrated beef supply chain– Produced more nearly 20,000 calves last year– UK’s largest integrated beef producer

Westpoint Vet Group• 16 practices across UK with 50 farm vets

• Total practice over 3,000 clients

• 250+ dairy farms:– More than 90,000 dairy cows (av herd 350 cows)– Low input extensive to high input intensive

• Over 300,000 head of beef and youngstock:– Fattening units from 100 to 8,000 head/year– Suckler farms from 20 to 1,000 cows

Background• Calf Forum Strategy Group project

• Investigate the impact of TB on dairy units in different regions of the UK

• Meeting with WVG Senior Vets twice yearly had raised issues of how the varying regions interpret TB annexes

• Blade Farming experiences – rearing units and supplying dairy farmers

Approved Quarantine Units?

AQU system – works for Blade

Blade Farming and AQUs• Frustration for calf supply chain

• Richard Phelps could see potential

• Started in 2005 with 1 x TB approved unit

• Now have several sheds on several farms each with own TB licence as AQU

• Capacity of around 2,000 calves per cycle

• Around 1.5 cycles per AQU per year

Blade Farming and AQUs• System works with local AHVLA support

• Retailer and processor support

• Breeds – many but B&W difficult to justify

• Great value weaned “store” cattle

• Move to finishers on contract for slaughter

• Dedicated farmers and also occasional purchasers

AQU system can work

Background• WVG practices split into 5 English regions

• Director or Senior Vet heads up each area

• Regions have different DEFRA offices managing them

• Vets and farmers frustrated through different approaches by DEFRA Vets

• AHVLA – new team from 2011

Background• Five distinct regions – AHVLA offices:

• North West = Carlisle

• Midlands = Stafford

• East Anglia = Chelmsford now Reading

• South West = Truro and Exeter

• South East = Reading

• 10 units SW Scotland with 10,000 cows

• Blade Farming – TB controls

North West• 41 dairy farms with 15,000 cows

• 4 holdings under TB restriction last 2 years

• No units currently under restriction

• No local TB controlled rearing available

• All bull calves shot

• Approx 400 calves shot in period

Midlands• 27 dairy farms with 5,700 cows• 11 holdings TB restricted last 2 years• 5 units currently under restriction• Little support for TB controlled rearing in

region and DEFRA “seems unwilling” to support

• Not all bull calves shot• Approx 500 calves shot in period

East Anglia• 28 dairy farms with 6,900 cows

• No holdings TB restricted last 2 years

• Beef units affected with 3 under restriction

• Good support for TB controlled rearing in region with one specialist finishing unit in place

• No bull calves shot!

South East• 65 dairy farms with >34,000 cows

• 18 holdings TB restricted last 2 years

• 4 units currently under restriction

• Varying support for TB controlled rearing in region. No specialist rearing or finishing units in place

• Over 500 bull calves shot!

South West• 50 dairy farms with >18,000 cows

• Only 12 holdings not been affected by TB restrictions in last 2 years

• 20+ units currently under restriction (dairy)

• Good support locally TB controlled rearing in region. Several specialist rearing and finishing units in place

WVG and TB in South West• Working with 8 AQU sheds

• Handling total of 1,000 calves each cycle

• Average of 1.7 cycles per year

• Total beef x and dairy bull calves on the current restricted farms = 3,000+

• 3 x actual TB breakdowns in last 4 years

• Estimate over 1,000 B&W calves shot!

Conclusions (1)• All collated from WVG vets and practices?• Frustration felt by farmers and vets:

– Veterinary variation – advice AHVLA– Regional variation – implementation of TB

control measures– Wastage when system is meant to be in place

• Now the regulations have been updated again

Conclusions (2)• Drawbacks exist – the system is not perfect

even when working:– Spread of disease potential risk– TB test is not infallible (70% sensitive?)– Extreme biosecurity needs to be considered

• Testing procedures and systems could be better?

• No new AQUs being licensed in SW?

Over to you – any questions?