Testing Requirements For Bull Sales

Bull sale season is here once again.  For those of you with pedigree animals to sell later in the year it’s time to think about the health testing that is required for sale animals.  Most of the main breed societies endorse herd or individual animal screening for sale animals.  If you are unsure of disease testing requirements for entering a breed society sale please speak to your relevant breed society as rules vary slightly between breeds.

Breed societies require all animals (bulls and heifers) to be tested BVD virus free and vaccinated against BVD for society sales.

Sample Requirements

BVD, Johne’s Disease, IBR, Leptospirosis and Neospora are the main diseases screened for.

Each disease e.g. Johne’s has a set of different sample requirements. Sample requirements for the main health scheme providers can be found here;

https://www.sruc.ac.uk/media/ytapn2ll/quick-reference-guide-pchs-accreditation.pdf

https://biobest.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/CHECS-Testing-Guide.pdf

Testing and Submission Forms

Testing should be carried out by your vet.  For sale animals testing should be carried out at least six weeks before the sale.  For annual herd screening your health scheme provider may issue you with submission forms along with a reminder of the date tests need to be carried out by in order to maintain your herd’s health status for the diseases monitored.

Submission forms such as non-routine submission forms (for testing outside your annual routine herd test), Johne’s blood retest forms and BVD check test forms can all be downloaded from your health scheme providers website.  However in most cases your vet will take the relevant forms along with them on testing day.

Your vet will also supply the red topped sampling tubes.  These do not need to be ordered by yourself.

You may need to complete a risk level form (Johne’s and Neospora require this), again this form will be supplied by your vet and will be completed along with your vet on the day of the test.

For further information please refer to your health scheme provider.

Sarah Balfour, sarah.balfour@sac.co.uk