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Matthew Dobbs BVM&S, Cert CHP, MRCVS.

Matt Dobbs is a practicing dairy vet and director of Westpoint Veterinary Group and  the current holder of the Bullock Award for Innovation in Agriculture. He consults for major retailers, milk processors, government and many dairy organisations and is widely published on matters of herd health. Westpoint are a group of veterinary  practices, specialising in offering a high level of service to all dairy farmers and livestock keepers across the UK through their network of 12 branches and veterinary consultants. 

With continued pressure on milk price, increasing production standards being demanded by retailers and the ever present challenge of agricultural production in our island climate and economy, when writing their New Year's resolutions dairy producers have the difficult decisions in setting priorities for the coming year.

Setting priorities is about planning ahead and any good plan will usually identifying the areas where the biggest financial returns can be gained. Setting priorities for dairy producers, especially health priorities in the form of a health plan should always be bespoke to the farm. For example, setting a plan for controlling infectious disease for a Devon farmer will always include TB as a top priority.  And not only should the plan be bespoke, but just like a good business plan, the priorities should be updated, at least annually, to ensure the farm and herd are achieving the best possible results. This is particularly important when looking at health priorities, as weather patterns in recent years have meant differing disease problems. For example recent wet summers have seen a dramatic rise in liver fluke problems in UK dairy herds. For other diseases, such as the risk of Bluetongue to UK cattle, chance of disease continues to change annually, with the risk of BTV8 affecting UK cattle changing from zero, to high and back to low, in a matter of a few years!

So with budgets on farm investment likely to be constrained in 2011, it is important that producers focus on discreet areas for investment and that the health of the Jersey herd should be a key priority this year. For many producers this will mean health investment will be focussed in managing one of the "big three" diseases of poor fertility, mastitis and lameness. However for Jersey producers, investing in control and eradication of infectious diseases such as BVD will not just have benefits for the home herd, but also have a significant benefit to the whole breed across the country.

Firstly, as a breed with fewer herds (than Black and Whites), it is possible to generate a real team spirit across the breeds producers and through the Society, in addressing BVD. Secondly, with fewer herds, Jersey producers are less likely to be tempted in breaking biosecurity principles that may re-introduce the disease once a free herd. Finally, many Jersey herds are often spatially separated, which lends itself to maintaining the important biosecurity principles needed for BVD control.

BVD is a viral disease of cattle that causes a range of problems, from milk drop, abortion and poor fertility in adult cattle to pneumonia and reduced immunity in calves. Maintenance of the disease in the herd is usually through persistently infected (PI) cattle, which are born to a cow that is exposed to BVD in the first third of her pregnancy. A super infection in a PI calf is also possible, called Mucosal Disease (MD). Mucosal disease calves often die before a year of age.

BVD is present in 85% of dairy herds in the UK and is considered to be the most economically important viral disease of cattle. Recently, the Scottish Government have announced their intention to consider BVD eradication across Scotland (see the consultation paper at -http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2010/06/29143957/0). A number of beef breed societies are also requiring enrolment with a CHeCS (Cattle Health Certification Standards - www.checs.co.uk) accredited scheme for BVD before they can sell any breeding stock at society sales.

Many producers may already be controlling BVD through vaccination, however unfortunately vaccination alone is often not enough to prevent the spread of the disease within the herd. Due to the way the virus can be maintained in the herd through the generation of a PI animal, coupled with the knowledge that no vaccine is 100% effective, it is easily possible (and the experience of the author!) for BVD to still cause losses in a herd that has been vaccinating for 10 years or more. To prevent these ongoing losses, removing PI animals at the outset is an essential part of control. Secondly, even these vaccinating herds should adhere to a veterinary designed biosecurity plan, with the introduction of new animals the biggest risk to any herd.

So as a priority in 2011, all Jersey producers should look to identify whether BVD is present in their herd and then control the disease either through vaccination and removal of PI's or eradication. For those choosing to eradicate the disease from their herd, not only will they be benefitting the health of their own stock, but they will be playing their small part in further enhancing the reputation and sustainability of the Jersey breed.