British Simmental Review 2018

IBR POLICY
GUIDELINES AND
SALE RULES.
The BSCS has championed animal health very strongly
in the past six years - highlighting health in breeding
cattle has been at the forefront of all our advertising
and promotional material.
In 2010 and 2011, some resistance was encountered
when rules were introduced requiring all vendors to be
members of CHeCS-approved health schemes, and to be
testing for Johnes and BVD. Time has proved this to be a
game-changing decision. In the past seven years, we have
the highest average price increases across all breeds and
consistently have the highest clearance rates at the Stirling
sales. Four times during this period we have sold more
bulls than the Charolais, most recently at the February 18
sales, something that was never achieved in the so-called
heydays of the 80s and 90s.
Clearly this is not all down to health status – the cattle
the breeders are producing and the marketing strategy
have improved – these are all part of the ‘total package’
which is driving the breed forward. As a Society, IBR is the
next logical disease to tackle, albeit with a full knowledge
of the complexity of the disease. We feel it is a vital step for
all members to discover what their individual IBR status is –
you cannot manage it if you don’t measure.
Whilst there are still a few AI centres that will purchase
bulls from a market, the Society felt it was completely
wrong to have all bulls tested and vaccinated, which
removes the potential sale to AI centres from breeders.
Between 80 and 90% of bulls sold at pedigree sales enter
the commercial herd. There is no reason why these bulls
should not undergo the same vaccination, quarantine and
test protocol. In light of this, the decision was made to
start with heifers only. A far higher percentage of heifers
sold through Society sales remain in pedigree herds, and
it was logical to protect the expanding or new herd. Whilst
we are aware we are not guaranteeing IBR-free cattle, we
are reducing the risk, and this is to be encouraged. Moving
forwards, this rule may be applied to bulls as well.
Around 60% of heifers sold at Society sales will go to
pedigree herds, and an IBR health requirement offers the
best chance (although not a guarantee) that the animal
is free from IBR and protected at the time of sale. The
purchaser should seek comfort from purchasing stock
that has been vaccinated with an inactivated marker
vaccine, been blood tested clear of wild-type IBR, and has
remained in quarantine since that date. The animal cannot
be presented as IBR-free, but this is deemed the best
course of action to minimise the risk of a purchaser buying
IBR into his herd. For Society testing and vaccination
requirements, a heifer remains so until she calves. The rule
will therefore apply to all maiden and in-calf heifers.
Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR) is a Bovine
Herpes virus. As with all Herpes viruses, once an animal
is infected, it remains so for life, despite the development
of a detectable immune response. The virus survives as a
latent infection in nervous tissue, and can be shed at any
time, especially when the animal is stressed.
Cattle are the main source of the virus; virtually all farms
with an IBR problem have bought it in. The main source
of the virus is not animals with disease, but animals that
have recovered from the disease – those that are latently
infected. You should not buy antibody positive cattle if you
are IBR-free.
Vaccination is an effective means of control, but this
does not stop infected animals from shedding the virus
at a later date. The aim of vaccination is to reduce the
intensity and duration of the disease, and to reduce
shedding of the virus. Vaccination will always be more
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