Scottish BVD Eradication Scheme: guidance

BVD requirements when selling and/or moving cattle

Livestock markets have an important part to play. All cattle keepers, including temporary keepers such as auction marts, should inform potential buyers of the BVD status of their CPH or the individual animal. Providing accurate information at time of sale also helps to avoid disappointment and disputes when buyers take the animals home. Many sellers see the advantage of providing BVD information at all sales: full disclosure allows buyers to make arrangements to test BVD Not Negative animals, such as untested English stores, before mixing them with their existing herd.

Market software should be able to automatically check the status of an animal on ScotEID. If the market’s software doesn't automatically check BVD status then the BVD lookup facility on the ScotEID website can be used instead.  

BVD Positive animals (“PIs”) can only be moved directly to an abattoir. They cannot be moved through a market or to any other holding.  

When selling in-calf females, remember that the BVD status only applies to the dam. The status of the unborn calf cannot be guaranteed: calves can only be tested after birth and may have a different status to their dam. The best advice is for buyers to use a BVD tissue tag to identify the calf when it is born. 

Selling “imported” animals: some non-Scottish cattle are low risk for BVD and can move in to a breeding herd without a BVD test. This applies to Northern Irish cattle born since 1st March 2016 and cattle from English or Welsh herds that have been CHeCS accredited for BVD for the lifetime of the animals. The status of these low risk imported animals may not show correctly on ScotEID until after the movement has been reported. 

Breeding herds with BVD Positive animals are not permitted to bring in new cattle. The Positive animals must be re-tested BVD Negative or removed from the herd before new animals are purchased.