UPDATE: RED TRACTOR STANDARDS

From the 1st November 2021 the new Red Tractor Standards come into force for Dairy, Beef and Lamb. This means all inspections and herd health plans due after 31st October will have to include the new standards.

DAIRY CHANGES:

• NEW: all dairy farms must have a considered breeding plan to ensure there is no need for routine euthanasia of calves by 2023
• NEW: health planning should be efficient and meaningful and completed by your nominated vet that knows your farm. At HFV, your herd health plan isn't something we do once a year - it's an ongoing task that is added to over time so it is up to date and relevant.
• NEW: all calf disbuds & castrates MUST have both local anaesthetic and injectable anti-inflammatory
• NEW: electric backing gates can no longer be used
• NEW: all farms with ANY employees must have a written Health & Safety policy. This used to only apply to farms with more than 5 employees, but given the high fatality figures in the industry it is time to sit down, formalise what is considered to be common sense and make sure it is communicated clearly.
• NEW: tethered housing systems for ANY age of stock will not be allowed

Below is a full check list of the changes to Dairy Standards:

BEEF & LAMB

• NEW: all farms will need a BVD control plan in place. There is a 12 month lead time before this becomes a standard in 2022 - all your herd health plans have included a separate BVD control plan for the past 12 months so there shouldn't be any major changes.
• NEW: at least one person on your farm must have undertaken medicine training to better understand antibiotic resistance and best practice use of medicines
• NEW: all calf disbuds & castrates MUST have both local anaesthetic and injectable anti-inflammatory
• NEW: health planning should be efficient and meaningful and completed by your nominated vet that knows your farm. At HFV, your herd health plan isn't something we do once a year - it's an ongoing task that is being added to over time
• NEW: all farms with ANY staff must have a written Health & Safety policy - this used to only apply to farms with more than 5 employees, but given the high fatality figures in the industry it is time to sit down, formalise what is considered to be common sense and make sure it is communicated clearly.
• NEW: tethered housing systems for ANY age of stock will not be allowed

Below is a full check list of the changes to Beef & Lamb standards:

Who's visiting your sheds overnight?

Replacement heifers are the future of your herd and often we assume they are the lowest risk group when it comes to TB.

Calf pellets and milk powder are highly sought after food sources for badgers both in the summer when digging hard ground for earth worms is difficult, and in winter when their food sources are scarce. Badger proofing sheds means walls need to be 1.5m high, doors are shut overnight, and any gaps are less than 7.5cm - you can do this with tin sheets, stockboard or straw bales.

Using wildlife cameras on farm is a cheap and simple way that help to assess the risk from badgers contacting cattle on your farm as we head into the housed period

Badgers are not the only risk to calves - don't forget feeding unpasteurised whole milk could also infect whole groups of calves if the contributing cows had developed any lesions in their udder. Muck from adult cows carries risk for both TB and Johne's so make sure anyone (staff, vets, nutritionists, reps) contacting your calves are clean and boot dipped in, and any equipment is clean before coming into the calf shed.