In Belgium, the aim is to buy as few animals as possible. The purchase of animals remains the greatest source of infection for the introduction of diseases. A closed farm for meat production is therefore recommended. When you buy calves, you must make some recommendations.
Recommendations when you buy animals:
- Check the health status of the animals you want to buy .
To check the IBR and BVD status of an animal, you can request the Risk Report in Veeportaal (Belgium), this is possible by your smartphone.
- Go and have a look at the farm of origin yourself.
When you purchase animals, you are legally obliged to carry out the following purchase test: IBR gE or gB analysis on blood samples: twice at 28-50 day intervals.
Ensure that the animals are kept in quarantine until the results of the tests are known and favourable.It may also be useful to detect other pathogens, such as Mycoplasma bovis, Salmonella and Neospora (for female animals).
Biosafety is particularly important. If Belgium has an IBR free status, a complete clean-up is imminent. The cost of the protocol is the extra labour needed to carry out the quarantine. Veterinary costs for blood analyses are also an additional cost.
Comments of a farmer:
I transport the animals myself, because third parties can also pose a risk here. During transport, the animals can contaminate themselves if they end up on a dirty - read: contaminated - lorry. During transport, they can also come into contact with infected animals of other origins and thus become infected before they reach my farm. By arranging the transport myself, I reduce that risk.
"Furthermore, I always take enough time to plan my purchases, so I have time to visit the farms of origin and prepare the purchase. By planning far enough in advance, I can also buy my animals early enough and keep them in quarantine long enough. There I observe and analyse them. For this I can count on the help of my company veterinarian. I always ask him to take blood from the new animals and to carry out the purchase protocol.
Further information :
www.dgz.be