The new bovine Johne's disease (BJD) approach - questions and answers for dairy farmers
What do the changes mean for me as a dairy farmer?
- You must provide a completed Dairy BJD Assurance Score Declaration Form and a completed National Vendor Declaration and have your cattle identified with NLIS tags every time you move cattle (e.g. for sale or agistment) from your dairy holding to another property or saleyard. The Dairy BJD Assurance Score Declaration Form must stay with the cattle. You don’t need to complete the Dairy BJD Assurance Score Declaration Form when moving cattle directly to slaughter or to a slaughter only sale or if the cattle are steers less than 2 years of age or male bobby calves less than 10 days of age. A pad of Declaration Forms was sent to you before 31 March 2008. A copy of the Dairy BJD Assurance Score Declaration Form (PDF 92kb) may be downloaded from the Animal Health Australia (AHA) website.
- To protect your herd from the introduction of BJD, check the Dairy BJD Assurance Score Declaration Form of any cattle you are thinking of bringing onto your land and only bring in cattle from a herd with the same or higher Dairy BJD Assurance Score as your herd.
In NSW if your herd has no history of BJD and it has never been tested, it has a ‘Non Assessed’ status (Dairy BJD Assurance Score 3 before 1 July 2008 then Dairy BJD Assurance Score 0 from 1 July 2008; however, herds that have implemented the Three Step Calf Rearing Plan by 1 July 2008 can maintain Dairy BJD Assurance Score 3). If you do not know if your herd is infected, play safe and only introduce cattle with a Dairy BJD Assurance Score 7 or above. It is recommended that you test your herd to improve its Dairy BJD Assurance Score. - The 3-step calf plan will be included in your on-farm QA program and you could be audited on your calf management and on how you determined your Dairy BJD Assurance Score at your annual audit.
What is a 'dairy holding'?
For the purposes of the new approach a 'dairy holding' is defined as:
- a holding, or part of a holding, on which a milking herd is grazed or kept; or
- a holding, or part of a holding, which has the same Property Identification Code (PIC) and/or is under the same ownership or control as a holding above, and which is used to graze or keep cattle that are part of the milking herd, are the progeny of the milking herd (including beef breed cattle and dairy/beef cattle that are grazed or kept for beef production) that have grazed or have been kept on the same land as the milking herd; or
- a holding, or part of a holding, on which cattle which will be used in a milking herd are raised for the owner of that milking herd; or
- a holding, or part of a holding, on which dairy breed cattle are bred and/or raised for sale or supply to a milking herd.
What is a milking herd?
A milking herd means a herd of cattle that are kept for the production of commercial dairy products.
What dairy BJD Assurance Score should I aim to achieve for my herd?
If you have a stud or you sell breeding cattle to other dairy farmers it is recommended that you enrol your herd in the Australian Johne’s Disease Market Assurance Program for Cattle (CattleMAP) - see the Animal Health Australia website. If your herd is eligible it will have a Dairy BJD Assurance Score of 8 initially and can increase to 9 and then 10 over time. This enables you to provide your clients with the highest available assurance that your herd is not infected with BJD as you will have strict biosecurity in place and your herd will be regularly tested.
If you sell cattle to beef producers who trade with Queensland your herd will need to have a Dairy BJD Assurance Score of 8 or higher, as Queensland DPI has introduced that requirement into their movement conditions.
If you sell cattle through the saleyards it is recommended that you have your herd tested (either Check Test or Tested 4 Year Olds). If the herd test is negative and there is no suspicion of BJD in your herd, your herd will have a Dairy BJD Assurance Score of 7. This provides some assurance to purchasers that your herd is probably not infected. Information has been provided to cattle producers recommending that they only purchase cattle from dairy herds that are Dairy BJD Assurance Score of 7 and above.
Contact your private veterinarian if you are interested in enrolling your herd in CattleMAP or in having your herd tested to increase your herd’s Dairy BJD Assurance Score.
What is the process for testing my herd to improve its Dairy BJD Assurance Score?
If your herd has a Non Assessed status (that is: BJD has never been suspected in the herd; the herd isn’t enrolled in the CattleMAP; and the herd hasn’t been tested in the last 2 years), if it has a negative herd test its Dairy BJD Assurance Score will increase.
If you would like your herd to be tested you need to contact an approved veterinarian to sample your animals. The vet will select 50 cattle (or more if it is a whole herd test) for sampling with a bias toward cattle in poor condition, those over 4 years of age and any cattle introduced from higher risk areas.
The vet will collect blood samples from each animal for serological testing. If any animals are positive on the serological test they must be followed up to resolve their status. Not all serological positive animals are infected with BJD - false positive reactions can occur in a small percentage of animals. Resolving the status of a test positive animal involves either culture of two manure samples collected 3 to 6 months apart or slaughter of the animal with histological examination and culture of its tissues. Culturing for Johne’s disease is a very slow process and can take up to 12 weeks.
The herd cannot improve its Dairy BJD Assurance Score until the status of any serological positive animals is resolved.
Do I need to implement the Three Step Calf Rearing Program if my herd has had a negative herd test and has a Dairy BJD Assurance Score of 7 or above?
It is strongly recommended that all dairy farmers implement the Three Step Calf Rearing Plan regardless of their Dairy BJD Assurance Score. The Three Step Calf Rearing Plan reduces the chance that BJD will be transmitted in your herd if it is already present at a very low undetected level or if it accidentally enters your herd with any introduced cattle.
The Three Step Calf Rearing Plan, or a more stringent calf rearing program, is considered essential in herds known to be infected with BJD. Dairy farmers whose herds are known to be infected with BJD are advised to contact the District Veterinarian at their Rural Lands Protection Board for advice on calf rearing.
How will the Dairy BJD Assurance Score be audited to make sure false declarations are not made?
False declarations will be detected either by the Inspectors doing saleyard inspections (e.g. they may notice cattle from an infected herd with a high Dairy BJD Assurance Score displayed) or when NLIS tracing of movements from dairy herds are followed up and the Dairy BJD Assurance Score Declaration Form is examined. In addition the Dairy BJD Assurance Score will be audited as part of the on-farm QA program.
You will need to keep copies of the results of all tests that have been done on your herd to provide evidence for the Dairy BJD Assurance Score you are claiming for your herd.
You should also keep copies of the Dairy BJD Assurance Score Declaration Forms you receive with cattle you introduce into your herd, as their Dairy Score may influence your herd's Dairy Score. It is recommended that you keep the Declaration Forms for at least 2 years and preferably for the life of the animal.
Who will do the ‘on-farm’ calf rearing and Dairy BJD Assurance Score audits?
The calf rearing program and the Dairy BJD Assurance Score will be audited as part of the routine on-farm QA program by the NSW Food Authority auditor.
What do I have to do if I have a commercial dairy farm but also run beef cattle?
If your beef cattle run on the same land as the dairy cattle, even if the two groups are not run together, your beef herd is considered part of the dairy holding. You will have to provide a Dairy BJD Assurance Score Declaration Form whenever you move the beef cattle (e.g. to sale or agistment). The Dairy BJD Assurance Score will be displayed and the auctioneer will announce the Dairy BJD Assurance Score prior to selling the cattle.
If your beef cattle run on entirely different parts of your property to the dairy cattle, they are not considered part of the dairy holding and you do not need to provide a Declaration Form when you sell them. In this situation it is recommended that you obtain a different Property Identification Code (PIC) for the land used exclusively by the beef cattle.
What happens if I am a dairy farmer and I cease dairying?
Once you permanently cease milking, your property is no longer considered to be a dairy holding unless you are operating solely as a breeder of replacement dairy heifers. So, even if you have kept your milking cows, if you are not producing replacement dairy heifers, you are now considered to be a beef producer and the dairy holding conditions no longer apply to your herd.
If your herd is infected with BJD your property will be quarantined and movement restrictions will apply when you sell or move cattle, as it is now considered a beef holding.
What happens if I am a dairy farmer with an infected herd and I sell cattle to a beef producer?
The herd belonging to the beef producer who purchased your cattle will be given a 'Suspect' status for BJD and will be placed in quarantine. The producer would not be eligible for assistance under the Financial and Non-Financial Assistance Package for beef producers as they had purchased from a dairy holding with a Dairy BJD Assurance Score of 6 or below.
The NLIS database will be monitored to determine where cattle from dairy holdings are moved to.
What happens if I am a dairy farmer with an infected herd and I sell my property to a beef producer?
The property is no longer a dairy holding but it would be contaminated with BJD organisms so has an Infected status and would be placed in quarantine. Movement restrictions would apply to any beef cattle moved onto the property. Contact the District Veterinarian at your Rural Lands Protection Board to discuss your options.
How do I get a Dairy BJD Assurance Score Declaration Form?
If you are a commercial dairy farmer in NSW, you would have been sent a pad of Dairy BJD Assurance Score Declaration Forms before 31 March 2008. If you didn't receive a pad of forms, contact your DPI Dairy Livestock Officer or your milk processor’s field officer.
If you rear heifers for the dairy industry, you may not have been sent a pad of forms. You will need to download forms from the internet. You can download copies of the Dairy BJD Assurance Score Declaration Form from the AHA website, or contact your NSW DPI Dairy Livestock Officer.
How can I fit all the identification numbers for all the animals I am selling on the Dairy BJD Assurance Score Declaration Form?
Write the number of cattle, their sex, breed and class (e.g. cows, bulls, heifers) in the animal identification section of the Dairy BJD Assurance Score Declaration Form. The animal identification section of the Declaration Form has too little space to list all identification numbers. Detailed identification is not needed but you may attach a separate sheet of paper to the Declaration Form listing the identification numbers (either NLIS number or herd ear tag / freeze brand number) of the cattle to which the form applies.
Are Non Assessed dairy herds in Victoria (Dairy BJD Assurance Score 3) a higher risk of being infected with BJD than Non Assessed dairy herds in NSW (who are also Dairy BJD Assurance Score 3)?
Yes, a higher percentage of Victorian dairy herds are infected with BJD (at least 30%) than are NSW dairy herds (8%). Both states will have other herds which are infected with BJD where the disease has not yet been detected. These herds have a Non Assessed status and are Dairy BJD Assurance Score 3 before 1 July 2008 then Dairy BJD Assurance Score 0 from 1 July 2008 unless they have implemented the Three Step Calf Rearing Plan by 1 July 2008 in which case they can maintain Dairy BJD Assurance Score 3. A smaller percentage of NSW herds have a Non Assessed status compared to Victorian herds, as approximately 25% of NSW dairy herds are enrolled in the CattleMAP and a further approximately 25% of NSW herds have been tested, while very few Victorian dairy herds are enrolled in CattleMAP or have been tested. In some regions of NSW, all dairy herds have been tested for BJD so most of the infected dairy herds in those regions have already been identified.
What happens to the Dairy BJD Assurance Score for my herd if I agist my heifers on a former dairy holding which had an infected herd?
Unless there is at least 12 months between when the infected dairy herd left the property and when your heifers moved onto the property, your herd will have a Suspect status and have a Dairy BJD Assurance Score of 1. Your heifers are likely to be exposed to the BJD organism in this situation.
You are advised to contact the District Veterinarian at your Rural Lands Protection Board to discuss options for reducing the risk in this situation.
What happens to my herd’s Dairy BJD Assurance Score if I buy hay cut on a holding which has a BJD infected herd?
There is no impact on the Dairy BJD Assurance Score in this situation.
There is no available research on the risk of spread of BJD via hay. However, it would be wise to avoid buying hay if the infected herd had grazed the crop not long before it was cut as there could be manure with BJD organisms contaminating the hay.
What happens at saleyards under the new approach?
All cattle from dairy holdings will have their Dairy BJD Assurance Score number displayed and the auctioneer will announce their Dairy BJD Assurance Score prior to selling the cattle. The Dairy BJD Assurance Score Declaration Form must be available for inspection before the sale and must be given to the buyer after the sale.
Cattle from dairy holdings with a Dairy BJD Assurance Score of less than 7 will be held in a separate area of the saleyard.
Cattle from dairy holdings with BJD infected herds will be held in the area of the saleyard reserved for cattle with a Dairy BJD Assurance Score of less than 7. They will be for open sale. It will be up to purchasers to check the Dairy BJD Assurance Score to avoid buying high risk cattle.
Cattle from beef holdings with BJD infected herds will continue to only be sold through ‘slaughter only’ sections of the saleyard. They are not for open sale.
What happens if cattle from a dairy holding arrive at a saleyard without a Dairy BJD Assurance Score Declaration Form?
When cattle from a dairy holding arrive at a saleyard without a Dairy BJD Assurance Score Declaration Form, the auctioneer must announce that the cattle are from a dairy holding, are of unknown Dairy BJD Assurance Score and purchasers buy at their own risk.
When cattle from a dairy holding arrive at a saleyard without a Dairy BJD Assurance Score Declaration Form, a breach of the regulations has occurred. At first, owners will be advised on what is required but, after a phase-in period and when a repeat offence occurs, penalties will be applied.
Providing false information on the Declaration Form is a serious offence and an appropriate regulatory response will follow.
Penalties of up to $22,000 may apply under the Stock Diseases Act 1923 where movement conditions are not met or false declarations are made.
What will segregation of dairy cattle with Dairy BJD Assurance Scores of less than 7 at the saleyard involve?
The segregation of cattle from dairy holdings with a Dairy BJD Assurance Score of less than 7 will be managed under the saleyard’s Code of Practice and will take a different form in different yards depending on local conditions. The main purpose of the segregation is to avoid confusion over the Dairy BJD Assurance Score and, in many cases, the segregation will be based on pens.
The cattle in the segregated area are for open sale and, as with cattle from all dairy holdings, their Dairy BJD Assurance Score must be displayed and the auctioneer must announce their Score before the sale.