Herd health security

Purchase of animals

The organic standards recommend the implementation of a closed herd policy. However, since organic herds are allowed to bring in breeding animals (10% of herd size annually), measures need to be taken to prevent introduction of disease with these animals. These are:

• Buying animals from herds that are accredited free of certain contagious diseases (see BVD, IBR, Leptospirosis, Johne’s disease, BSE) or from farms whose disease status is known.
• Replacement animals should be purchased directly from the farm of origin, and not via cattle markets.
• All purchased animals should be quarantined before inclusion into the herd, in a separate building or paddock. A period of four weeks is adequate for most diseases but, in the future, more stringent requirements may be required for a herd to avoid the introduction of TB into the herd. Manure from the quarantine site should be composted before spreading to fields and the quarantine paddock should not be used by other animals within a year.
• During the quarantine, milking cows’ udders should be checked for signs of mastitis, and other health tests should be carried out according to the veterinarian’s advice.

Other aspects of herd health security

• Protect feed stores from vermin, wild birds and domestic dogs and cats.
• Purchase feed and bedding from a known source. If bought from another farm, check disease status before purchase.
• Limit visitors’ and vehicle access to the cattle areas on the farm.
• Prevent both indirect and direct contact with cattle from other herds (visits to shows, rented bulls, semen of unknown origin, rented or communal grazing, shared waterways, double fencing etc.).
• Prevent infection via stock-related services (vets, AI, relief milker, hoof trimmer etc.) by providing dedicated clothing and footbaths.
• Avoid housing or grazing cattle together with sheep.