BVD Tag and Test for UK Cattle

Tag and test means taking a BVD tissue sample at the same moment you ear tag a calf, using a tissue sampling ear tag. One action, no separate handling, and no vet visit needed to sample a calf. The sample tube carries the same official animal number as the tag, so the result can never be attached to the wrong animal.

Caisley Geno tissue sampling tags are tag and test tags. They are available as official tags carrying the animal’s official individual number, or as management tags carrying a management number.

Shop official BVD tissue sampling tags

Shop BVD management tissue sampling tags

Buy Now – Choose Your BVD Tags and Test Option Below

Why farmers use tag and test

– One handling. The sample is taken during routine tagging. The calf is not caught twice.
– You can do it yourself. Calves can be sampled by the keeper. No vet visit is required for calf sampling.
– No sample mix-ups. Tube and tag are printed with the same number and are intrinsically linked. The tube also carries a 2D barcode for laboratory scanning.
– Lower cost. Cheaper than blood sampling by a vet.
– Earlier answers. PI animals can be identified within days of birth rather than months later.
– Tamper evident. The tube seals at the moment of tagging and no component is reusable.

How the Caisley tag and test system works

The tag carries a sampling projectile fitted with a stainless steel blade. When you apply the tag, the blade takes a tissue core from the ear and drives it into the sample tube, which seals immediately.

The tube stays held in the applicator until you remove it. You can see the sample through the tube, so you can check sample quality by eye straight after tagging.

Store samples in your neck storage device or in a fridge until you send them.

Important: white tube for BVD, pink tube for DNA. BVD tubes contain a dry desiccant. DNA tubes contain a liquid preservative. Do not send a pink tube for BVD testing.

Tagging technique.

Tag the calf from the rear of the ear, as the tag mechanism must sit on the inside of the ear. Load the female part of the tag first, then the male part, taking care not to knock off the tissue cutter. Check the cutter is in place before tagging.

See the full Geno tissue sampling system explained

BVD Test pay-as-you-go GENO TISSUE SAMPLING SYSTEM EXPLAINED

Official tags or management tags?

Official Tags

Ideally, for newborn animals, approved official tissue sampling tags should be used as the standard “Tag & Test”solution. They allow farmers to apply the official identification tag and collect the BVD tissue sample in a single operation, improving traceability, reducing animal handling.

BVD Management Tags

BVD management tags carry a management number rather than an official identification number. They are intended for on-farm screening and herd management where the animal has already been identified with official ear tags.

If you are unsure which tags you need, call us on 01765 530296.

BVD requirements across the UK

Requirements differ by nation, and they are changing. Check the current position with the relevant scheme or government body before you order.

Wales

BVD testing is compulsory in Wales under the Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (Wales) Order 2024. Annual antibody screening has applied since 1 July 2024, and since 1 July 2026 herds that are not BVD Negative must pre-movement test before moving animals off the holding.

find out more visit BVDCymru

England

The BVDFree England scheme closed on 31 July 2024. It no longer issues herd status certificates and historic test results are no longer available. There is currently no mandatory national BVD eradication scheme in England.

The Animal Health and Welfare Pathway. Launched by Defra in 2023, it funds an annual veterinary review and endemic disease follow-up, including funding for BVD testing for eligible beef and dairy cattle farmers in England. Speak to your vet about eligibility.

Defra consulted in February 2026 on mandatory proposals for England, covering a mandatory annual Animal Health and Welfare Review and a mandatory BVD eradication programme. That consultation closed on 18 May 2026. We will update this page when the outcome is confirmed.

Scotland

Scotland’s BVD eradication scheme is mandatory and has run through successive phases. Tissue tag testing is widely used for calf screening, and movement restrictions apply to herds that are not negative.

Our tags are compatible with the Scottish Government BVD eradication programme and can be used in the eradication phase of CHeCS accreditation.

BVD testing at SRUC

Northern Ireland

Compulsory testing of all newborn calves, stillbirths and abortions has applied since 1 March 2016, coordinated by AHWNI with DAERA. Tissue tag testing is the standard method. Movement restrictions apply to herds with positive animals.

Getting started with Caisley

BVD testing is available on a pay as you go basis. You choose your laboratory, tag your animals, pack the vials and send them off. The laboratory invoices you directly once testing is complete.

New to Caisley? We include the applicator free with a first order of 70 pairs.