What the tests tell you

Blood antibody screening checks for signs of BVD exposure in the herd. Book it annually through your vet practice. Tag-and-test does not replace this screen.

Virus testing checks an individual animal for infection. Depending on the purpose, the sample can be blood or ear tissue collected by a tissue sampling tag.

Understand your herd status

Negative: no evidence of infection or exposure has been found. Keep annual screening current.

Not negative: exposure, infection or unmet testing requirements. It does not mean every animal is infected.

Unknown: herd status is not yet established. New herds usually have 30 days to complete screening.

An individual animal has its own status. A negative animal can be in a

not-negative herd, so check the holding’s status before arranging a move.

Who can collect the sample

Farmer tissue sampling: routine newborn testing, PI hunts, post-movement tests and qualifying pre-movement tests on calves aged 20 days or younger when sampled.

Vet practice: all blood samples; pre-movement sampling over 20 days old; and retesting after a positive or failed test. An appropriately authorised sampler may work under veterinary direction without the vet attending personally.

Choose the correct tag and laboratory

For a living calf aged 18 months or younger, the first tissue sample must use an official ear tag. Repeat sampling has additional restrictions: contact the vet practice first.

Before selling or moving cattle

Negative herd:  No BVD pre-movement test required.

Not-negative or unknown herd: ordinary farm-to-farm movements generally require a negative pre-movement test, including between separate holdings you own.

A qualifying negative result is valid for 60 days from sampling. A official-tissue tag birth test can count. If the test is still valid, a fresh sample is not automatically needed. Tell the receiving keeper within the 3 days before movement.

The exceptions explained

Direct slaughter and veterinary treatment have exceptions. A general license also permits certain movements to Approved or Exempt Finishing Units, TB exempt markets and orange markets. Read and meet its conditions. This should not be seen as a way to avoid the testing requirements.

That licence excludes positive and PI animals.

Buying cattle from outside Wales

Without a recognised individual status, test within 20 days of arrival. Your vet may accept earlier negative results and update the Welsh record instead. An in-calf animal of unknown status must be isolated until calving or a negative post-movement result. Test the calf after birth.

If screening finds BVD exposure

Your vet will help arrange a search for infected cattle, called a PI hunt. Animals already recorded as individually negative are exempt from this PI-hunt sampling requirement.

Test newborn calves with official tissue tags by 20 days; include aborted and stillborn calves within 7 days where reasonably practicable. Continue required calf testing for 12 months after the herd regains negative status. This continues even if you have a negative antibody screen before the 12 months elapses.

Virus-positive animal: arrange a vet-practice retest at least 21 days later. PI means persistently infected. Confirmed PI cattle must stay isolated if retained; discuss removal with your vet.