Protecting your herd

REDUCING THE RISK OF DISEASE

What can you do to protect your herd?

Good husbandry practice helps to reduce the risk of livestock becoming infected with bovine TB. Best practice would include:

• Provide good ventilation in livestock housing and do not overcrowd your animals
• Keep livestock away from freshly spread slurry and dispose of bedding so that cattle cannot gain access to it
• Work with your vet to formulate a health plan for your herd
• Keep animal identification and movement records accurate and up to date so that cattle movements between herds can be quickly traced.
• Keep your livestock away from neighbouring livestock
• Know where bought-in animals have come from, and their health status
• Keep bought-in and returning stock separate from other livestock
• Keep wildlife out of farm buildings
• Practice good biosecurity.

Biosecurity

Information on how to help prevention of disease is available on our biosecurity page.

A wildlife biosecurity best practice video is available on the Defra Website. The video provides cattle farmers with advice, based on the best scientific evidence, on steps they can take to reduce their TB risks from wildlife.

For more detailed guidance see our Advice and Guidance page or download the information below:

• Information leaflet: How to reduce the risk of bovine tuberculosis on your premises (PDF 850KB)
  
• Information leaflet: How to reduce the risk of bovine tuberculosis in your herd (Wales) (PDF 416KB)
• Information leaflet: Understanding the risk of bovine tuberculosis to cattle from wildlife (PDF 1.12MB)
  
• Defra Information leaflet: Do you know what is happening in your feed store (Defra, PDF 1.98MB)