It’s important all farmers make biosecurity a top priority during calving this spring.
It is vital all farmers maintain complete and accurate records in NAIT, as this is an essential tool for the speedy tracing of animals and ultimately for protecting everybody’s farms and the wider industry.
Home-bred calves:
- Calves must be tagged AND registered within 180 days of birth or before they leave the farm, whichever comes first. Registration is not automatic, you must do it yourself.
- Correct tag placement is important for good tag retention – check the manufacturer’s recommendation.
- Failure to comply with NAIT regulations can result in a hefty fine.
If purchasing calves:
- Only accept ones that have been NAIT tagged and registered, and come with an ASD.
- Record their movement onto your farm into NAIT within 48 hours and remember to update their production type to “beef” if purchased from a dairy farm.
- Quarantine for at least 48 hours before introducing to other calves, and monitor for signs of disease.
- Remove sick calves to a separate pen. These should be tended to AFTER feeding the healthy calves, and preferably with separate equipment.
- Personnel coming into contact with young calves should maintain good hygiene e.g. wash hands regularly, clean boots when entering/exiting the calf rearing area.
- Record all movements, transactions and treatments.
If you are concerned about the health of any of your animals, including any calves you have purchased, please call a vet.
Find out more
For more information, please visit OSPRI's tips for calving webpage.