Recent content by Ruminant Health & Welfare

Ruminant Health & Welfare has worked with stakeholders from across the ruminant sector to create a flowchart to help farmers in the recently lifted Temporary Control Zones (TCZ) navigate what this means for their farm and animal movements during the vector low season for midges. Click here to...

Welcome to Ruminant Health & Welfare Welcome to the first RH&W newsletter of 2024 Our important work continues with our focus now on developing a beef welfare strategy with the working group as well as progressing the welfare goals identified in the dairy and sheep strategies through 2024. As...

Defra has announced that we are now in a seasonally vector low period when midge activity is much lower, leading to some changes to disease control measures for BTV-3. BTV-3 is the new strain of bluetongue currently being found in northern Europe and UK and is mainly transmitted via biting...

Norfolk farmers and other stakeholders invited to bluetongue discussion in-person meeting A farmer focussed bluetongue meeting is being organised for Monday 15 January by key industry organisations working together to provide support and information for farmers and vets in the Norfolk Temporary...

New licence available for movements out of Bluetongue Temporary Control Zones where there is a welfare need A licence has been made available by Defra for animal movements to be considered, from premises within the Kent and Norfolk Temporary Control Zones (TCZ) to premises outside the TCZ...

Welcome to Ruminant Health & Welfare 2023 will go down as the year of collaboration with the launch of the RH&W Dairy Welfare and RH&W Sheep welfare strategies in June and November respectively, both with a 5-year vision to show progress in animal welfare, and both with nearly 100 supporting...

Further cases of BTV3 have been confirmed over the weekend within the existing Temporary Control Zone (TCZ) in Kent, however there has been a positive development that a designation has been confirmed for the ABP Guildford abattoir. This is the first abattoir outside the TCZ to be able to...

RH&W announcement - 14/12/23 Following active surveillance in the north-east Kent Temporary Control Zone (TCZ), a further 3 cases of bluetongue in cattle have been identified on a holding in the Sandwich Bay area. The holding is situated in the existing TCZ. Guidance on ‘Importing animals...

Following active surveillance within the temporary control zone (TCZ), two further cases have been identified taking the total number of cases to seven. Both cases are linked to a holding with previously confirmed cases of bluetongue serotype 3 (BTV-3). “These two animals were, until recently...

Following active surveillance within the 10km temporary control zone (TCZ), a further four cases of bluetongue serotype 3 (BTV-3) have been identified in cattle on two additional farms. “It’s clear the surveillance is working,” says Dr Joseph Henry BVMS Cert SHP MRCVS, chair of the Ruminant...

Farmers in and around the Temporary Control Zone (TCZ), can now access and call a dedicated bluetongue hotline to get advice or ask questions linked to the current situation. All farmers and keepers of animals can access the bluetongue hotline: 024 7771 0386 NFU members can also access the...

Disease surveillance is underway in and around the Temporary Control Zone (TCZ) to fully ascertain the bluetongue situation, following a positive case of the new BTV-3 bluetongue strain being confirmed in a cow (11/11/23), after routine testing. The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) is...

Following confirmation of a case of the bluetongue virus new emerging strain (BTV-3) in a single cow on a farm near Canterbury, Kent, a temporary control zone (TCZ) has been instigated. The 10km TCZ has been put in place surrounding the farm while the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA)...

Defra is working on developing policies for the movement of animals within the temporary control zone (TCZ) and we will update those affected regularly with advice as appropriate. Licensed animal movements within TCZ Until there is a better assessment of the disease situation, general animal...

Dr Mandy Nevel, AHDB Head of Animal Health and Welfare, said: “The announcement of a case of BTV-3 in the UK is obviously concerning for UK sheep and cattle producers. As BVT-3 is a viral disease transmitted by biting midges, the hope is that the disease can be contained this winter as...