All Jersey Island cattle are automatically included in the CHECS accredited HiHealth scheme (IBR, BVD & Leptospirosis), managed by Jersey Island Genetics.

Cattle kept on the Island of Jersey are registered as Accredited Free of:

IBR                      – Since July 2012
BVD                     – Since December 2010
Leptospirosis       – Since December 2010

Ongoing surveillance testing for the above diseases continues.

Neospora – Is not included in the current CHECS testing scheme.  However, testing for Neospora can be carried on individual milk samples by our current CHECS testing laboratory.

Johne’s Disease – Whilst generally accepted as being of very low incidence and following 12 years of milk screening, all 13 Jersey Dairy herds are signed up to their own specific National Johne’s Management Plan since Feb 2021.  All milk-producing cows are screened for Johne’s Disease at least once per year, through monthly milk recording samples supplied to CIS.

There are some 4,250 head of cattle in the island, of which 4,000 are pedigree Jersey (presently 14 herds). Jersey Dairy, the local farmer owned co-operative processor, has 13 member herds with herd sizes ranging from 10-400 cows. Milk from the island’s dairy herds is processed into fresh milk along with UHT milk, cream, butter, cheese, yoghurt and ice cream for domestic consumption as well as worldwide exports.

Cattle health in Jersey has benefited from isolation. Its geographical position, coupled with the ban on live cattle imports for over 200 years, has insured that the cattle on Jersey are held in herds with an exceptionally high health status. Jersey island is not subject to UK Governments’ statutory TB programmes.