A survey of 240 veterinary surgeons and advisers across the UK has overwhelmingly pinpointed lameness as the top health and welfare challenge facing cattle farmers and vets, with infectious disease second and lack of investment third. The online survey was carried out in June by CHECS, which sets standards for infectious disease control and quality…

Many thanks to the vets, advisers and SQPs who completed our survey. We received 240 responses and are delighted to announce the winners of the four £50 Amazon gift vouchers, as drawn from the hat, are: Philip Thomas; Joanne Brewin; Alasdair Carswell; Katie Arrowsmith.

We’re looking for the views of cattle vets and advisers on cattle health and disease control in the UK. Our short survey takes just 10-15 minutes to complete, and will be valuable in helping us improve services and advice. You have the opportunity to enter a prize draw to win one of four £50 Amazon gift vouchers if…

A 30% increase in cattle health scheme membership in the UK is being driven by dairy and commercial beef farmers as part of efforts to have healthier herds and combat costly diseases, suggests a new study. A survey of almost 1,000 members of cattle health schemes licensed by CHECS, the body which sets biosecurity standards…

Download our new survey of cattle Health Scheme members here…

Thanks to all the health scheme members who participated in the CHeCS survey we ran throughout December. We had a total of 984 responses and look forward to releasing the results in the new year. We offered £50 shopping vouchers to four respondents drawn from the hat, and can announce that these winners were: Prue…

Leading Welsh dairy farmer Abi Reader has been appointed the new chair of Cattle Health Certification Standards (CHECS), the technical organisation that sets the specifications for health schemes involved in the control or eradication of endemic cattle disease in the UK. CHECS, which bases its standards on farm biosecurity measures, herd vet declarations, and quality…

The role of CHECS biosecurity measures in reducing the risk of a TB breakdown has been recognised in new Government rules, which will see participants in CHECS TB herd accreditation programmes exempt from more frequent testing. The new Government rules, likely to be introduced in 2019 following a consultation last year, stipulate that herds in…

The inclusion of CHECS Bovine TB Herd accreditation in new TB rules issued by the Welsh Government and a consultation recently launched by Defra has been welcomed in a presentation to vets on 26 July at the Royal Welsh Show. The address, which was part of a seminar hosted by the Welsh Government, came from…

A new industry-led cattle health programme to evaluate risk and recognise farmers who step up biosecurity to help control bovine TB (bTB), launches today on a dairy farm at Iron Acton near Bristol. CHECS bTB Herd Accreditation, a voluntary scheme which has been welcomed by Farming Minister George Eustice and Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary for…