Mandatory elements to the CHeCS BVD programme for Accredited/VMF herds

1. Are all the cattle on your holding in the accredited herd?
2. Is there any contact with non-accredited cattle?
3. Do you have suitable quarantine facilities?
4. What methods do you use to prevent disease spreading through feed, water supplies and bedding?
5. How do you prevent disease being spread by visitors or equipment?
6. Do you document all relevant test results and disease information?
7. Has annual testing been done (check test of each management group or calf virus test)?
8. Is the breeding herd vaccinated against BVD?
9. Have all added and returning animals been isolated and tested appropriately?
10. Has there been any abortion or clinical disease where BVD was suspected?

Mandatory elements of the CHeCS IBR programme for Accredited/VMF herds

1. Are all the cattle on your holding in the accredited herd?
2. Is there any contact with non-accredited cattle?
3. Do you have suitable quarantine facilities?
4. What methods do you use to prevent disease spreading through feed, water supplies and bedding?
5. How do you prevent disease being spread by visitors or equipment?
6. Do you document all relevant test results and disease information?
7. Has annual testing been done (a statistical sample is required for an accredited herd and in a qualifying herd you should test all animals over 12 months)?
8. Is the herd vaccinated with marker vaccine against IBR?
9. Have all added and returning animals been isolated and tested appropriately?
10. Has there been any clinical disease suspicion of IBR or abortion incident?

Mandatory and advisory elements to the CHeCS Johne’s programme

Mandatory

1. Are all the cattle on your holding in the accredited herd?
2. Is there any contact with non-accredited cattle?
3. Do you have suitable quarantine facilities?
4. What methods do you use to prevent disease spreading through feed, water supplies and bedding?
5. How do you prevent disease being spread by visitors or equipment?
6. Do you document all relevant test results and disease information?
7. Has annual herd testing (all animals over 24 months) been done?
8. What happens to test positive animals and any calves at foot?
9. Have any animals been added/returned to the herd and have they been tested appropriately?

Advisory

1. What measures are undertaken to prevent infection of young calves via faecal contamination?
2. How is slurry managed?
3. What do you do to prevent contamination of food and water supplies?
4. What is your co-grazing policy?

Mandatory elements to the CHeCS Leptospirosis programme for Accredited/Monitored Free herds

1. Are all the cattle on your holding in the accredited herd?
2. Is there any contact with non-accredited cattle?
3. Do you have suitable quarantine facilities?
4. What methods do you use to prevent disease spreading through feed, water supplies and bedding?
5. How do you prevent disease being spread by visitors or equipment?
6. Do you document all relevant test results and disease information?
7. Has annual testing been done (a statistical sample is required for an accredited herd, and in a qualifying herd you should test all animals over 24 months, as well as younger ones destined for breeding and any new purchases)?
8. Have all added and returning animals been isolated and tested appropriately?
9. Has there been any clinical disease suspicion of Leptospirosis or abortion incident?

Mandatory and advisory elements to the CHeCS Neospora programme for Accredited herds

Mandatory

1. Are all the cattle on your holding in the accredited herd?
2. Is there any contact with non-accredited cattle?
3. Do you have suitable quarantine facilities?
4. What methods do you use to prevent disease spreading through feed, water supplies and bedding?
5. How do you prevent disease being spread by visitors or equipment?
6. Do you document all relevant test results and disease information?
7. Has annual testing been done on all females aged 2 years and over, and 12-24 month old females destined for breeding?
8. Have any test positive animals been identified?
9. Have all added animals been tested appropriately?
10. Have all abortions and clinical cases been investigated?

Advisory

1. Are placentae, stillborns and carcasses removed quickly to a location secure from dogs?
2. Is your feed store both dog and vermin-proof??
3. Does your feed supplier assure you there’s no contamination by dog faecal material?
4. Are dogs restricted access to fields where cattle graze or from where forage is produced?

TB Entry Level Membership and TB Herd Accreditation

Both programmes are organised under six biosecurity Risk Factors:

• Risk Factor 1: Minimise TB risk from purchased cattle
• Risk Factor 2: Minimise TB risk from contact with cattle in other herds
• Risk Factor 3: Minimise TB risk from your own animals
• Risk Factor 4: Minimise the spread of TB through muck or slurry
• Risk Factor 5: Reduce TB risk to and from badgers
• Risk Factor 6: Have a TB failure contingency plan

CHeCS TB Entry Level Membership offers a number of options within each Risk Factor; you are required to commit to one from each.

CHeCS TB Herd Accreditation builds on CHeCS TB Entry Level Membership, with further requirements under the same six categories and, in some cases, asking for multiple criteria to be met in each. If you apply for CHeCS TB Herd Accreditation you must, from August 2021, complete CHeCS TB Entry Level Membership as part of becoming accredited.