Steps to reduce disease risk when buying cattle
Buying cattle can improve genetics and herd performance, but it can also introduce infectious disease. Animals that look perfectly healthy may still carry infections such as BVD, Johne’s disease, IBR, leptospirosis or neospora. Knowing your own herd’s health status, checking the status of cattle before purchase, and having a robust quarantine plan can reduce that risk. A little homework before buying can help avoid significant health and financial problems later.
Some infectious diseases can be present without obvious signs, so an animal that looks completely healthy in the sale ring may still pose a risk. Diseases including BVD, Johne’s disease, IBR, leptospirosis and neospora can affect health and productivity, and once established in a herd can be difficult and costly to control. That makes disease status an important part of your buying decision, alongside breeding, conformation, and price.
Know the health status before you buy
Where possible, buy cattle from herds participating in a CHeCS-licensed health scheme and check the herd's status for the diseases that matter to your farm.
CHeCS sets common standards for licensed cattle health schemes across the UK, meaning accredited status is based on agreed testing and biosecurity requirements.
Do not simply take terms such as "high health" or "tested" at face value. Ask what the animal has been tested for, when it was tested and, importantly, what the disease status of the herd of origin is. At sales, check the current health certificate and individual health declaration or pen card rather than relying solely on the sale catalogue. CHeCS documentation includes both accredited herd status and individual declarations.
Do not forget your own herd!
Talk to your vet about testing and monitoring your existing herd before purchasing high-health status cattle. There is little benefit in buying an animal from a herd with excellent disease status if it is subsequently exposed to infection already circulating on your own farm.
This is where proactive herd health planning, and regular monitoring can pay dividends. Health schemes provide a framework for establishing disease status and then controlling, reducing, or eradicating infection.
Quarantine is your safety net
However carefully you buy, quarantine remains an important line of defence.
New arrivals should be kept away from the main herd in suitable isolation facilities, with separate equipment where possible, and tested according to a plan agreed with your vet. CHeCS biosecurity requirements include quarantine and post-arrival testing protocols whose precise requirements depend on the infection and accreditation status involved.
Take particular care with pregnant cattle. Your vet can advise on the appropriate BVD precautions to minimise the risk of introducing infection into the herd.
You should also not overlook bulls. A new stock bull can potentially have contact with a large proportion of the breeding herd, making health status and appropriate pre-breeding biosecurity especially important.
Think beyond the animal you are buying
Good biosecurity is not only about testing cattle. Shared transport, neighbouring stock, visitors, equipment, and handling facilities can all provide opportunities for infection to move between animals and farms. CHeCS standards therefore combine disease testing with biosecurity measures rather than relying on testing alone.
Make sure everyone working on the farm understands your biosecurity arrangements and apply them consistently.
Health status can add value too
Disease prevention should not simply be viewed as another cost. Being able to demonstrate the health status of your herd can give purchasers greater confidence when you come to sell breeding cattle yourself.
SRUC Veterinary Services' Premium Cattle Health Scheme (PCHS) is a CHeCS-licensed scheme providing programmes for BVD, Johne's disease, IBR, leptospirosis and neospora, alongside the CHeCS Bovine TB Herd Accreditation programme. SRUC works alongside farmers and their vets to provide testing, disease control, and biosecurity support.
Whether you are buying replacements or a new stock bull, the basic principle is the same: ask before you buy, know your own herd's status and have a plan for new arrivals.
A conversation with your vet before the sale could be one of the most valuable parts of your purchasing decision.
5 top tips
- Know before you go
Know the disease status of your own herd and decide with your vet what health status you should look for in replacements.
- Check the herd as well as the animal
Where possible, source cattle from CHeCS-accredited herds and check current certification and pen cards. Make sure any accreditation certificate is valid and up to date.
- Have a quarantine plan before cattle arrive
Make sure a suitable isolation area is ready (guide of 28 days). Do not share feed, water or equipment with the main herd. Test animals before they join the main herd and agree any required testing and timings including vaccinations and worm checks with your vet.
- Pay particular attention to bulls and pregnant cattle
Discuss appropriate testing and management with your vet before introducing them to your herd. Antibody positive bulls should not be used for a minimum period of 10 weeks after entry into quarantine.
In the case of BVD; pregnant cattle of unknown health status should be quarantined until calving. Tissue-tag the calf for BVD testing at birth before mixing to minimise the risk of introducing a PI to the herd.
- Make health status part of your business plan
Consider joining a CHeCS-licensed health scheme to help establish, protect, and demonstrate your herd's disease status.
Alison Braddock, SRUC Veterinary Services, [email protected]
Posted by SAC Consulting on 16/10/2026
