SRUC

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Sample requirements
Testing, submission and other forms
Members database
Price list and guides
PCHS newsletter

Turnaround times

Blood, milk, tissue tag and faecal PCR samples normally take 5-10 working days, with delays possible during very busy periods. Please help us to achieve turnaround times by making sure you have filled in the necessary paperwork.

PCHS member inspections: CHECS auditors will be phoning a random selection of PCHS members to arrange a farm audit – these were previously put on hold because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Sample requirements

Each disease has a set of different sample requirements. Please download our PCHS quick guide for more information. All samples should be sent to St Boswells following Royal Mail guidelines.

PCHS blood samples – please use red top tubes. Samples should be dispatched to us within 48 hours of collection and refrigerated until dispatch
PCHS milk samples – must be used with preservative
PCHS BVD ear tissue samples – please keep tags in a cool dry place (DO NOT FREEZE) and submit in batches every two weeks to prevent sample deterioration

We have agreements with the ear tag companies Quicktag and Murray Farmcare, who will include the PCHS lab submission form for combined tag and test when you order tags. Caisley operates a 'Pay as you Go' system, so you are free to choose a lab. However, if sending it to PCHS you must use the Pay as you go form.

We also work with other tag brands, but agreements change from time to time. Please check when ordering that a tag manufacturer has a testing agreement with us. You can also buy tags independently and send them to our lab, but you must register your animals with BCMS before submitting.

BVD test results from other laboratories

We accept a limited number of test results from other laboratories to achieve first qualifying pass only. For clients who continue to use another testing lab for BVD tag and test for their own records, we advise that you carry out a check test via PCHS each year (please make sure you blood test five unvaccinated animals between 9-18 months of age in each management group, totalling at least seven animals) so that we can enter these results onto the PCHS database.

Members database

The Premium Cattle Health Scheme members database contains details of PCHS members' health status, arranged by seller, area and breed:

Should you require Breed Society information, we provide a quick link to their websites.

Testing, submission and other forms

General forms

If this is your first health schemes test we require our membership application form to be completed and returned with the samples. We cannot process the samples without this form.

TB accreditation

BVD tag and test

Scottish BVD Eradication Programme

BVDFree England for PCHS Members

  • PCHS member consent form
    Give PCHS permission to upload your BVD accredited herd status to the BVDFree database (open to all herds in the UK)

Non-PCHS farmers who join BVDFree

Only results with a full UK number can be uploaded onto the BVDFree database. Results from SRUC Diagnostic system CANNOT be uploaded, and ScotEID is not connected to the BVDFree database. You must submit samples on BVDFree England paperwork.

Testing early

If you need labels for testing early please let us know via the contact page or call the PCHS team on 01835 822 456. We will check your records in our database to see if this is possible.

Price list and guides

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