The Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (Scotland) Order 2013

Taking of samples

11.—(1) The keeper of a breeding herd or breeding bovine animal must take (or arrange to have taken) a sample or samples as described in any one of the sub-paragraphs of paragraph (2).

(2) The samples described in this paragraph are—

(a) on 4 occasions occurring at intervals of not less than 80 days and not more than 100 days, a sample of milk comprising milk from all of the lactating bovine animals in the herd at the time whose milk is being taken for human consumption;

(b) a sample of milk comprising milk from all of the lactating bovine animals in the herd at the time and a sample of blood from each of the non-lactating female bovine animals that have been in-calf at least once before and in-calf heifers in the herd at the time;

(c) a sample of milk comprising milk from all of the dairy bovine animals in the herd at the time that are lactating and have been pregnant once;

(d) a sample of blood from—

(i) each of 5 calves between the age of 9 and 18 months in the herd at the time, or, where the herd contains separately managed groups, each of 5 such calves from each such group;

(ii) where there are fewer than 5 calves between the age of 9 and 18 months in the herd at the time or, as the case may be, separately managed group, each of 10 calves between the age of 6 and 18 months in the herd at the time or, as the case may be, each of 10 such calves from each such group;

(iii) where there are fewer than 10 calves between the age of 6 and 18 months in the herd at the time or, as the case may be, separately managed group, each of 5 bovine animals over the age of 18 months in the herd at the time or, as the case may be, each of 5 such animals from each such group, where those animals have not left the holding since birth; or

(iv) where there are fewer than 10 calves as referred to in head (ii) and fewer than 5 bovine animals as referred to in head (iii) in the herd at the time or, as the case may be, separately managed group—

(aa) each of the calves between the age of 6 and 18 months in the herd at the time or, as the case may be, each of such calves from each such group; and

(bb) where there are fewer than 5 calves between the age of 6 and 18 months in the herd at the time or, as the case may be, separately managed group, each of the bovine animals over the age of 18 months which have not left the holding since birth;

(e) subject to paragraphs (3) and (4), from each of the calves in the herd born since the immediately preceding compliance deadline either—

(i) an ear tag sample of tissue taken in accordance with paragraphs (6) and (7); or

(ii) a sample of blood; and

(f) from each of the bovine animals in the herd at the time either—

(i) an ear tag sample of tissue taken in accordance with paragraphs (6) and (7); or

(ii) a sample of blood.

(3) Paragraph (2)(e) applies only where since the immediately preceding compliance deadline no calves have been removed from the herd.

(4) In relation to the first compliance deadline the reference in paragraph (2)(e) to the immediately preceding compliance deadline is to be read as a reference to the day on which article 10 first applies to the herd.

(5) For the purposes of paragraphs (2)(e) and (f), (3) and (4), the herd does not include any bovine animals which, so far as known by the keeper, have previously tested negative for the presence of BVDV or which are the maternal antecedents of any which have previously tested negative for the presence of BVDV.

(6) An ear tag sample of tissue is taken in accordance with this paragraph if—

(a) the tag used when the sample is collected is an ear tag applied under the 2007 Regulations; or

(b) the tag used is a management tag, and the tag and the vessel for collecting the sample have an identical, pre-printed, identification number; and that identification number—

(i) in the case of a sample taken from a bovine animal in a breeding herd, is used only once within the same herd; and

(ii) is notified along with the animal’s ear tag number required by article 14(3)(b)(v) or (vi) when the sample is submitted.

(7) For the purposes of paragraph (2)(e) and (f) the keeper of a breeding herd or breeding bovine animal must not take (or arrange to have taken) an ear tag sample of tissue from any calves or bovine animals in the herd from which such a sample has previously been collected from a management tag.