Bulls to be tested for cow disease
The country’s leading dairy genetics companies will test their artificial breeding bulls and collected semen for mycoplasma bovis as farmers get ready to mate their herds.
Livestock Improvement Corporation (LIC) and CRV Ambreed have taken the precaution of testing bulls for the cow disease after the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) advised dairy farmers to ask suppliers if their donor bulls had been tested.
CRV Ambreed managing director Angus Haslett said they were working closely with the industry and that bull and frozen straw testing was in line with recommendations from MPI.
LIC general manager biological systems Dr Richard Spelman said they had taken the bull testing advice on board to remove any uncertainty among farmers.
’’Given there is currently no evidence to suggest that the disease is widespread in New Zealand, we can be confident this disease is not present in our bulls or semen supply, but we are taking extra precautions to provide our farmers with extra reassurance this mating season.’’
After the cow disease was discovered in Canterbury in July, LIC immediately heightened its hygiene precautions for staff visiting farms as part of infectious disease protocol and increased its quarantine and stock control measures for its bull farms.
Its bulls are permanently kept in quarantine and are under close veterinary supervision. They were also regularly monitored for any signs of disease to ensure that semen was only processed from healthy bulls.
Spelman said the tests would not push up the costs of semen straws. Testing began on Monday and an extra antibiotic will also be added into the fresh semen diluent.
‘‘We are confident this disease is not present in our bulls, but this additional antibiotic will further safeguard our semen supply without impacting the semen fertility,’’ he said. The tests will include all bulls on LIC farms including its premier sires, sire proving scheme and wagyu.