A simpler way to manage bluetongue vaccination records

As bluetongue cases continue to affect livestock farms across Great Britain, many farmers are discussing vaccination with their vets and reviewing how well prepared they are.

Administering the vaccine is only part of the job. Farmers must also maintain accurate records showing which animals were vaccinated and report the required information to the relevant authorities.

With large groups of sheep or cattle to manage, recording every animal individually can quickly become a demanding task. iLivestock provides a practical way to capture animal identities, add vaccination records and prepare the information needed for reporting.

What livestock keepers need to know

Bluetongue is a notifiable animal disease. Anyone who suspects bluetongue must report it immediately through the appropriate government service.

Farmers should speak to their vet about the risk to their animals and whether vaccination is appropriate. A vet must prescribe BTV 3 vaccines, although the animal keeper can administer the vaccine.

In England, Scotland and Wales, keepers who use a BTV 3 vaccine must:

1. Record every animal vaccinated
2. Keep those records for at least five years
3. Report the vaccination within 48 hours
4. Provide the individual animal identifiers and details of the vaccine used

The reporting service also asks for information including the CPH number, holding address and vaccine batch numbers.

Requirements differ in Northern Ireland, where keepers must follow the separate process provided by DAERA.

Using iLivestock during vaccination

iLivestock can help farmers create an organised animal record while the vaccination work is taking place.

Used with an eTagReader or another compatible EID reader, the platform provides a straightforward process for identifying animals, recording the vaccination and retrieving the information afterwards.

Watch the scan, record and upload process in the video below, or follow the three steps underneath.

Step 1: Scan each animal

• Open a new scanning session before the animals enter the handling race.
• As each sheep or cow is vaccinated, scan its electronic identification tag. Once the group has been completed, connect the reader to the iLivestock app and import the scanning session into a management group.
• You now have an identifiable group containing the animals that went through the vaccination session.

Step 2: Add the vaccination record

• Open the group in iLivestock and use the Group Summary screen to add the vaccination information.
• Select the correct product from the medicine cabinet and enter the required details, including the administration date. The supported group action adds the record to the individual profile of each animal in the group.
• This removes the need to open every profile and enter the same information separately.
• Before saving, check the animal list, vaccine, date, batch information and any other required details carefully.

Step 3: Prepare the animal information

• Information can be exported from the management group to provide a list of the vaccinated animals and their individual identifiers.
• This can help farmers prepare the information requested by the government vaccination reporting service.
• The keeper remains responsible for checking that the information is complete and accurate, providing any additional details requested and submitting the report within the required timeframe.

Keeping animal records together

Recording treatments against individual animal profiles creates a clear history that can be checked later. It also means farmers do not have to rebuild vaccination lists from handwritten notes or several separate files.

One iLivestock user in Hampshire described how straightforward she found the process:

“It was so easy to download the tag list and upload it to the Defra website. I completed it in less than five minutes.”

iLivestock ambassador Maria Warne, known as That Farming Mum, began using the platform after experiencing the amount of paperwork involved:

“It was when we were completing our bluetongue vaccination paperwork that we decided iLivestock was necessary on our farm. The paperwork was becoming unmanageable. Since moving to iLivestock, everything has become much easier.”

Experiences will vary depending on the number of animals, the equipment being used, connectivity and the quality of the information recorded.

Supporting farmers with the admin

iLivestock does not diagnose bluetongue, recommend whether an animal should be vaccinated, report suspected disease or determine whether a livestock movement is permitted.

What it can do is help farmers keep identification, medicine and treatment information organised in one place. When animals are being vaccinated in groups, that can make the resulting admin clearer and easier to manage.

Government guidance and livestock movement controls can change quickly. Always check the current rules for your location and seek advice from your vet.

Find out more

To learn how iLivestock can help you record vaccinations and manage animal information, watch our Bluetongue vaccination walkthrough, call +44 1383 324 358 or email [email protected].