Farm Animal Welfare

Cattle Pre-Purchase Examination and Welfare

Pre-purchase veterinary examination of cattle helps ensure buyers obtain healthy animals and prevents disease spread between farms.

Key Facts

Pre-purchase examination should assess health status, structural soundness and reproductive capacity
Biosecurity testing including BVD, IBR and Johne's disease status protects receiving herds
Importing disease into naive herds causes significant welfare and economic harm
Isolation periods after purchase allow monitoring for disease before herd integration
Recording purchase history enables traceability for disease investigations

Welfare Considerations

Pre-purchase examination and biosecurity testing protects the welfare of existing herds from disease importation and ensures purchased animals are sound enough to meet their intended purpose. Both buyer and seller benefit from transparent health assessment.

What You Can Do

Commission veterinary pre-purchase examination for any cattle purchased for breeding or production
Test purchased animals for BVD, IBR and Johne's disease before introducing to the herd
Implement isolation protocols for newly purchased cattle before integration with existing herd