4 Aug 2025
Group says the project has helped reduce antibiotic usage.
Chris Simpson
Job Title
A major care provider’s farm division has hailed the effectiveness of a project to improve diagnostic testing for respiratory disease in calves.
CVS Farm said it launched its project, which is “heavily subsidised” by pharmaceutical giant Boehringer Ingelheim, in September 2022 and that it has since benefited more than 300 farms.
The group says the scheme helps it improve herd management, guide farmers through appropriate treatments and reduce unnecessary antibiotic usage.
The subsidised project removes financial barriers to investigating pathogens of pneumonia, also known as bovine respiratory disease (BRD).
As a result, it is said to have prompted an increase of nasopharyngeal swabbing by vets on farm of nearly 100%.
CVS Labs has identified a mixture of agents including mycoplasma, coronavirus, and pasteurella by analysing samples using an eight-pathogen multiplex test.
Test results are shared with each farmer, with CVS Farm vets able to produce tailor-made action plans for each farm following conversations about preventative approaches such as vaccination and treatment protocol, biosecurity, housing, and environmental management.
Vets have also been able to use the results to match the correct vaccine with the appropriate farm at the optimal time – such as peaks in clinical cases and ahead of weaning, group movements, or transport – resulting in fewer antibiotics being used in the last year.
CVS’ quality improvement farm lead and Alnorthumbria Vets’ senior vet surgeon Steven Carragher said the programme “is already yielding significant data.”
He continued: “We’re using this evidence to help each farm successfully implement a range of measures to help prevent and vaccinate against pneumonia – and to reduce antibiotic use.
“Heathy animals are more productive and will achieve higher outputs – such as daily live weight gain, lower age at first calving, higher milk yields, and feed conversion rates.
“Reducing disease incidence will also have a positive impact on animal welfare. Long term we know this project will improve herd health, welfare and productivity, as well as safeguard farm income.”
BRD is said to be the most common cause of morbidity and mortality in calves, costing the UK cattle industry around £50 million annually.
