TB Testing 

All our vets are qualified to carry out TB testing on cattle, both North and South of the border. 

Routine herd tests are carried out annually throughout the year, although there are busier periods, for example after housing and prior to turnout. We would suggest arranging your herd test well in advance, so you can choose a date and time to suit.

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Prior to herd testing, there are a few measures you should check are in place:-

Health and Safety

• Cattle handling and crush facilities should be in good order and as clean as possible. Any broken gates, bars or steps should be repaired in advance of the test and yards cleaned and/ or sanded if required to prevent slippages.
• Only experienced stockpersons should be involved in mustering cattle or loading pens and crushes. 
• Please keep children away from yards where TB testing is being carried out.
• Cattle should be handled quietly and calmly, with minimum noise and use of sticks only when deemed necessary to help move individual animals around a pen or into the crush, and with minimum force.

Dosing or Injecting before a Test

• It is not recommended to administer any medicinal or anti parasitic products in the period prior to a TB test, unless it is urgently required. Advice should be sought from us regarding treating animals around the time of the test.
• If treatment is required, in the case of a sick animal, care should be taken to avoid injecting the animal on the side of the neck that will be tested, to avoid any risk of reaction and rising of a lump, which may interfere with the test result.
• The vet carrying out the TB test should be made aware of any animals that have received any treatments around the time of the test.

Tagging

• Please ensure all animals are identified by at least one ear tag on the day of the test. 

Private Testing

• R o I – calves under 6 weeks do not need a TB test prior to sale. Calves over 6 weeks require a TB test prior to sale, so if they haven’t been through the herd test, you will need to arrange a private TB test for them. Private test permission is applied for by us to the DVO in Raphoe, and is usually granted unless your herd is closed or you are due a herd test within the next 4-6 weeks.
• Cattle that maybe be going for export into Northern Ireland or the rest of the UK will require a TB test to have been carried out in the past 30 days.
• A brucellosis test is no longer required for export sales.

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