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Faunsdale, AL | Testing annually is a recommendation based on the premise that there will be some transmission in the herd and that the test will not be 100% accurate. After a couple rounds of annual testing, you can be pretty certain you have identified all the positives.
However, I agree the whole idea of testing really should be part of a test and cull process to eliminate the disease from the herd. For most herds, the economic benefits will not pay the cost to eliminate the disease. A herd that exports animals to other countries or sells high priced breeding stock might want to do it.
For most herds the most economic plan is to do those things that eliminate the transfer of blood and cull early if a cow shows any signs of being unthrifty. Over time the incidence of disease should decrease from the uninfected cows living longer and producing more replacements than the infected ones. Of course culling early, possibly affected animals is possibly passing the disease on to other herds unless you can designate them as slaughter only and make it stick. The lure of bargain cows makes folks take chances they sometimes shouldn't. | |
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Lymphoma??? Or not??
