TB Valuation and Removal

What Happens to Reactor Animals?

Reactor animals will be valued and slaughtered. You must isolate them from the rest of the herd until they are slaughtered. This will reduce the risk of them spreading TB on your farm. When reactors are slaughtered, they undergo a detailed post-mortem examination to determine if their meat is fit for human consumption. Visible lesions may or may not be detected.

What About Compensation?

A DAERA Livestock Valuation Officer (LVO) will contact you to make an appointment to come to the farm and determine the market value of each animal concerned. DAERA currently compensates herd keepers at 100% of market value of the animal/s.

More Detailed information regarding valuation, seeking an independent valuation, the appeals process and DAERA’s right to slaughter can be found in the ‘Guidelines for Owners and Herd keepers on the Process of Valuation of animals to be slaughtered owing to Tuberculosis or Brucellosis’ booklet. This is sent to all herd keepers at the start of a new TB breakdown and is also available at the above link.

Can I Send Reactors To Slaughter Reactors Myself?

You may refuse DAERA compensation and take reactor animals to any abattoir in NI willing to slaughter them. In such cases, you must obtain a movement licence (MC2L) from the local DVO office and arrange for transport to the abattoir at your own expense. Any payment in this case is a matter between the abattoir and the herd keeper. Abattoirs will generally kill these animals “at owner’s risk”. This means that you may lose out on all or part of the carcase value depending on the post-mortem results. DAERA will not be liable for these losses. For this reason, herd-keepers rarely choose this option, as this is avoided if DAERA compensation is accepted.

What if a Reactor Dies Before it is Removed by DAERA?

If a reactor animal dies prior to removal, no compensation is payable. This is the case even if the animal has already been valued.

What About Reactor Animals That can’t Travel to the Abattoir – Will I Get Compensation?

As per the TB Control Order (NI) 1999 (as amended) DAERA can only pay TB compensation for animals which were slaughtered or “caused to be slaughtered” by a DAERA vet.

This means that for animals not removed by DAERA, compensation can only be paid if a DAERA vet had instructed their removal by an agreed alternative means for disease control reasons.

You may request an ex-gratia payment if you consider there was a significant delay in valuation or the removal of the animal, however a payment is not guaranteed.

What About Reactor Animals That Need to be Destroyed on My Farm?

If a reactor animal is not fit to travel for slaughter or is deemed automatically ineligible for human consumption (for example due to its TSE status), then euthanasia will be carried out on farm. Please note that DAERA staff will usually only euthanize TB reactor animals if a post-mortem examination is deemed necessary, or if the animal is potentially dangerous and requires deployment of the humane slaughter team. If DAERA are not going to destroy the animal, it will generally be carried out by your own private vet (PVP) with the prior approval of a DAERA vet.

Will I Get Compensation for Animals Destroyed by DAERA Staff?

Compensation will be paid for animals destroyed by DAERA for disease control reasons. At euthanasia, the Department vet/member of the DAERA humane slaughter team will check the identity and description of the animal, including checking the DNA tag.

Will I Get Compensation for Animals Destroyed by My Own Vet (PVP)?

Compensation will only be paid if a DAERA vet has instructed its removal in this manner for disease control purposes, a suitable veterinary certificate has been provided (see below) and the carcase has been properly disposed of.

Will DAERA Pay Euthanasia and Disposal Costs for On-Farm Slaughter of Reactors?

The carcase must also be disposed of through the fallen stock scheme. As the keeper, you are usually responsible for any costs incurred for euthanasia and disposal of the carcase. However, where the animal is euthanised on-farm for TB disease control reasons you may make a claim for re-imbursement of reasonable costs.

To make a claim you must submit the invoice/receipt for fallen stock collection, the invoice/receipt for the PVP euthanasia, and the PVP certification to your local Divisional Veterinary Office as detailed below. When the carcase is going to an approved rendering plant fallen stock there is no need to submit a death registration.

What Details are Required on the Vet’s Certificate?

If the following information must be included on a certificate from the PVP if animal is to be eligible for compensation payment:

• Name of herd keeper
• Location, date, and time of euthanasia
• The animal’s description
• Full tag numbers (both DAERA tag and DNA tag)
• Details of the reason for on-farm destruction
• A declaration that the animal would have had a reasonable chance of recovery if given time and/or treatment
• Method of euthanasia (e.g. shooting or lethal injection)

What if a Reactor Requires Emergency Slaughter?

Whilst reactor animals remain in your care you remain responsible for their welfare.

In the case of an emergency welfare situation (e.g. the animal has a suspected broken leg), you must seek urgent veterinary attention for the animal from your usual veterinary practice.

If the PVP is of the opinion that the animal requires urgent euthanasia, the welfare of the animal is the primary consideration, and this must not be delayed.

If an animal is destroyed as an emergency welfare case (for example if it has a broken leg), this is considered a consequential loss unrelated to its TB status and it will be ineligible for compensation.

Some abattoirs may accept animals that have suffered an accident as “on-farm slaughters” for human consumption. You should consult with the abattoir to ensure that they are willing to accept the carcase prior to having an animal slaughtered on farm for human consumption as not all abattoirs will accept them.

What About Heavily Pregnant Reactor Animals?

Legislation states that animals which are in the last 10% of expected gestation or are freshly calved less than 7 days are not fit for transport. It is your responsibility to highlight any animals that may fall into this category.

Most of these animals remain on farm until at least 7 days after calving when they will be removed as normal. DAERA do however reserve the right to destroy the animal(s) on farm sooner (or direct the herd keeper to request their PVP to do so) if this is deemed necessary for disease control reasons.

Once the reactor animal has calved, staff at the local DAERA Direct Office should be informed.

What About Calves of Reactors?

Calves born to reactor animals are not considered to be at significantly increased risk of TB infection, especially if removed promptly from the dam. Such calves will usually remain on farm, unless the Patch Vet deems there are other disease reasons that necessitate its removal.

Why Must I Isolate Reactors? What Happens if I Don’t Isolate Them?

Positive and inconclusive animals may pose a risk to the breakdown herd, to neighbouring cattle, and to local wildlife. The purpose of isolation is to minimise this risk. Details on how animals should be isolated are on the BT95 letter sent to you at the start of a new breakdown.

Farm visits to ensure that proper isolation procedures are followed may be carried out by Animal Health and Welfare Inspectors (AHWIs) at the discretion of the Patch vet. Prior notification is not given to the herd-keeper that such a visit is to take place.

If you fail to isolate properly, the Patch Vet may consider the date of removal of the reactor as the date of removal by the haulier which will delay clearance of the herd. You may also face prosecution for any breach of a notice to isolate reactor and inconclusive animals and compensation may be withheld. Failure to isolate can also result in financial penalties as it may be a breach of Cross Compliance Verifiable Standards.

What Happens to the Meat from Reactors and Inconclusive Reactors?

As for any animals going for slaughter, you will be required to fill in a Food Chain Information (FCI) form for all animals collected by the haulier.

Meat inspectors will inspect the carcase at the slaughterhouse. It is rare for any problem related to bovine TB to be seen in the meat. If TB like lesions are found in more than one location in the carcass, the carcass will not be passed as suitable for human consumption. Otherwise, the meat inspectors will remove the visually affected parts of the carcase and the rest of the carcase will normally be passed as fit for human consumption, unless another problem is found which makes it unfit.

What if a Reactor is Still Within a Medicine Withdrawal Period?

If a reactor / NIC is still within a medicine withdrawal period, please contact your local DVO and let them know. The Patch vet will decide if slaughter can be delayed without compromising disease control. Remember a Food Chain Information (FCI) form must be filled in for all reactors. Further information is available in the leaflet “Avoid Good Carcases being binned” which you should have received a copy of.

What About Negative In Contact (NIC) Animals?

If any animal has been classified by DAERA as a “negative in contact” animal these are subject to compulsory removal. All procedures for isolation, valuation and removal are exactly the same as for reactor animals.