A temporary easing of testing requirements for certain livestock classes in the bluetongue restricted zone has been welcomed by the NSA.

Dry ewe lambs and store lambs can now be moved outside the restricted zone without a pre-movements test after today’s (26 March) Defra notification. 

NSA urges members to read a comprehensive summary of the rule changes (see right hand side of webpage), and understand the change is temporary and will apply until no later than 23 April, although the easing period could be shorter depending on how risk factors for BTV change in the coming weeks. 

Only the following animals will still require both a pre-movement test and a specific movement licence to move out of the RZ:

• Entire males intended for use in breeding
• Pregnant females (or pregnancy status unknown)
• Youngstock that are aged 60 days or younger at the time of the movement, unless
• they are travelling at foot with the maternal dam - in this case, you can test the
• maternal dam by PCR and ELISA

NSA Policy manager Michael Priestley said this should ease workload on vet teams working for farms who have outwintered ewe lambs in the restricted zone. 

“Living with Bluetongue restrictions has been extraordinarily difficult for sheep farmers and livestock markets, creating huge issues over marketing and movements, so anything to lessen the burden is to be welcomed,” he says. 

“The timing of the change may mean farmers wintering some classes of non-pregnant stock, such as ewe lambs, can move their sheep home or to spring grazing more easily at a time when the seasonally low vector period means there is a lower bluetongue risk.

“As a notifiable disease spread by the Culicoides midge, sheep farmers should be aware that this easing is temporary and subject to incidences of the virus and weather patterns.”

"One of the most frustrating times of year is likely to be the July to September period, when those wanting to sell breeding stock in the RZ are affected by bluetongue restrictions. Flexibility from Defra would be welcome if concerns can be allayed." He concludes.

Read the full report as a PDF on the side of this webpage