Starting with limited equity but a long-term commitment to farming, Clive converted the farm to dairy in 2008, milking 400 cows before steadily expanding the business to its current scale, milking once a day.
A focused breeding strategy underpins the Waldens’ crossbred herd, with synchrony, AI and carefully selected bulls helping maximise genetic progress while supporting system efficiency.
Challenge:
For several years, Clive monitored BVD through bulk milk testing, which showed some high antibody levels but no PI animals.
“I wasn’t freaking out about BVD as I thought my high antibody levels would prevent me from having a storm of BVD."
That changed when the bulk milk went positive and a PI was found in his herd, followed by the discovery of some PI heifers through blood testing with his vet. At the same time, rising mastitis rates and higher cell counts added to the uncertainty.
To confirm the BVD status of all animals in his herd, Clive recognised the need for a different approach and turned to LIC’s BVD Status Pack.
Result:
Since using the Status Pack, Clive’s milking herd is now fully BVD tested with individual results uploaded to MINDA. Individually testing all the animals at the herd test, captured one more PI animal in Clive’s 3-year-olds, which was quickly removed from the herd. Using this pack not only enabled quick identification of another PI animal but has also provided Clive with confidence that all the remaining animals in the herd are BVD negative.
Recording cows as confirmed non PI has simplified management and reduced the need for repeat testing. "You can’t just look at an animal and say, “that’s a BVD animal” so when you test an animal for BVD you get that reassurance."
He also sees the Status Pack as a cost effective option, adding, “If you’re going to test your herd for BVD, the Status Pack is a really economical way to do it - and you get 100 free tests a year which is a nice bonus.”
Clive considers calf testing critical for early detection of PI animals and reducing future risk. “I’ve got calves being born now that are potentially PIs from last year’s mating, because we had a PI in our herd that was likely spreading the virus - something we could have picked up earlier if we’d been using the Status Pack.”
Now, using the BVD Status Pack has become part of his long-term animal health strategy, providing a practical and cost-effective approach to managing BVD in his herd.
