Derbyshire Farmers Vaccinate Herd Against Bluetongue

Jessica and Paul White, who run a dairy farm in Shottle, near Belper, Derbyshire, have decided to vaccinate their cattle against bluetongue. Jessica White manages a herd of about 500 dairy cows and said that losing calves would be “heartbreaking”.

Although bluetongue is rarely fatal in cattle, the disease can cause cows to miscarry and can lower milk yields. The Whites said an outbreak among their animals would be “unthinkable”. Their decision was made as infections have been increasing in the UK, with particularly rising numbers reported in the South West of England.

Vaccination is not immediately available to every farmer. Vets have warned that supplies of the vaccine remain low, meaning that some livestock owners may have to wait before their animals receive the jab.

Bluetongue is caused by a virus carried by infected midges. The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs said it expected midges that had been “newly infected” in recent months to “have the potential to have completed their extrinsic incubation period and become infectious”.

Vet David Anderson said bluetongue could lead to miscarriages in cows and high death rates among sheep. The disease therefore affects both cattle production and sheep flocks, although the source information identifies the Whites’ herd as a dairy operation.

White, 26, keeps detailed knowledge of the 120 heifers in one of the farm’s fields, including how many times each animal has calved, its temperament and how it might respond when people approach. The farm’s breeding cows are divided into two groups: one is scheduled to calve in spring and the other in autumn.