Is managing the disease the best option for JD?
Some herd owners want to eradicate Johne’s disease so that they can sell breeding cattle or land without restrictions. However, many farmers opt to manage the infection on farm, especially in the dairy industry in regions that are endemically infected. The National BJD Strategic Plan (2008/09–2010/11) emphasises the importance of on-farm management, especially on dairy farms, to reduce the incidence of new infections and the contamination of land and milk. Calf rearing programs such as the JD Calf Accreditation Program (JDCAP) and the Three Step Calf Plan offer low cost practical means for on-farm management on dairy farms, and have additional benefits for calf health and productivity. Calf management is being incorporated into dairy farm QA programs and can earn points in the National Dairy BJD Assurance Score.
