CHECS Rules for Shows, Sales, and Off-Farm Movements
The Cattle Health Certification Standards (CHECS) provide clear rules to protect the health status of accredited herds when cattle are moved off-farm. Movements for shows, sales, or other purposes carry different levels of risk and are treated accordingly.
- Movements for Shows and Sales
CHECS considers any contact with other stock at shows or sales a risk to herd health.
Therefore:
Accredited cattle attending a show or sale will be deemed to have lost their accredited status unless the event has a CHECS-accredited section. Animals moved off the holding for preparation for sale will also lose accredited status unless full CHECS biosecurity rules are followed at the preparation premises.
On return or introduction to a new herd, these animals must be treated as non-accredited added animals, requiring:
- Isolation for a minimum of 28 days
- Then tested under the relevant disease programme(s).
- Movements for Non-Show/Sale Purposes
Accredited cattle leaving the home herd for purposes other than shows or sales (e.g. veterinary visits, contract rearing) may retain their accredited status if:
- They are loaded, transported, unloaded, and housed separately from non-accredited cattle.
- There is no direct or indirect contact with non-accredited stock at any time.
If these conditions are met, the animals can return to their herd of origin or another accredited herd without isolation or testing.
- Johne’s Disease – 7-Day Exception
For herds in the Johne’s Disease Risk Level Programme, there is a specific exception:
- If cattle from a Johne’s-certified herd attend a show or sale for no more than 7 days, and contact with other cattle, their manure, and soiled bedding is minimised, they may return to their herd or move to a new Johne’s-certified herd without Johne’s testing.
However, isolation and testing for other diseases (e.g. BVD, IBR, Lepto) must still be carried out if required by those programmes.
If the animal is away for more than 7 days, it must be treated as an added animal and tested accordingly, which for Johne’s requires blood and faeces testing regardless of age.
- BVD-Only Accredited Events
An exception applies for BVD-accredited cattle attending BVD-only shows or sales:
- The owner must email a current CHECS BVD accreditation certificate to the event’s organiser in advance.
- BVD vaccinated monitored free cattle are not eligible.
The transport vehicle must be:
- Cleansed and disinfected
- Carry only BVD-accredited stock.
If these conditions are met, cattle do not require testing or quarantine on return.
|
Movement Type |
Retain Accreditation? |
Conditions |
|
Show or sale (general) |
❌ No |
Must isolate and test on introduction (or return) |
|
Non-show/sale |
✅ Yes |
No contact with non-accredited cattle |
|
Johne’s herds (≤7 days away) |
✅ Yes (Johne’s only) |
Minimal contact; other disease rules still apply |
|
Johne’s herds (>7 days away) |
❌ No |
Full added animal testing required |
|
BVD-only accredited event |
✅ Yes |
Strict pre-approval and transport hygiene |
If you have questions or would like further clarification please email HealthSchemes@sruc.ac.uk
Posted by SRUC Veterinary Services on 24/10/2025
