Animal Health Ireland

17/03/2026

AHI celebrates a decade of Beef HealthCheck

Ten years. 7.7 million animals. One clear message: healthy cattle is our difference.

Animal Health Ireland has marked the 10th anniversary of its flagship Beef HealthCheck programme — a milestone that highlights how consistent, farm-level health data can strengthen the competitiveness of an entire industry.

Since launch, Beef HealthCheck has:
• Assessed over 7.7 million animals
• Delivered 1 million+ reports
• Supported 64,000 farmers nationwide
• Covered ~65% of Ireland’s national kill across 17 factories

In 2025 alone:
• 92,000 reports issued
• 783,000 cattle assessed
• 22,100 herds supported

The impact is clear. Following a weather-driven spike in liver fluke in 2024, active infections dropped by 29% in 2025 — a strong signal of farmers acting on data-driven insights. Pneumonia levels remain low, and liver abscess rates are stable.

Delivered in partnership with Meat Industry Ireland and ICBF, the programme transforms routine abattoir data into practical, actionable herd health intelligence — empowering farmers to make better, more targeted decisions.

A decade in, one thing is certain: Ireland’s commitment to animal health is not just a strength — it’s a competitive advantage in a global market.

Here’s to the next 10 years of progress, partnership, and healthier herds.

02/03/2026

Animal Health Ireland has announced the appointment of Dr. Ryan Duffy as Programme Manager for the CellCheck Programme.

In this role, Ryan will lead and coordinate the national mastitis control programme, supporting continued improvements in udder health and milk quality across the Irish dairy sector.

Commenting on the appointment, AHI CEO Patrick Donohoe said: “We’re very excited to see Ryan take up the role with AHI next month. Not only is Ryan an incredibly talented vet, he is also an authority in herd health. Ryan has a wealth of experience and a proven track record with mastitis control. The CellCheck Programme has been one of the most successful animal health programmes anywhere in the world over the past 15 years, delivering real and tangible benefits for farmers and the wider dairy industry. Milk quality and the longevity of cows are more important than ever and I know that working with the CellCheck Technical Working Group and Implementation Groups as well as the wider industry, Ryan will be a success in the role.”

Commenting on his appointment, Dr. Ryan Duffy said: “I’m hugely excited to join AHI at this really important time for the organisation and the dairy industry as a whole. In particular, leading CellCheck, our national mastitis control programme, is a tremendous honour for me. I strongly believe our dairy industry is the envy of the world and our continued success will be built on furthering our commitment to progressive herd health, preventative medicine and by implementing practical, evidence-based methods at mitigating bovine mastitis and its knock-on effects. This is no mean feat. It will involve the entire industry: from dairy farmers, agricultural advisors, milking machine technicians, and my veterinary colleagues on the ground, to our dairy processors and government. However it will ensure we remain competitive on the international stage and profitable at the farm-level, allowing the Irish dairy sector to flourish in the 21st century”.

22/02/2026

After sharing what a BVD outbreak really meant on his farm, Co. Laois dairy farmer Robert Hovendon tells the full story — from the pressure and workload to the lessons he wants other farmers to hear.

It’s honest, practical, and worth the time.

🎥 Watch the full interview now.

20/02/2026

Part 3 – Act first. Think afterwards.

In the final stretch of BVD eradication, speed matters more than anything.

Co. Laois dairy farmer Robert Hovendon has one clear message from hard experience:

If a BVD result comes back positive — don’t think. Take the calf out of the pen and isolate immediately.

Waiting only allows infection to spread, increasing workload, risk, and cost.

Ireland is within reach of BVD eradication. Rapid action is how we get it over the line.

As Robert says: “Act and think afterwards — you might just save yourself a lot of work.”

Full interview available on Sunday.

18/02/2026

BVD control programmes are designed to reduce risk, but they rely on swift ex*****on.

Robert Hovendon’s experience shows what happens when infection is allowed to persist on a farm: workload escalates rapidly, resources are stretched, and the risk of further transmission increases.

His advice to other farmers is simple: positive calves must be removed as early as possible to protect both individual herds and the wider national programme.

As Ireland nears eradication, maintaining system integrity through compliance, monitoring, and timely intervention is critical.

17/02/2026

Early Lactation mastitis: Why the first 60 days matters

With spring calving well under way, new guidance from AHI highlights how mastitis in the first 60 days after calving can permanently reduce Milk yield, especially in heifers.

The new guide "The First 60 Days - Make Every Day Count" focuses on:

✅️ Early detection

✅️ Prompt treatment

✅️ Preventing spread between cows

Simple steps like early milk recording, CMT testing, sterile sampling and good hygiene can make a lifetime difference to cow performance.

Full guide available on: https://animalhealthireland.ie/publications/first-60-days-tips-for-preventing-early-lactation-mastitis/

16/02/2026

The farmer pain behind BVD.

After years of being clear, Co. Laois dairy farmer Robert Hovendon was hit with a major BVD outbreak last year.

The emotional toll.
The financial strain.
The impact on his herd.

The scars are still raw, but he’s sharing his story so others don’t have to live it.
Ireland is at the very end of the BVD eradication journey. We’ve come too far to let this slip.

Let’s finish the job, together!

Part 1 of 3 | Full story continues Wednesday

05/02/2026

On the 26th February 2026, will hold the second online EU webinar, with the theme: Exchanging knowledge on sustainable worm control via the SPARC Knowledge Exchange Platform and webGIS.

Topics include:
• An overview of practice abstracts, videos and podcasts and how these are used to train students, vets and farmers in sustainable worm control.
• The SPARC WEBGIS - a European geographical information platform on worm infection, anthelmintics, resistance and designed more for policy makers and other decision makers.
• Designer Parasite Management – Featuring Irish Ambassador Bruce Thompson

More details at www.AnimalHealthIreland.ie/ParasiteControl

05/02/2026

03/02/2026

Ireland is closer than ever to BVD freedom, with just around 200 herds affected nationwide at the end of 2025. But as calving season ramps up, acting fast has never been more important. This calving season, AHI is urging farmers to follow four simple steps:

Tag. Bag. Test. Remove.

• Tag calves promptly at birth
• Bag the tissue sample correctly
• Test samples at the lab as soon as possible after tagging
• Remove any positive calves immediately
Simple, but effective biosecurity measures are easy to implement and can protect your herd and your neighbours from BVD outbreaks this year.

Let’s protect the progress made and finish the job together.

30/01/2026

As part of the Sound Cow Innovation Programme (SCIP) EIP, Animal Health Ireland, Teagasc and University College Dublin are pleased to highlight a Teagasc Walsh Scholarship PhD opportunity.

The SCIP programme works closely with a cohort of dairy farmers to demonstrate a coordinated, practical and locally delivered approach to managing dairy cow lameness and promoting high standards of animal welfare. Aligned with this wider programme of work, Teagasc, in collaboration with University College Dublin, is offering a funded PhD opportunity linked to SCIP. The research will support the ongoing development and evaluation of approaches to lameness control on Irish dairy farms.

PhD application deadline: 25 February 2026
Proposed start date: May 2026

Further details on the scholarship are available at www.animalhealthireland.ie/careers/

27/01/2026

BVD Eradication is closer than ever - Let's Finish the Job!

As spring calving gets under way, Animal Health Ireland (AHI) is urging farmers and the wider agri-industry to work together to finish the job on Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD).

Thanks to the commitment of farmers over the past decade, infected breeding herds have fallen from over 11% at peak to just ~200 herds nationwide in 2025. That progress is huge - and it puts ireland within touching distance of BVD freedom.

But now, speed is critical.

AHI is encouraging immediate action through four simple but vital steps:

• Tag calves promptly at birth

• Bag the samples correctly

• Test as soon as possible

• Remove any virus positive calves immediately

Early Action protects individual herds, reduces onward spread and safeguard the wider cattle population.

Tag. Bag. Test. Remove. Let's finish the job - together!