Animal healthcare

The Dutch government has laid down the requirements for the keeping of beef cattle in the Animal Health and Welfare Act. The act is the basis for keeping animals healthily and combating transmissible animal diseases. The requirements apply to animal hygiene, health, safety, welfare, environment and transport.

Veterinary surgeons
Veterinary surgeons that oversee beef cattle farmers are certified according to the code of Veterinary Good Practice (GVP). They are approved as a result of extensive checking by the independent certifying organisation, Certiked. These checks are repeated annually thereafter.
If necessary, veterinary surgeons can call on the experts at the Animal Health Department and one of the institutes in the veterinary medicine facility at the University of Utrecht.
Veterinary surgeons and beef cattle farmers record the examinations and/or treatments performed at the farm. This means that the entire medical history of each animal will be known.

Protection against introduction of pathogens
The government has taken extensive measures to ensure the prevention of animal diseases in beef cattle. Beef cattle farmers and suppliers, clients and hauliers of beef cattle are all involved in this. These requirements have been stipulated among others in respect of the transportation and bringing together of animals and in respect of hygiene, cleaning and disinfection. Also laid down is how beef cattle farmers must handle visitors as part of the prevention of introduction of disease.