Cattle Health Declaration — when you need one, and how to fill it in

What a CHD is (and isn't)

The National Cattle Health Declaration (CHD) is a one-page biosecurity statement, maintained by Animal Health Australia and published through Farm Biosecurity, that lets a buyer assess the disease history of the herd they're buying from. It's a separate document from the NVD:

• The NVD is mandatory under LPA, covers food safety and treatment status, and travels with every consignment.
• The CHD is voluntary, covers the herd's disease and vaccination status, and travels alongside the NVD when the buyer asks for one (or you choose to provide one).

"Voluntary" is doing a lot of work in that sentence. Stud buyers, AuctionsPlus listings, interstate purchasers and bigger commercial operations all expect a current CHD. Showing up without one signals one of two things — either there's something to hide, or the vendor isn't running a tight biosecurity program. Both cost money at the gate.

When you'll be asked for one

• Stud and seedstock sales. Effectively required for any breeder-bull or replacement-female sale.
• AuctionsPlus & online auctions. The platform typically asks for a CHD as part of the listing.
• Interstate movements. Buyers in states with stricter biosecurity programs commonly ask, particularly for BJD status.
• Restocker & agistment cattle. Anyone bringing animals onto their property to mix with their existing herd should be asking for one.
• Feedlot inductions. Many feedlots include the CHD in their consignment paperwork.
• EU and premium market chains. The CHD often forms part of the supplier-vendor declaration.

The reverse is just as important — when YOU are the buyer, request a CHD before the cattle leave the seller's property. If they refuse or can't provide one, that's a data point about what you're about to introduce.

What the CHD covers

The current National Cattle Health Declaration form (Animal Health Australia, 2022 version at time of writing) asks about:

• Bovine Johne's Disease (BJD). Whether the herd has had clinical Johne's, the J-BAS score, whether it's tested, and the herd's source history.
• Pestivirus / BVDV. Whether the herd has been tested, vaccinated, and whether persistent-infected (PI) animals have been identified and culled.
• Enzootic Bovine Leukosis (EBL). Australia is officially free, but the question is still asked for international assurance.
• Vibriosis / Campylobacter fetus. Bull vaccination program.
• Leptospirosis. Vaccination status (typically 7-in-1).
• Neosporosis. Known herd status.
• Tick fever. Relevant for northern herds, particularly cattle moving south of the tick line.
• Property of origin and time on-property. So the buyer can interpret the answers above against herd-introduction history.
• Vendor signature and PIC. The declaration carries your name against every answer.

How to complete one

1. Download the current form. Get the latest from farmbiosecurity.com.au — don't reuse an old copy, the questions are revised periodically. The current version (2022) is a fillable PDF.
2. Have your records to hand. Last vaccination dates (7-in-1, pestivirus, vibrio, botulism, tick fever where relevant), bull testing results, any BJD testing, the herd's introduction history.
3. Answer honestly — "unknown" is a valid answer. A false declaration is far worse than a "we haven't tested" — false statements can void sales and trigger investigation. If you don't know, say so.
4. Be specific about dates. "Last vaccinated September 2025" is useful; "vaccinated annually" isn't.
5. Sign and date it. Add your PIC and contact details. The declaration is dated — the buyer needs to know how current it is.
6. Attach it to the consignment. Travel with the NVD. Most platforms (AuctionsPlus, eNVD) let you attach a CHD PDF to the consignment record.

Common mistakes

• "We've always done it" — without records. If the buyer asks for proof, "annual 7-in-1" without dates doesn't hold up. Keep a treatment log per mob.
• Stale form. An older form may miss questions a buyer expects answered (J-BAS is the obvious one).
• Answering for the consignment, not the herd. The CHD asks about the source herd's history, not just the animals on the truck. Bull testing matters even if the bulls aren't being sold.
• One CHD for everyone, forever. The declaration is point-in-time. After a major vaccination round, an introduction, or a new test, the answers change — re-issue it.

How the CHD fits with LPA and NVD

Your LPA program already requires you to keep a biosecurity plan. The CHD is the outward-facing version of what that plan covers — when a buyer asks "how do you keep your herd clean?", the CHD is the short answer. Keeping the records that back the CHD is the same work as keeping the records LPA expects. One feeds the other.

The eNVD platform lets you attach a CHD PDF to the consignment record, so the buyer pulls them together — one less piece of paper to chase.

Where Tagline fits

Tagline keeps your vaccination dates, treatment log, bull-testing records, introductions and BJD history attached to the line — so the CHD writes itself from what's already on file. When the next sale needs a current declaration, the answers are already there. The form stays Animal Health Australia's; the truth behind each answer is yours, on the line.

The NVD says "safe to eat." The CHD says "safe to bring home." Buyers care about both.

Further reading

Authoritative sources to consult before relying on anything in this guide:

• Animal Health Australia — Cattle Health Declaration — The authoritative source for the current CHD form, disease list and producer guidance.
• Farm Biosecurity — The industry-funded biosecurity hub — practical planning resources and template plans.
• Integrity Systems Company — Cattle Health Declaration — How CHD interacts with the NVD and LPA accreditation.
• J-BAS scoring — The Johne Beef Assurance Score scheme referenced in the CHD biosecurity section.

General information for Australian producers, not formal veterinary or biosecurity advice. Always use the current form version from Animal Health Australia / Farm Biosecurity, and check disease-status definitions (J-BAS scoring, BVDV testing protocols) with your vet or state biosecurity service before declaring.