Pneumonia is one of the most common causes of death in housed calves, and the losses cluster in late autumn and winter when calves are indoors, groups are mixed and the weather swings between mild and damp and hard frost. When a calf dies, calf pneumonia fallen stock collection needs to be quick, correctly documented and organised so that the collection itself does not spread disease to the rest of the shed.
Martlands is a family-run, DEFRA approved collector based in Burscough, Lancashire, licensed for Category 1, 2 and 3 animal by-products and a member of NFSCO. We provide fallen stock and ABP collection to dairy, beef and calf-rearing units across the North West, with same-day collection often available.
Calf pneumonia fallen stock collection and dealing with calf deaths
Why winter brings a rise in calf pneumonia
Bovine respiratory disease is usually a combination of stress, environment and infection. Viruses such as RSV, PI3 and IBR damage the airways, and bacteria such as Mannheimia, Pasteurella, Histophilus and Mycoplasma then move in. The trigger is often the environment rather than the bug. Sheds built for adult cattle can be poorly ventilated for calves at low level, with stale, humid air sitting where the calves lie. Mild, damp, still days are often worse than cold, dry ones. The official guidance on fallen stock and safe disposal of dead animals sets out the legal duties in full.
Mixing is the other big risk. Dairy-bred calves bought in from several farms for rearing, or calves moved into a new group after weaning, meet new pathogens at the same time as being stressed. Calves with poor colostrum intake, scour earlier in life or an underweight start are the ones most likely to die. Our wider article on calf mortality looks at losses across the rearing period.
Which category a dead calf falls into
This is where farmers are often unsure. Adult cattle carcasses are Category 1 because they contain specified risk material, with the main SRM age threshold for cattle at 12 months, and the vertebral column added at 30 months. Calves under 12 months are below that threshold, so their carcasses are generally collected as Category 2. Most calf pneumonia deaths fall into this group, and we collect them under our Category 2 ABP collection. The government also publishes detailed guidance on animal by-product categories and disposal.
Two points need care. First, if a calf is over 12 months, or if it is collected in the same load as older cattle, the load is treated as Category 1, because mixed material always takes the higher-risk category. Our Category 1 ABP collection covers those. Second, the category is confirmed on the Commercial Document at collection, so give us the age and number of animals when you book. BSE testing is not required for calves, as it applies only to fallen cattle over 48 months.
BCMS notification and passports
Every bovine death must be reported to BCMS within 7 days, and the passport returned. On a rearing unit with several deaths in a bad week, it is easy to fall behind. Record the ear tag, date of death and date of collection as soon as the calf is found, and make the notification at the same time as you book the collection. Our Commercial Document gives you the collection date and destination to match against your BCMS records.
When to involve your vet and APHA
A single pneumonia death in a group that has been coughing and treated may be explained. A run of deaths, sudden losses without signs, or calves that fail to respond to treatment should be investigated. Talk to your vet before the carcass is collected. Post-mortem examination through your vet or APHA can identify the pathogens involved, which in turn guides vaccination, treatment and changes to housing. That investigation has to be arranged before collection, not after.
If there is any suspicion of notifiable disease, report it to APHA immediately and do not move the carcass until you are told it is safe to do so.
Biosecurity at the point of collection
Pneumonia pathogens spread through the air, on hands and boots, and on equipment. A dead calf left in a pen exposes its group mates, and a collection vehicle driven up to the calf shed door can carry infection between farms. Move dead calves as soon as possible to a covered holding point away from livestock buildings, ideally on hard standing near the farm entrance where the vehicle can load without entering the yard. Clean and disinfect anything used to move the carcass, and wash down the pen.
We use leak-proof equipment and keep collection away from livestock areas wherever access allows. Our farm and fallen stock collection service is built around prompt removal, and farmers have a duty of care to arrange collection promptly, ideally within 24 hours of discovery.
Records for Red Tractor and your herd health plan
Red Tractor assessors will check that fallen stock is removed by a licensed collector and that records are kept. Keep every Commercial Document and Waste Transfer Note with your medicine records and herd health plan. Recording calf deaths by age, group and cause also gives your vet the evidence to spot a pattern, such as losses always following a group move, or concentrated in one shed. That information is often more valuable than any single post-mortem.
Calf pneumonia fallen stock collection across the North West
We collect dead calves from dairy farms, suckler herds and dedicated rearing units throughout Lancashire, Merseyside, Greater Manchester, Cumbria, North Wales and Cheshire, where our Cheshire fallen stock collection serves one of the densest dairy areas in the country. For a broader view of cattle losses, our guide to fallen stock collection for beef and cattle farmers covers adult cattle, BSE sampling and the wider rules. Bookings are managed through the KoLeCt system so each collection is logged.
To arrange calf pneumonia fallen stock collection, call Martlands on 01704 776977 or use our contact us page. Reporting a loss early gives us the best chance of collecting on the same day.
