October 2026 – Before They Come In: Prep Your Sheds and Cattle for Housing

From cleaning sheds and checking ventilation to reviewing vaccination plans and managing parasite risks, good preparation can help prevent disease, protect animal performance and reduce avoidable problems later in the year.

That’s why Animal Health Ireland (AHI), together with the Biosecurity Technical Working Group, are rolling out “Before They Come In”, a two-week pre-housing biosecurity campaign aimed at both beef and dairy farmers. The campaign focuses on two key areas: preparing your sheds and preparing your animals.

A clean shed is a good start, but is it ready to protect animal health?

Dirty sheds can harbour infectious organisms that put cattle at risk once they’re housed. Taking the time to prepare sheds properly can help reduce disease risks throughout the housing period.

Before cattle come indoors:

• Clean and disinfect thoroughly. Remove dung and organic material before disinfecting to reduce disease challenge. Cryptosporidium can remain in your sheds for months and therefore requires specialist products and procedures to kill it.
• Prepare calf and calving areas. Young calves are particularly vulnerable to infection, so thoroughly clean calf pens, calving pens, hospital areas and equipment.
• Check ventilation and stocking levels. Good airflow and adequate space for each animal helps reduce standing water, stress and the risk of disease spreading.
• Check drainage and bedding. Fix drainage problems and provide clean, dry bedding to reduce infections, including navel-ill in calves.
• Check lighting. Replace faulty lights to help identify sick animals or signs of abortion early and improve safety.
• Inspect and repair housing facilities. Damaged slats, cubicles and feeding gates can cause injuries to both cattle and handlers.
• Check water supplies. Clean drinkers, check water flow and protect pipes from frost to ensure reliable access to clean water.
• Look for signs of rodents. Rodents can spread infections, including leptospirosis, to cattle and people. Check sheds and feed stores and take appropriate action.

Are your cattle as ready for housing as your sheds?

Preparing cattle before housing can help reduce disease risks, protect performance and avoid preventable problems over the winter.

Before housing:

• Review vaccination plans. Discuss requirements with your vet and complete vaccination courses on time to provide the best possible protection.
• Assess parasite risks. Parasites can reduce growth and affect immunity. Review treatment needs with your vet to ensure appropriate control measures.
• Plan animal grouping. Avoid unnecessary mixing of cattle from different age groups or sources to reduce stress and disease transmission.
• Prepare isolation facilities. Have suitable pens ready for sick or aborting animals, as well as bought-in or returning cattle.
• Plan ahead for purchased cattle. Consider testing, vaccination, parasite treatment, hoof-health checks and isolation before introducing new animals.
• Check body condition and herd health. Assess cattle before housing and discuss feeding requirements and herd-specific health risks with your vet.

In an image Good biosecurity starts before housing. Check. Prepare. Protect.