WHAT IS CHeCS ?
Cattle Health Certification Standards abbreviated CHeCS (pronounced ‘checks’) is the self-regulatory body for cattle health schemes in the UK and Ireland. It is a non-trading organisation established by the cattle industry for the control and eradication of non-statutory diseases by a set of standards to which all licensed cattle health schemes must adhere.
These standards ensure that herd health status on one scheme is equivalent to that of all other schemes in the UK and Ireland. Close collaboration by CHeCS with other countries ensures that the CHeCS licensed cattle health schemes are as good as any in the world.
It is owned by:
British Cattle Veterinary Association
National Cattle Association (Dairy)
National Beef Association
Holstein UK
CHeCS received start up funding from the Milk Development Council (DairyCo) and the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers (RABDF)
To ensure CHeCS is operating to best practice and takes into account the latest available science a technical group, comprising representatives from the CHeCS licensed cattle health schemes plus a number of recognised international experts on the diseases of interest, meet to review the Technical Document. This CHeCS Technical Document sets out the rules to which CHeCS licensed cattle health schemes and their member herds must adhere in order to meet the CHeCS standards. The rules have been agreed and found to be acceptable to the cattle industry.
CHeCS itself is not a cattle health scheme. It is the regulatory body for cattle health schemes. CHeCS is a stamp of approval and a quality mark signifying confirming to an industry standard.
