Good management is the key component of a herd health program for both cattle and elk. Livestock which is well fed, which has access to comfortable resting and shelter areas, and which lives without stress, will rarely become ill. The most significant difference in herd health management for cattle and elk is the requirement for tuberculosis testing of elk. Most states have regulations that conform to the USDA's Uniform Methods and Rules for Tuberculosis Eradication in Cervidae, and some have more stringent standards when awarding the status of accredited or certified herd. In Canada, the whole-herd test is required every three years.
Regular testing is a necessity because so few elk are slaughtered.
At the present time, there is one elk herd in the U.S. which may have TB, but it is under quarantine. Canada's farmed elk and cattle herds are both currently considered to be free of tuberculosis and brucellosis. Handling facilities and fencing requirements for elk are more substantial than those required for cattle. Elk are more athletic and excitable. The well-constructed steel facilities of a modern auction mart are not a lot different from those required for elk, but most small cattle operations can manage safely with facilities which cost one third to one half of what facilities for a small elk operation will cost.