May 2009 Archives

Much is made of the figure labelled 'overdue tests' on Defra's TB statistics, the implication being that farmers are refusing to test animals on time. 

Last year, our test was done, but veterinary paperwork coincided with a weekend and was not logged into the AHO computer until the following week. So although the jabs were done on time, the data transfer was not and we were flagged as 'an overdue test'.

In our current breakdown, our next 60 day test was booked as early as our vet could do it, but it will be well over 70 days, not the regulation 60. So how are Defra going to square such delays - which are totally outside farmers' control, with their suggested SFP cross compliance breach penalties?

Particularly as the cattle slaughter figures for the beginning of 2009, exceed last year by about 20% and herds under restriction by 23%. The whole system is creaking now, but at this rate of increase it will be even more stretched.

And we have just blown an even bigger hole in it..

Our January test showed two reactors, which unfortunately had lesions. That meant Defra's killing machine rolled back their interpretation of the test to 'severe', and in February they took four more young, heavily in calf, suckler cows.

After the post mortems, the local AHO telephoned with the message 'we didn't find anything in them'.

Yes they did. Unborn calves, due round about now.

This is a waste of two lives, not one. So when another young cow was identified as a reactor at the next test, we elected to isolate and calve her in. If reactor cattle are within four weeks of calving, they cannot be transported to slaughter.

Defra would have 'knackered' her on farm, which is something no cattle farmer should have to witness. It's one thing shooting a sick cow but quite another to shoot a healthy animal, close to calving. So on this occasion AHO will not be able to comply with Defra's killing charter which is to remove reactor cattle 'within 12 days' of the test..

This heifer will have her calf: and then Defra will slaughter her.

My name is Pat Bird, and with my husband Ken, we run a 150-head beef herd in North Cornwall that has been blighted with TB since 2001.

We moved the family dairy herd to North Cornwall in 1985 to an area which had been pretty clear of TB since the 1950s. At a meeting at VLA's Weybridge headquarters to discuss bTB in 1996, I was told 'keep a closed herd' and you'll be fine. That is misleading and wrong. In a note dated 2005 BCMS state our herd had 'No bought in cattle' on their database. In 2005, we were four years and 37 dead cattle into a five-year TB breakdown.

I wave that paper regularly under the noses of politicians, together with documentation of the strain of TB, confirmed in 2003 in just three young home-bred cattle. The strain of TB found in 3 of the badgers caught here during just two 8 night hit-and-run visits of the Badger Dispersal Trial   - otherwise known as the RBCT - is an exact match.

That breakdown only ended when the trappers caught at least two skanky disease ridden badgers. We sold the dairy herd and restocked with Angus x calves from one farm, and some pedigree Angus and Bazadaise females with calves at foot. All were preMT. Most have needed  'trace' tests.

Now other bolt-ons have appeared on Defra's  'don't do' list which is supposed to keep herds free of TB. We don't share boundaries, equipment, access or grazing, but we share badgers. Currently three nearby farms have breakdowns and we are again snarled up in movement restrictions after two reactors in January. 

Thirty stores, which should have gone this spring, are grazing on fields which should be feeding cows and their new calves. Others are still housed. We have a surplus of livestock but a deficit of cash flow.

The March test revealed one more reactor, and we test again early June.

That will be almost 40 tests in 8 years - which have achieved just what exactly?

I call it 'shooting the messenger'.