A pretty dire week

We've had a pretty dire week. On 'standard' interpretation, our TB test would have thrown up 4 inconclusives, all of which would have had another chance to prove their  immune systems had fought off exposure to TB bacteria.

But on severe interpretation, three animals are likely to get the chop, and another seven are stoked up to IR level. Of the three which become 'reactors', one calved a month ago, another on the day of the test and one is due next week.

So it looks like I shall be bucket feeding some orphans for a while, as their mums disappear into the maw of Defra's killing machine.

Defra's appetite for swallowing sentinel tested cattle, shows no sign of slowing down either, with AHOs snowed under with herd restrictions and slaughter notices. They tell me that regulations and reinterpretations are coming thick and fast from head office. And none of them good.

I have spoken of the confusion over what is an overdue test rather than overdue data transfer. But it appears that Defra see no difference and are intent on using the SFP lever.

And on herds who have not booked a test then there is a chance that AHO will come and do it - and then send a bill to the farmer. As AHO staff have been severely reduced and for those that are left, the workload has doubled, that could involve a long wait too.

We coped with testing the new mums and their calves safely anyway, but that care came at a price. A long, noisy four hours, doing small batches at a time.

Meanwhile the cows continue to calve, with twins born two days ago; two more cows have calved as I scribble this. Over the next two months we expect another 40 calves.

And then we have to test all over again.