Living with TB in England

[midhilldexters]

This is a blog from a farmer in England that just went through a positive TB test, and is awaiting another test and result any day now. WARNING there is a video, it shows his cows being shot because they tested positive for TB, it's just gut wrenching but you don't have to watch the video, there is plenty to read. It made me realize how fortunate we all are here, and the story shines a light on just how difficult it can be to farm in England, and how heartbreaking it can be.

farmerdavidbarton.wordpress.com/

Carol K

[zephyrhillsusan]

I couldn't watch the video, so thanks for the warning, but his story is heart-wrenching. Why can they shoot a cow with TB, but not the badger that infected the cow? This makes no sense whatsoever!

[legendrockranch]

What a shame, I agree "gut wrenching" for all involved. I also chose not to watch the video. Just terrible.

[midhilldexters]

Well the update on his blog is good news, he only had one cow with a positive lump, so could have been worse. Bad news is, more tests in 60 days, what a way to farm, I'd be a basket case living and farming that way, I just don't think I could do it. Hats off to those that live with it, they are stronger than I am.
Maybe Stephanie can give her point of view, I gather Wales has same stipulations and rules??

Carol K

[stephanie]

OK just noticed this...been very busy, daughter had a baby!

Yes the rules are the same all over the UK.

Part of the problem is in "labelling" it is called Bovine TB. So the UK public blame the cows - oh and the farmers!!! If it was called badger TB we might have a better chance of eradicating it!

In my area 82%of badgers have TB and a badger can easily be found 2 miles form the sett at night, slide under a barn door and pee into the grain store, so they are spreading it right into the food source some of the time.

Years ago I was delighted to see a badger. Back then there weren't so many as they were culled more and also I didn't fear for my stock and that of other farmers when I saw one, now I don't like them so much.....

I wish the UK public realised that badgers suffered horribly dying a slow lingering death themselves once they are infected with TB and that a good cull of the areas where they are infected but leaving a few pockets of badgers where they aren't infected would - firstly save thousands and thousands of badgers from a dying of TB, secondly stop them passing it on to other badgers because again....what do people think a sick badger does? It doesn't flag down a passer by and say I'm not well take me to the vet, it goes to the bottom of the sett and waits.... a very long time to die!!! Whilst its there before and after its death it infects the rest of the badgers! So thirdly - hopefully the remaining badgers would then be a healthy population. Because surely if it isn't eradicated in badgers soon and they all become infected we will eventually have no badgers and nobody wants that either.

The argument is that farmers moving cattle spreads the disease but cattle are moved to outlying UK islands that don't have badgers....there is still no TB on those islands!!!

Also the TB test is inaccurate, to the point that you often have a positive result but the cow doesn't have TB or a negative result and the cow does have TB. Well when your cow is taken and doesn't have TB....remember if she is a reactor she is just taken to kill, no more tests, no argument....and it is proven she didn't have it, you feel pretty angry about the whole shebang.

Stephanie

[zephyrhillsusan]

Congratulations on being a grandmother!

That is just too bad about the badgers and TB!

[midhilldexters]

Stephanie thanks for the reply, it really is hard to understand what you go through over there trying to raise cattle. My Mum keeps me informed on some of it, but when you don't live with it, it's hard to comprehend. I'm sure there are some horror stories, the blog I posted was heartbreaking enough though.

Many congrats on becoming a grandparent.

Carol K

[stephanie]

One of mine was taken "with TB" a few years back, she was a half sister to Petrel, I hadn't had her long and she was suckling the first calf she had here at the time. The rule was remove calf straight away and isolate the cow. To do this I had to put her in my barn. She was a cow that hated to be shut in - so much so that she had stayed out all winter with the bull. They are supposed to collect them within a couple of days but they were 3 weeks. I couldn't go and pet her for fear of carrying her disease to the others, I just dropped hay in from outside. She broke her heart all the while, mooing to come out, mooing for her calf for the whole 3 weeks, she usually stood with her nose on the door and it broke me! the tests came back clear, NO she didn't have TB.

To add insult to injury her bull calf had been born very premature we had had a scare that Bluetongue might come to our area and I had vaccinated the herd. The day I injected her, her name was Woodmagic Pigeon she was a long way off calving her udder was still flat, she calved the next morning!!! Her calf had a heart murmer, my vet said it would probably get better because it was almost certainly just because he was so early but to be on the safe side castrate this one as best not keep him for a bull!!! So I had nothing from her!!!

I am only hobby farming these days, not getting my living from it, it must be much harder if it is your livelihood but I hate TB tests. Last February I had my yearly test and in March they sent a letter to say that someone close by had gone down with TB and mine would have to be tested again!!! It is so scary because not only could my cattle catch TB BUT the test is so bl**dy useless!  I once had a test where several had IMs small lumps that required a re test. I assumed that was it several were going, it would have finished me as a Dexter owner, next test - no lumps and none ever since....first test was wrong! That was many years ago but it rattled me - a lot.

I am probably more diligent than most about biosecurity with feed and never allow my cattle next to others but as for the badgers......

An aside - My daughter asked when she was a little girl if I would be there with her if she ever had children and she hadn't changed her mind. So  fortnight ago I saw my grandson born! Wow that was something, his name is James.

Stephanie

[zephyrhillsusan]

Stephanie, "Like" can be so misleading! I don't "like" what you said about TB at all! It's truly heart-breaking reading about your poor cow mooing for her calf. What happened to her after that? And does that mean you were bottle-feeding the calf all that time or was he old enough to wean? I just don't think I could live with those tests hanging over my head--and even if yours test ok, maybe having to go through it again because of a neighbor or a false test.

I do "Like" that you got to see your grandson born! How precious that your daughter held onto that wish all those years. Our first child (our only son) is James, too.

[stephanie]

Hello Susan,

When the cow was taken she was slaughtered and samples were taken for testing from different parts of her. No TB was found in any of the samples. I was given monetary compensation but there were no suitable dun coloured Woodmagic cows left in the country to buy as a replacement, ( she was out of Woodmagic Palmchat.) The calf was reared on just grass along with the rest of the herd as he was a few months old but the cow still had loads of milk and he missed it badly. I told the vet that read the test and told me she was a reactor that I would put antibiotic tubes in her to prevent mastitis, he said not to do that. I asked why....because she will go into the food chain!!! Perfect!

Every year or so a neighbour has a TB breakdown and ours have to have an extra test, it is always scary and of course they don't like the injections, who can blame them?

Stephanie

[zephyrhillsusan]

Completely insane!!! That is so, so awful! I know it was some time ago, but I'm so very sorry. Why oh why can't they find a better way to test without slaughtering a perfectly good cow? It just doesn't make any sense! And money can't replace an irreplaceable cow, as you found out.

[midhilldexters]

A young boys Dexter tests are inconclusive for TB, but will be destroyed, along with her calf. Very sad.

www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/Child-s-anguish-bovine-TB-cattle-sent-slaughter/story-22702682-detail/story.html

[zephyrhillsusan]

That's just tragic! My heart breaks for that poor little boy, his innocent cow and her calf.