importing disease again

The DEFRA site now reports that 18 cattle imported into County Durham have tested POSITIVE for BLUETONGUE.

This has been allowed to happen before vaccination has taken place throughout the area and immunity built up in the North Eastern livestock.

Is there no common sense anywhere? In the farmers who should know better than to jeopardize this nation’s livestock or DEFRA for allowing importation into an area that was only allowed to vaccinate 10 days ago? It takes time for immunity to build up and cattle need two doses 21 – 28 days apart before this immunity begins to build [depending which vaccine is used].

I still believe that we are an Island and special care should be taken over importation.

Surely there is no single farming business so financially reliant on importing stock from a BT ridden zones that it is worth the risks to the entire industry?

I have said it before, this is a bluetongue mess, and complacency must not win. We have to unite, to vaccinate and not import from disease ridden areas.

Everyone has collective responsibility from the stakeholders, DEFRA, and each individual livestock farmer. Our livestock depend on us making the right decisions to keep them healthy and this includes not taking unnecessary risks such as importing without thinking through the consequences of such acts and the relevant policies.

NB: Bluetongue only affects livestock and does not affect people.

Added 9.20pm 11 Sept 08

For important information regarding import testing please read this ProMed commentary. More information can also be found at Warmwell.

 

which higher power?

Grey and wet yesterday, and today we woke to a nondescript morning, is there any other type of weather?

 Nevertheless we do feel very lucky compared to many others in parts of the country especially the NE and the West. To date we have had 19 inches of rain already this year [average is 22 inches], and already in September we have had over 1.5 ins [40 mm] , and over 3 inches [80mm] in August.

This afternoon is much brighter and drier although the wheat still tests at a depressing 24% moisture, which would normally be too wet for Jethro to cope with. However he has come up with a cunning plan involving the hire of space heaters and all manner of inventions in order to try to keep moving forward and dry the grains. The combine is presently , as I update this, moving forward, and we just hope it doesn’t get stuck.

The ploughing has restarted over the last few days and has been going quite well; it is what to do next that is Jethro’s current problem. The beans are too soft to harvest and the ground is too wet. These clay soils are the very worst in these sort of damp ongoing conditions and the quandary is not knowing whether it will continue to be wet or might we get a dry spell, and if so for how long?

Despite modern 21^st Century agriculture having the most up to date equipment and technology when nature intervenes [or is it determined by a Higher Power?] there is nothing to be done except revert to old farming principles and make it up as best as you can as you go along. Just wait and see, there will be many fewer yellow fields next year as the oil seed rape cannot be easily sown this year.

It appears not just to be nature [or even a Higher Power] that is making decisions, farmers are ruled by the European Commission rules on almost everything. This article shows how very ludicrous it all is… allowing it is one thing but whether the wheels will be able to turn is another matter altogether.

Once upon a time farming was simpler, now I am not at all sure that the huge workload combined with the weather, the effort, and dealing with the POLITICS of it all makes it worthwhile. Perhaps I am just feeling my great age.

Later edit: 7.30pm The combine is now trying to open up a path through the bean field next to the wheat, as the wheat field is now too sticky to turn in.

Jethro says it will take 1 million BTU’s of heat to dry this wheat cut at 24% moisture…. what ever will the cost of that be?

tagged

Yesterday, Jethro double tagged the ewe lambs. Their first ear tag was put in at lambing time to uniquely identify them, and today we put in a second tag with the breed society requirements so that we can register these pedigree sheep. Any ewe lambs which lose their unique identity tag before the second tag goes in are sold as prime lamb for meat. With pedigree sheep we have to know exactly how every sheep is bred in order to ensure that in-breeding does not occur. We have full traceability and total transparency – the farm database records the full pedigree of every animal as well as all the activities, treatments and movements from birth to slaughter of all the cattle and sheep and we are looking at getting a similar package for the pigs, as their records are still paper based.

All the ewes will be sorted through too. Their teeth, udders, feet and general condition are thoroughly checked and any sheep not fit to be kept for breeding will be moved on to fresh grazing to be fattened up for slaughter later in the year.

The rams and ram lambs will also have a second thorough check, the first one was done in early August. The ram lambs are generally left to their second year before any final decisions are made as to their suitability as sires however we have marked a couple to go already. Unfortunately the biggest ram lamb born this year, with outstanding  body conformation has very wonky front legs that are not straight at all, it would be totally irresponsible to breed from him so he has a large red cross sprayed on his head and will be sold with the cull ewes when the time comes. Another couple of rams – one a shearling [born last year] is just not good enoughto use and another older one has very troublesome horns which leads to huge fly problems so both these will also be sold with the culls.