The words of a Welsh farmer who in 1973 bought 18 foundation cows to start his dairy herd.
Since then he has purchased - nothing. All his cattle are bred from those original cattle. But he is now experiencing the misery of a Tb breakdown, about which he can do absolutely nothing.
We know the feeling.
Full story: http://www.farmersguardian.com/story.asp?sectioncode=1&storycode=1597
3 comments:
I run a CLOSED herd of 150 Pedigree Holstein Freisians in West Wales. I lost one cow with TB on February 1st. DEFRA subsequently wanted to take five more IR's under the severe interpretation rule all the way to an abattoir in Gloucester. In order to prevent the unnecessary journey I had to witness them being shot on the yard in front of me. One of them was a fresh calved heifer and the other four were within three months of calving. One of them classified VG, two GPs and a lovely strong uncalved heifer out of a VG dam with a VG 2nd calf sister. Two of them were over eight years old - and beautiful animals. Not a blind quarter / high cell count / lame foot / kicker or barren amongst them and when they cut 'em up - not a trace of TB either.
No animals in, no off farm grazing, no contact with neighbouring stock... we all know where this disease comes from.
Thanks for that Andrew.
Concern for animals can be very selective I think.
Three of the farmers who run this site have wept buckets over seeing superb cattle, some heavily in calf, loaded up to be shot. Our Derbyshire contributer has organic Angus cattle, Friesians and Dexters come from a Staffordshire herd and we, like you had pedigree holsteins. What I don't think any of us have had to witness was their actual death.
You have our sympathy.
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