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Case Studies and Articles Latest |
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30 Jul 2019, 3:10 PM
A dairy farmer has been fined for chaotic record keeping that may have contributed to the spread of bovine tuberculosis on his premises. read more...
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13 Aug 2014, 1:18 PM
A young lad is forced to slaughter his pet cow because of the current bovine TB policy. read more...
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29 Mar 2014, 1:56 PM
A 33 year old farmer and father of two in Shrophsire was killed by a bull as he tested cattle for bTB. He was conducting routine bTB testing on cows at Ashwood Farm in Whitchurch on 3 December 2013 when he was fatally injured by a bull read more...
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13 Dec 2013, 6:47 PM
There is such a focus on badgers that the fact that bovine TB is a cattle based problem has been set on one side. History has shown us that the incidence of TB in cattle can be brought down to a very low level by cattle based measures alone. Add to this the vaccination of badgers in hot spot areas and even their implication can be dealt with. read more...
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9 Dec 2013, 6:08 PM
Looking at some of the anti cull websites and having kept a close eye on media reports during the trial culls that have recently finished in Gloucestershire and Somerset, it would seem that if the culling is rolled out into other areas the level of opposition is not going to get less and could even worsen, meaning that policing costs alone (paid for from public funds) are going to be exorbitant. read more...
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8 Nov 2013, 6:38 PM
This article is a summary of the significant legal proceedings relating to incidents re cattle and bovine TB. read more...
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7 Nov 2013, 8:20 PM
In this well researched article by Mike Rendle he poses this question: 'Are badger infections following, not leading, bovine TB infections in cattle? ' and discovers some very interesting facts about cattle, badgers and bovine TB. read more...
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30 Oct 2013, 9:18 AM
Bovine TB - the views of a farmer based on field-based observations over many years. Peter Aspin was a herdsman, then a dairy farmer. He is now a beef farmer and also has a contract rearing dairy heifers for a local farmer. He was conventional and is now organic. He also run the Shropshire Agroforestry Project. All on 40 acres. To understand bovine TB one must first understand how significantly livestock husbandry practices have changed in recent years. I was on a dairy farm a couple of years ago - a closed herd (one that reared all its own replacement youngstock) - which had had its first bTB breakdown. Two veterinarians had arrived to do the follow-up sixty day retest. Talking to them I asked what they thought was the source of the problem. Their immediate response was that the adjacent dairy farm had purchased imported cattle the previous year, this herd had subsequently developed bTB and passed the infection either directly or via a vector to the neighbouring herd. Whether the imported cattle were themselves carriers of bTB or whether they had no immunity, I do not know and I assumed the vets did not know but the issue of cattle importation is a major concern for both farmers and vets. Ever increasing numbers of dairy cattle are being imported simply because they are cheaper if large enough numbers are purchased. I know of a herd of over two thousand dairy cows where not a single replacement animal is home-reared, every single one arrives on a lorry from mainland Europe. read more...
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15 Sep 2013, 1:54 PM
Dairy farm worker, Steve Jones, is not happy about the future of the dairy industry, or the current policy to cull badgers. The industry has many problems. Bovine tuberculosis is just one.'The cattle industry is long overdue for reform', he says. Here he sets out his comments. read more...
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Bison and Highland Cattle at Cattle Country Adventure Park |
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30 Aug 2010, 5:32 PM
Following a difficult testing session at this major tourist attraction in Berkeley, Gloucestershire, five bison and three Highland cattle will be slaughtered as reactors to the bTB skin test. The bison had to be tested because of the three Highland cattle testing positive.
The owner of the park, Tony Cullimore, has built up the animals at the Park and was forced to kill 63 animals during the last foot and mouth outbreak. The animals included American bison, African cows and British native breeds - all had to be wiped out because the Park was too close to infected farms in 2001. Now all 30 bison in the new herd have been tested and five have reacted positively to TB. "We lost everything in 2001 and though it's not as bad as that, it's tough to take," said Mr Cullimore. The infected bison are still at Cattle Country in isolation. A bison cow in good condition could be worth up to £1,500 and compensation will be paid but Mr Cullimore cannot move on breeding stock until he gets the all-clear.
Sadly, during the testing, one bison died after another knocked it down. Bison are like cattle which are not used to being handled and they find the process particularly stressful. Tony told us; "Most bison farmers in Britain are not able to test their animals and have either been closed down for movements, or are being threatened by DEFRA with having them shot. We have reasonable handling facilities, so have tried to conform, but every time we test there is an injury. This recent death is our second. When confined, the animals become extremely stressed, run into barriers and some tend to attack others. A bison farmer in Scotland has taken cortisol readings during testing and found that they have rocketed to incredibly high levels that could possibly cause long term damage to his animals. The British Bison Association is campaigning to either have bison exempted from testing altogether, or to test a small appropriate sample selection of a herd at times of the year when they are not either heavy in calf or bulling. It’s interesting to note that bison (and I believe other cattle) kept in zoos do not have to be tested at all. I’m sure the association would support vaccination – I could put it to them at our AGM in October".
Cattle Country Adventure Park is an important, innovative, fun and educational tourist attraction in Gloucestershire. Cattle are a vital part of this. The Park is located at Berkeley Heath Farm, Berkeley, Glos. GL13 9EW,tel 01453 810510 www.cattlecountry.co.uk
Bovine TB is currently affecting almost a quarter of cattle herds in Gloucestershire. Around 300 of the county's 1,250 herds are under movement restrictions.
Some of the information above was obtained from 'This is Gloucestershire'; a report by Ben Falconer, Chief Reporter www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/news/TB-bison-face-slaughter/article-2570518-detail/article.html
Case study written 1/9/10
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