‘Fluffy’ Countryfile is only for townies, say angry farmers - Times

[Pasty]

Thought the shorthorn bit was good this week. Made me want to get involved. Also the deer bit. New markets / options for farmers? Nothing wrong with a programme that opens our eyes to possibilities even if the rest of it is entirely townie oriented. I think the editorial team are trying to strike the right balance and it's maybe wrong to hammer them for not getting it as we would like. There are lots of other shows like food fight and all the Jimmy / Jamie stuff which gives a deeper look into food production so it is out there.

I think Countryfile could be a little more realistic though. Like 'I've just put up a chicken net and now my best trousers are covered in sheep sh!t, my torch is for some reason covered in sheep sh!t, the chickens are covered in sheep sh!t and I've got a council meeting tonight'. Etc.

 

[Mdt]

Not the next one but the one after its in Yorkshire and were at jsr farms filming etc. It might be the only episode of country file I have watched for a long long time.

 

[John 1594]

tonights episode.....how to paint a horse...literally!!!

 

[Bullring]

tonights episode.....how to paint a horse...literally!!!

An all about wild cattle on an estate that don't need eartags and passports as they never move anywhere, proberbly get away with not TB testing and rpa inspections as well.

 

[farmerste]

An all about wild cattle on an estate that don't need eartags and passports as they never move anywhere, proberbly get away with not TB testing and rpa inspections as well.

thought every animal had to be tagged and pasported, how do they get away without doing it?

 

[Simon Chiles]

Probably the most important bit on this weeks episode was the rural crime survey, needs everyone to fill it in so that they can see how much is really going on that is often not reported. Didn't realise how bad it had got around here until I filled in the survey and had to put in 3 crimes that have occurred in this month!!

 

[michael N123]

thought every animal had to be tagged and pasported, how do they get away without doing it?

There not for food chain basically wild animals sortof

 

[michael N123]

An all about wild cattle on an estate that don't need eartags and passports as they never move anywhere, proberbly get away with not TB testing and rpa inspections as well.

They looked abit pointless i dont get how that place is funded paying staff and stuff if there not farmed or for the foodchain

 

[Cowcalf]

thought every animal had to be tagged and pasported, how do they get away without doing it?

not for human consumption

 

[Cowcalf]

They looked abit pointless i dont get how that place is funded paying staff and stuff if there not farmed or for the foodchain

maintaining an important gene pool

 

[chaffcutter]

Can't be cheap looking after the wild herd presumably at a cost to the Chillingham Estate, surprised that they don't take out some of the bulls at least as they are really nasty and fight a lot.

 

[michael N123]

Will they not all be inbred

 

[Pan mixer]

was that you on there tonight @S J H ?

 

[Devil's advocate]

Will they not all be inbred

Yes, As I understand it, inbreeding is only harmful if you have poor genes in the population. With continous inbreeding for hundreds of genes all the dangerous recessive genes will be eliminated.

 

[Devil's advocate]

Actually I think we are very well served with programmes on agriculture, but not countryfile.

I was thinking the various programmes Jimmy Dockertity has presented, many travel shows & cookery shows have clips about agriculture. The food network channel on Freeview is currently airing an excellent show from Australlia on weekday nights at 8pm.

Only vets, doctors & police get more media coverage.

 

[Pasty]

Yes, As I understand it, inbreeding is only harmful if you have poor genes in the population. With continous inbreeding for hundreds of genes all the dangerous recessive genes will be eliminated.

Depends on the species. Any wild flock / herd will have an element of inbreeding. Poultry genetics in particular make in/line breeding sometimes desirable. It's not the same as humans in terms of what is passed on.

 

[Brisel]

In breeding in cattle hasn't worked out well here. Undershot jaws and higher mortality rates when the bull had run with the heifer calves longer than he should have.

 

[glasshouse]

Can't be cheap looking after the wild herd presumably at a cost to the Chillingham Estate, surprised that they don't take out some of the bulls at least as they are really nasty and fight a lot.

Chillingham estate dont own them any more. Visited there 2yrs ago, its been hived off.
If they can escape passports, so should we.

 

[Pasty]

I don't think inbreeding works with cattle / sheep. Line breeding probably not either. Poultry and rabbits have a different way of sending genes to their offspring as far as I know. Makes your brain hurt when you try to read up on it.

 

[Surgery]

Only watched the last part about the un tagged cattle so missed most of why they were not tagged , why don't they need tb testing as I presume they are in a four year zone ? It seems as it's a wild heard they don't need to do anything , bet they dig a hole for them.

Mind you it would have been nice to see Henson running away from one of the bulls eventually being filmed with a horn up his arse up over a hedge.

I bet most of us thought the stock women was worth bulling