Bluetongue near Canterbury

[Kentishfarmer]

More the case of using BT as a way by the Gov to pull food prices down just before an election!

Not that i am cynical but using Norfolk etc as a test run and they clearly seem keen to keep the restrictions in untill this spring regardless of the damage they are doing to farming businesses !

How is it going to pull food prices down?

I thought they had already extended the Norfolk zone recently after they had animals test Positive that were grazing further inland during the summer/autumn

 

[Cheesehead]

How is it going to pull food prices down?

I thought they had already extended the Norfolk zone recently after they had animals test Positive that were grazing further inland during the summer/autumn

I know the last time was complicated due to FMD restrictions overlapping that it meant we had for a long time 1 abattoir we could go to where for lambs we had been getting £75-£85 we were getting £20 -£30 and being charged not only £5 at the site to wash out but was also being charged £5 through the market we booked through.

Admittedly due to the restrictions and the contracts the supermarkets had with their suppliers who were now struggling to get the stock it caused a rise in costs at the supermarkets. I am guessing that it was the first instance they were meaning

 

[Frank-the-Wool]

How is it going to pull food prices down?

I thought they had already extended the Norfolk zone recently after they had animals test Positive that were grazing further inland during the summer/autumn

Those in the TCZ's are being hammered as they can only send deadweight and to a limited number of abattoirs who are discounting animals from farms in the zones.
What they (APHA) don't seem to have worked out is that the Midges that have caused these animals to have been exposed to the Bluetongue virus arrived here between mid September and mid October.
Now that is the peak time when livestock are sold or moved from one grazing area to another in their thousands.

There will be many animals that would test positive in all parts of the country, but that would be shutting the Stable door after the Horse has bolted if they extend the areas.

They have apparently stopped killing animals that have tested positive, instead have told farmers to isolate these and treat them with a Permethrin based chemical. The experts on Midges will tell you that this is ineffective as the Midges come up off the ground and bite the animals on the bare areas underneath.

They are also telling people to spray Permethrin in trailers/lorries when they send them to kill. If you did that the animals would be rejected as I believe there is a longish withdrawal period before slaughter.
The ineptitude of APHA couldn't be greater in destroying farmers livelihoods!!

A local farmer, not in the TCZ bought a cow out of the market last year which came from a farm that later had an animal that tested positive. The cow he bought calved but had complications and subsequently died. They came and tested the calf and it was not positive but because they couldn't now test the cow (it would have also been clear!) they have shut him down so he cannot move anything except to slaughter.
Total madness the whole business.

 

[JP1]

Called the APHA today and spoke with a regional vet. Wanted to check if it was worth me delaying my own vet annual health scheme bloods if this wider controlled zone is coming. It's not - with the usual caveat that things can change

Opinion is that midges require a susained period below 5 degrees to render them inactive

 

[delilah]

Text last night said that the restrictions are being relaxed, have just found this link and it says movements now allowed out of the zone so long as pre-movement testing takes place. Surely every animal in the zone has had this pre-movement test ?

https://ruminanthw.org.uk/bluetongue-virus/

 

[Frank-the-Wool]

Called the APHA today and spoke with a regional vet. Wanted to check if it was worth me delaying my own vet annual health scheme bloods if this wider controlled zone is coming. It's not - with the usual caveat that things can change

Opinion is that midges require a susained period below 5 degrees to render them inactive

While it is true that Midges will not be active below 5'C this is not relevant to the disease.

A Midge has to bite a Viraemic animal and the temperature has to be above 15'C continuously for the disease to replicate in the Midge, then Midge then has to go and find a naive animal to infect and the temperature has to be high enough for the Midge to need a blood meal so it can then go and lay eggs. The temperature has to be above 13'C and normally higher.
The virus does NOT pass on through the eggs.

They still have not found an animal with the virus.
They are no longer slaughtering animals if they test positive, but telling farmers to isolate and treat with pour ons (these don't work!).

What about all the animals that were moved between mid September and mid October out of the TCZ areas?

This whole affair has been handled very badly.

 

[spin cycle]

While it is true that Midges will not be active below 5'C this is not relevant to the disease.

A Midge has to bite a Viraemic animal and the temperature has to be above 15'C continuously for the disease to replicate in the Midge, then Midge then has to go and find a naive animal to infect and the temperature has to be high enough for the Midge to need a blood meal so it can then go and lay eggs. The temperature has to be above 13'C and normally higher.
The virus does NOT pass on through the eggs.

They still have not found an animal with the virus.
They are no longer slaughtering animals if they test positive, but telling farmers to isolate and treat with pour ons (these don't work!).

What about all the animals that were moved between mid September and mid October out of the TCZ areas?

This whole affair has been handled very badly.

I think the truth is there was never much that they could do BUT they won't admit such and run round pretending they can

twas the same with avian flu...driving around putting up signs didn't stop spread

 

[JP1]

While it is true that Midges will not be active below 5'C this is not relevant to the disease.

A Midge has to bite a Viraemic animal and the temperature has to be above 15'C continuously for the disease to replicate in the Midge, then Midge then has to go and find a naive animal to infect and the temperature has to be high enough for the Midge to need a blood meal so it can then go and lay eggs. The temperature has to be above 13'C and normally higher.
The virus does NOT pass on through the eggs.

They still have not found an animal with the virus.
They are no longer slaughtering animals if they test positive, but telling farmers to isolate and treat with pour ons (these don't work!).

What about all the animals that were moved between mid September and mid October out of the TCZ areas?

This whole affair has been handled very badly.

Makes me wonder just how long this has been going undetected

 

[Kentishfarmer]

From what I understand of the new rules you can move animals out of the control zone now, but you still need your movement approved and this will only be done if pre movement testing is passed?
So there's still a lot of restrictions in place. Has anyone tried to apply to for a movement licence under the new rules? Imagine it will be to slow for market on Monday, could we see Ashford very full on the 13th as everyone gets what they can sold before they change the rules again?

 

[Frank-the-Wool]

Makes me wonder just how long this has been going undetected

The Midges from Holland and Belgium only arrived between mid September and mid October. There will be a Meteorologist who specialises in this who will be able to tell you the exact days.
The level of virus and the frighteningly rapid spread in those countries made it obvious that any East wind would send the midges across to us. They can apparently travel up to 200 kms on the wind if conditions are favourable for them.
It was fortunate that it was late enough and the temperature remained below the threshold for the disease to replicate that the virus didn't circulate.

From what I understand of the new rules you can move animals out of the control zone now, but you still need your movement approved and this will only be done if pre movement testing is passed?
So there's still a lot of restrictions in place. Has anyone tried to apply to for a movement licence under the new rules? Imagine it will be to slow for market on Monday, could we see Ashford very full on the 13th as everyone gets what they can sold before they change the rules again?

Yes that is what appears to be the case and it is not clear if the APHA testing is accepted as a pre movement test. Up until now it hasn't been and farmers have to pay for their own test, even to slaughter.
APHA are in such a muddle I doubt they will allow animals to go through the market and won't issue any licences, even though the risk is zero.

 

[Kentishfarmer]

Anyone else get a letter today stating restrictions will be lifted for most in the zone from Monday?!
Looks like you'll still be under restriction if you have any animals that haven't been tested or any positive animals that haven't been culled though

 

[delilah]

Bit cheeky putting this here, but as it's a thread being followed by folks in the zone call it targeted marketing.....

In-lamb ewes for sale, dozen or so, scanned for singles start lambing 17 March. Dorset/ Manx Loaghtan/Portland. Priced to sell. Please pm. Thanks .

 

[dickspanner]

I see in the latest update they have found cases in four counties now.
Anyone know where as only mentions Kent , Norfolk and Suffolk.

 

[Frank-the-Wool]

I see in the latest update they have found cases in four counties now.
Anyone know where as only mentions Kent , Norfolk and Suffolk.

First of al they have not actually found any disease, just animals that were exposed to infected Midges between mid September and mid October last year.
It would be very surprising if similar animals were not found across any area of the country where animals went from the eastern region.

Last week a sheep was found in East Anglia which had been bought out of Ashford market in October. The farm it came from was within the TCZ and had been already tested and was clear. The last I heard was that they were going to test the farm again.
You couldn't make up the illogicality of these so called experts.

 

[andybk]

sorry if already posted , article from november

https://www.science.org/content/article/potent-strain-bluetongue-virus-spreading-northern-europe-threatening-sheep-and-cattle