Cattle stranded on ship in Spain must be destroyed, say vets

[egbert]

Apparently Yes, as a farmer in your neighbouring county proved a few years ago.

BBC NEWS | Politics | Criticism over farm subsidy con

news.bbc.co.uk

was just thinking of the very same episode....you gotta love the mans gumption!

 

[egbert]

Difference between a live export ship and a finishing shed?

I've got no issue with it until it goes wrong -as it clearly has here.
Whether you could say it's more likely to go wrong than other methods of livestock husbandry is another matter I suppose.


I am reminded of a trip my late mum took once though.
She was tending some osses, and 2-3 pedigree bulls, as deck cargo- in loose boxes-, on a freighter for South Africa.
It was difficult enough already, until one of the bulls died en route.....over the side with him....shark bait.
(I should say my mum was a very difficult character at several levels, but an outstanding stockperson. the bull didn't die for lack of care)

On another job, in about 80-82, I was drivers mate up to Clyde bank, with a pedigree Char bull also bound for SA.
We stopped at a lairage for a day or two, and met up with the lad who was accompanying the bull.
All good.
Down onto the dockside, where the ship was moored.
With dozens of Glaswegian dockers looking on, a wooden crate was produced to load the bull. Which was fine, except that 3' (his entire hind quarters) stuck out the back of the crate.
The crowd grew, leaning in to prod the flanks of a very patient bull, as heads were scratched.
Ah ha! The answer was to lower the loosebox off the ship, and reload it with the bull on board.
So an enormous crane swung round, lowered the loosebox, and big Charlie led in happy enough.
(happy to be away from 728 weedgies who were beginning to plan steak suppers i always reckoned)

Up and away he and the loosebox went.....and as the bottom of the loosebox went past eye level, we were greeted with the arresting spectacle of the floor bowing down to the extent we could all clearly see the bottom 1/3 of the bulls legs.
It was too late to stop it then.... we held our breath, imagining how 24 cwt of charolais would freefall from 50-60 feet above the cobbles.
Somehow, the boards held, and he and the box made it safe on deck. We could all breath again.
The crowd dissipated, disappointed it had been an anti-climax.
We shut the ramp on the old TK, said our goodbyes to the lad accompanying the beast and set off for the next pick up.

Funny thing is, we heard later the bull was infertile anyway.

 

[roscoe erf]

It's hardly a problem out in the ocean.

so its ok to put slurry into the sea

 

[JP1]

I've got no issue with it until it goes wrong -as it clearly has here.
Whether you could say it's more likely to go wrong than other methods of livestock husbandry is another matter I suppose.


I am reminded of a trip my late mum took once though.
She was tending some osses, and 2-3 pedigree bulls, as deck cargo- in loose boxes-, on a freighter for South Africa.
It was difficult enough already, until one of the bulls died en route.....over the side with him....shark bait.
(I should say my mum was a very difficult character at several levels, but an outstanding stockperson. the bull didn't die for lack of care)

On another job, in about 80-82, I was drivers mate up to Clyde bank, with a pedigree Char bull also bound for SA.
We stopped at a lairage for a day or two, and met up with the lad who was accompanying the bull.
All good.
Down onto the dockside, where the ship was moored.
With dozens of Glaswegian dockers looking on, a wooden crate was produced to load the bull. Which was fine, except that 3' (his entire hind quarters) stuck out the back of the crate.
The crowd grew, leaning in to prod the flanks of a very patient bull, as heads were scratched.
Ah ha! The answer was to lower the loosebox off the ship, and reload it with the bull on board.
So an enormous crane swung round, lowered the loosebox, and big Charlie led in happy enough.
(happy to be away from 728 weedgies who were beginning to plan steak suppers i always reckoned)

Up and away he and the loosebox went.....and as the bottom of the loosebox went past eye level, we were greeted with the arresting spectacle of the floor bowing down to the extent we could all clearly see the bottom 1/3 of the bulls legs.
It was too late to stop it then.... we held our breath, imagining how 24 cwt of charolais would freefall from 50-60 feet above the cobbles.
Somehow, the boards held, and he and the box made it safe on deck. We could all breath again.
The crowd dissipated, disappointed it had been an anti-climax.
We shut the ramp on the old TK, said our goodbyes to the lad accompanying the beast and set off for the next pick up.

Funny thing is, we heard later the bull was infertile anyway.

Would that be the TK's ali box in your yard still?

 

[Surgery]

Where is the eu red tractor , o there ain’t fooking one.

 

[unlacedgecko]

I've got no issue with it until it goes wrong -as it clearly has here.
Whether you could say it's more likely to go wrong than other methods of livestock husbandry is another matter I suppose.


I am reminded of a trip my late mum took once though.
She was tending some osses, and 2-3 pedigree bulls, as deck cargo- in loose boxes-, on a freighter for South Africa.
It was difficult enough already, until one of the bulls died en route.....over the side with him....shark bait.
(I should say my mum was a very difficult character at several levels, but an outstanding stockperson. the bull didn't die for lack of care)

On another job, in about 80-82, I was drivers mate up to Clyde bank, with a pedigree Char bull also bound for SA.
We stopped at a lairage for a day or two, and met up with the lad who was accompanying the bull.
All good.
Down onto the dockside, where the ship was moored.
With dozens of Glaswegian dockers looking on, a wooden crate was produced to load the bull. Which was fine, except that 3' (his entire hind quarters) stuck out the back of the crate.
The crowd grew, leaning in to prod the flanks of a very patient bull, as heads were scratched.
Ah ha! The answer was to lower the loosebox off the ship, and reload it with the bull on board.
So an enormous crane swung round, lowered the loosebox, and big Charlie led in happy enough.
(happy to be away from 728 weedgies who were beginning to plan steak suppers i always reckoned)

Up and away he and the loosebox went.....and as the bottom of the loosebox went past eye level, we were greeted with the arresting spectacle of the floor bowing down to the extent we could all clearly see the bottom 1/3 of the bulls legs.
It was too late to stop it then.... we held our breath, imagining how 24 cwt of charolais would freefall from 50-60 feet above the cobbles.
Somehow, the boards held, and he and the box made it safe on deck. We could all breath again.
The crowd dissipated, disappointed it had been an anti-climax.
We shut the ramp on the old TK, said our goodbyes to the lad accompanying the beast and set off for the next pick up.

Funny thing is, we heard later the bull was infertile anyway.

I agree this trip hasn't gone as planned. However, several posters have commented on the good condition of the cattle from videos of them unloading. The mortality data is something I've not got access to, but is want to see that before condemning the whole thing.

As an aside, I think the idea of limiting markets through a live export ban is madness, especially in a post Bexit environment.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

so its ok to put slurry into the sea

It’s where most human crap once ended up...probably still does in a lot of countries

 

[glasshouse]

I've got no issue with it until it goes wrong -as it clearly has here.
Whether you could say it's more likely to go wrong than other methods of livestock husbandry is another matter I suppose.


I am reminded of a trip my late mum took once though.
She was tending some osses, and 2-3 pedigree bulls, as deck cargo- in loose boxes-, on a freighter for South Africa.
It was difficult enough already, until one of the bulls died en route.....over the side with him....shark bait.
(I should say my mum was a very difficult character at several levels, but an outstanding stockperson. the bull didn't die for lack of care)

On another job, in about 80-82, I was drivers mate up to Clyde bank, with a pedigree Char bull also bound for SA.
We stopped at a lairage for a day or two, and met up with the lad who was accompanying the bull.
All good.
Down onto the dockside, where the ship was moored.
With dozens of Glaswegian dockers looking on, a wooden crate was produced to load the bull. Which was fine, except that 3' (his entire hind quarters) stuck out the back of the crate.
The crowd grew, leaning in to prod the flanks of a very patient bull, as heads were scratched.
Ah ha! The answer was to lower the loosebox off the ship, and reload it with the bull on board.
So an enormous crane swung round, lowered the loosebox, and big Charlie led in happy enough.
(happy to be away from 728 weedgies who were beginning to plan steak suppers i always reckoned)

Up and away he and the loosebox went.....and as the bottom of the loosebox went past eye level, we were greeted with the arresting spectacle of the floor bowing down to the extent we could all clearly see the bottom 1/3 of the bulls legs.
It was too late to stop it then.... we held our breath, imagining how 24 cwt of charolais would freefall from 50-60 feet above the cobbles.
Somehow, the boards held, and he and the box made it safe on deck. We could all breath again.
The crowd dissipated, disappointed it had been an anti-climax.
We shut the ramp on the old TK, said our goodbyes to the lad accompanying the beast and set off for the next pick up.

Funny thing is, we heard later the bull was infertile anyway.

No wonder he was infertile, swinging about at that height.
His balls would be up round his neck

 

[puntabrava]

so its ok to put slurry into the sea

Common practice in Carmarthenshire It seems.
Is there not a Facebook page of Towie valley slurrywatch (spelling)

 

[egbert]

Would that be the TK's ali box in your yard still?

it has gone to sit in someone elses yard now, nut that's the very one. Bought new in 74 I think

 

[egbert]

No wonder he was infertile, swinging about at that height.
His balls would be up round his neck

I have to say, i've never seen a more relaxed beast, given what was happening around him. (maybe someone had slipped him a mickey, as they used to say)

 

[thorpe]

I have to say, i've never seen a more relaxed beast, given what was happening around him. (maybe someone had slipped him a mickey, as they used to say)

relaxed! no there tired and you would be if youed been on a cruise that long!

 

[unlacedgecko]

relaxed! no there tired and you would be if youed been on a cruise that long!

The post you quote relates to a bull from the UK being loaded in the UK.

 

[thorpe]

The post you quote relates to a bull from the UK being loaded in the UK.

oops!

 

[Two Tone]

I've got no issue with it until it goes wrong -as it clearly has here.
Whether you could say it's more likely to go wrong than other methods of livestock husbandry is another matter I suppose.


I am reminded of a trip my late mum took once though.
She was tending some osses, and 2-3 pedigree bulls, as deck cargo- in loose boxes-, on a freighter for South Africa.
It was difficult enough already, until one of the bulls died en route.....over the side with him....shark bait.
(I should say my mum was a very difficult character at several levels, but an outstanding stockperson. the bull didn't die for lack of care)

On another job, in about 80-82, I was drivers mate up to Clyde bank, with a pedigree Char bull also bound for SA.
We stopped at a lairage for a day or two, and met up with the lad who was accompanying the bull.
All good.
Down onto the dockside, where the ship was moored.
With dozens of Glaswegian dockers looking on, a wooden crate was produced to load the bull. Which was fine, except that 3' (his entire hind quarters) stuck out the back of the crate.
The crowd grew, leaning in to prod the flanks of a very patient bull, as heads were scratched.
Ah ha! The answer was to lower the loosebox off the ship, and reload it with the bull on board.
So an enormous crane swung round, lowered the loosebox, and big Charlie led in happy enough.
(happy to be away from 728 weedgies who were beginning to plan steak suppers i always reckoned)

Up and away he and the loosebox went.....and as the bottom of the loosebox went past eye level, we were greeted with the arresting spectacle of the floor bowing down to the extent we could all clearly see the bottom 1/3 of the bulls legs.
It was too late to stop it then.... we held our breath, imagining how 24 cwt of charolais would freefall from 50-60 feet above the cobbles.
Somehow, the boards held, and he and the box made it safe on deck. We could all breath again.
The crowd dissipated, disappointed it had been an anti-climax.
We shut the ramp on the old TK, said our goodbyes to the lad accompanying the beast and set off for the next pick up.

Funny thing is, we heard later the bull was infertile anyway.

My father exported loads of dairy cattle to various places , including Spain, Portugal, Oman, UAE and believe it or not, Yemen!

Livestock travel very well on ships and especially aeroplanes. A vet has to accompany them, who has special permission to carry a stun gun with him. In fact, the most stressful part of the entire journey is on the lorry from the farm to the dock or airport.

Cargo planes carrying livestock are carrying very much more weight than passenger aircraft. Turbulence is rarely noticed and rates of accent and decent are far lower than for human cargos. So much so that your ears don't pop!

We had to send Bulls to the Middle East because AI is against the Quran!

The first flight we did was to Oman from Stansted, using a stretched CL44 (Britannia). The flight took 13 hours.
The airline was Trans-Meridian Air Cargo Ltd, who were part of Cunard. We loaded that cattle on board and the flight crew came out dressed in their smart uniforms. Once aboard they stripped off into something more comfortable. The Vice Captain wore a "T" shirt with "I hate flying!" on it.

My father had to sit in the cockpit. On the back of the door written in huge writing was the maximum take-off weight if the aircraft and my father knew that the cattle alone exceeded that figure!
While they were starting the engines, he tapped the pilot on the shoulder and pointed to it. The captain said, "Don't worry, there is more power in these engines than on the QE2!"

The plane entered the runway already on full power and we were very worried that it only just managed to get airborne by the time the runway ended.

By the time they reached the Alps, they were just about high enough to clear them. But they had a call from a Lufthansa flight coming in to land at Munich, suggesting they were on a collision course and asking what they each intended to do about it? Our pilot replied "F--K off pronto" in German!

When it landed in Muscat, there was about 50 yards of barbed-wire hanging from the left hand undercarriage which came with them from the end of Stanstead runway!

The cattle, including the Bulls were fine.

 

[Exfarmer]

We had to send Bulls to the Middle East because AI is against the Quran!

I don't disbelieve you, but it was the Arabs who invented AI . Domestic camels find it very difficult to get it together, no idea why

 

[JP1]

I don't disbelieve you, but it was the Arabs who invented AI . Domestic camels find it very difficult to get it together, no idea why

Sheikh once told me the cow always had the hump

 

[michael N123]

If they were exported from Spain, Spain should have an obligation to taking them back if their intended destination rejects them. There's no excuse for playing politics or silly-buggers with them, but then again we are talking about a country whose national 'sport' is bullfighting.

Once went to a tapas bar for a meal in Penrith the bar lady turned a big TV on with bullfighting on after 10 minutes I walked straight out without paying how the feck is that allowed in this day and age

 

[glasshouse]

I don't disbelieve you, but it was the Arabs who invented AI . Domestic camels find it very difficult to get it together, no idea why

The sexual life of the camel, is stranger than anyone thinks
At the height of the mating season, it tries to b————— the sphinx

 

[Exfarmer]

The sexual life of the camel, is stranger than anyone thinks
At the height of the mating season, it tries to b————— the sphinx

No wonder they need AI