Foot and mouth.....Silly old fool?

[llamedos]

As an arable farmer from where stock is a dog, out of interest was it better to have F&M or just miss it with all the restrictions? I heard of farm buildings all being gutted and rebuilt, was that correct?

A very respectful question.

 

[Henarar]

Read this morning and it struck a chord with me

I was reading the Farmers Guardian and it said Friday the 19th of February was the 15th anniversary of F&M .
Made a lump in my throat and a feeling of unease. I didn't enjoy being a victim of that disease but it is essential that its remebered and the reasons why the 6 day standstill is in place.
I for one do not ever want to go through that ever again thank you very much.

Now we read about misselling PPI, etc etc wheres my compensation for the 15 years of post traumatic stress disorder? I have a book published by the Western Morning News I've never read and can't. Even writing this make me emotional.
Silly old fool or unhinged?

And the six day rule is still a good thing now

The chap next door thought he had it and rung me to tell me that was a nice few hours till they found out it wasn't

There was a book that was part published on FWI by one off the chaps that went round slaughtering the animals down in Devon but they didn't Finish it but it was a "interesting" if not nice read

 

[Henarar]

As an arable farmer from where stock is a dog, out of interest was it better to have F&M or just miss it with all the restrictions? I heard of farm buildings all being gutted and rebuilt, was that correct?

apparently some made good money out off it as did some contractors billing out things that were never there


But bugger that I was glad that we never got it

 

[Sid]

As an arable farmer from where stock is a dog, out of interest was it better to have F&M or just miss it with all the restrictions? I heard of farm buildings all being gutted and rebuilt, was that correct?

Some did some didn't. That was MAFF's decsion not the farmers. We still have a heard of cows that has beenhere for generations for which i am grateful. The whole sorry episode cost me money and me and my family untold stress.
As with every disaster there will be winners and losers. Ask Ardvark or any contractor that did the pyres. Now come and ask me how much it cost my business.

 

[sodbuster]

Contiguous cull here of all livestock. Got compensated for value of animals but not for loss of income. It took more than the compensation to restock and didn't sell much for around 18 months after. It was a very difficult time and one hopefully never to be repeated.

 

[Sid]

And the six day rule is still a good thing now

The chap next door thought he had it and rung me to tell me that was a nice few hours till they found out it wasn't

There was a book that was part published on FWI by one off the chaps that went round slaughtering the animals down in Devon but they didn't Finish it but it was a "interesting" if not nice read

I'm glad the book was written and i will one day write down my experiences. Horro stories abound and i know where a contiguous cull was stopped part way through. Farmer had to go out and drive the still living cows out from the dead ones to milk that evening. Corpses left on farm to remind him for a week after. I'm sorry but its not about the money.

 

[Henarar]

You were, actually, a very fortunate man - not every country would provide generous compensation for culling stock in a public health epidemic. Even fewer would seek to accommodate your sense of loss

And not every government would be f**king stupid enough to import it in the first place
And then to add more insult they let it out again a few years later and that wasn't the first time it had been "let out"

 

[Henarar]

I'm glad the book was written and i will one day write down my experiences. Horro stories abound and i know where a contiguous cull was stopped part way through. Farmer had to go out and drive the still living cows out from the dead ones to milk that evening. Corpses left on farm to remind him for a week after. I'm sorry but its not about the money.

In that book the chap told off culling sheep in layers cos there wasn't room in the sheds, farmers with shotguns not for anyone else for themselves that had to be talked out of it

@GTB may remember it

 

[Bury the Trash]

If you think you had Post Traumatic Stress Disorder then you certainly need help - not for PTSD, but for self-indulgence.

You were, actually, a very fortunate man - not every country would provide generous compensation for culling stock in a public health epidemic. Even fewer would seek to accommodate your sense of loss (even though, in reality, you lost very little in the material way of things).

Short Version: it was painful and nasty, but you were well-treated and you ought, perhaps, to feel grateful for it. I can see no sign that you realise this.

Interesting Psychological Point: you have not read your own book.

Would you care to watch ewes lambing and then shot, small lambs knocked on the head at birth ? How would this affect you?

 

[Bury the Trash]

If you think you had Post Traumatic Stress Disorder then you certainly need help - not for PTSD, but for self-indulgence.

You were, actually, a very fortunate man - not every country would provide generous compensation for culling stock in a public health epidemic. Even fewer would seek to accommodate your sense of loss (even though, in reality, you lost very little in the material way of things).

Short Version: it was painful and nasty, but you were well-treated and you ought, perhaps, to feel grateful for it. I can see no sign that you realise this.

Interesting Psychological Point: you have not read your own book.

Not just the farmers either.There was a young recently qualified vet came here to assist the vet in charge. By the time her contract had finished she was so upset by the whole episode that she emigrated to NZ soon after.To continue to practice.

 

[GTB]

I don't remember anything about a book but we lost 400 ewe lambs and my uncle lost 200 in a contiguous cull near Lichfield. We were phoned one morning to say they were going to cull and that we should send a valuer. Struggled all day to get hold of the local auctioneer but finally spoke to him in the early afternoon and he agreed to go there the following morning. Got a phone call from the ministry at 4pm to say they were in a heap in the field.

The lambs were valued over the phone for £90 per head which we thought was reasonable at the time, but it took us years to build numbers back up as we had lost a whole years replacements and we couldn't buy any in because we had a hefted flock. Tbh I doubt they ever had f&m or came into contact with it but there wasn't much we could do about it at the time. It was like military rule around here.

Also had to send about thirty finished cattle away on the welfare scheme as they wouldn't allow them to go for slaughter because we were in a restricted area, even though we could have sent them into Randall Parker without leaving the restricted area. Total f**king shambles IMHO. Millions of pounds wasted. As said above, some farmers and contractors made an absolute fortune and it set some up for life.

 

[crashbangwallop]

F&M didnt make it to ayrshire only by pure luck. But we had disinfectant soaked carpets and used knapsacks on every vehicle that came on the farm. Watched the news every night with our hearts in our mouths and heads in hands, fearing the worst.
I have the utmost respect and compassion for all who lost livestock in the shitstorm. To restock must have taken the strength of God himself.


As for rent-a-gob walt, I for one have no real interest in his opinions on this thread or any other. I can read what he posts, but he can't make me take any notice.

 

[Sid]

As for rent-a-gob walt, I for one have no real interest in his opinions on this thread or any other. I can read what he posts, but he can't make me take any notice.

Reminds me of NIMBYs . I've made my money now retire so I've got time on my hands to harrash harrange anyone that doesn't have my way of thinking

 

[J 1177]

We were under a d notice had to have 56 pork pigs culled on welfare grounds as we couldnt sell any and litters were still being born. I was 17 years old my father was in bed after a major opperation on his back i lost 3 stone in weight through sheer physical work and worry (mucking out 350 odd pigs with a wheel barrow and gripe). It felt like we were under seige. It was horrible. Im pleased i was younger when it happened in a way because i just plugged away. Now im not so sure if id cope.

Walter ps comment doesnt deserve a response.

 

[KMA]

Walter you have no f**king idea so just STF up

Won't go into detail but it was more like Dante's inferno round here, desperation and despair doesn't come close to describing what some of us went through and still have flashbacks.

 

[Suffolk Serf]

Don't forget that a few months prior to FMD we had classical swine fever in East Anglia. If you think DEFRA were unprepared for FMD, thank goodness for their practice run with CSF.
With both these diseases the movement restrictions are almost worse than the disease. We were breeding 500 pigs per week at the time, sold each week so suddenly we had to lash up accommodation for them. These pigs also grew! Fortunately, after a few weeks we could sell them, under very strict rules.
It was even worse for those in restricted areas, in the end they were pleading for their herds to be culled as they were disappearing under a swamp of pigs. It has affected those people deeply. They can only now really speak of the dreadfulness of the culling.
One good thing to come out of it was my mother (then a Vicar) started the Addington Fund to help those in financial hardship. (the Addington Fund now does a different job, Richard Addington was another vicar at Pakenham, who actually had the idea but was far too ill to do it).

When FMD came along the following spring, it was very much with a feeling of deja vu amongst the pig farmers of East Anglia and fortunately for us didn't affect us anywhere nearly as badly as other areas.

 

[Mouser]

If you think you had Post Traumatic Stress Disorder then you certainly need help - not for PTSD, but for self-indulgence.

You were, actually, a very fortunate man - not every country would provide generous compensation for culling stock in a public health epidemic. Even fewer would seek to accommodate your sense of loss (even though, in reality, you lost very little in the material way of things).

Short Version: it was painful and nasty, but you were well-treated and you ought, perhaps, to feel grateful for it. I can see no sign that you realise this.

Interesting Psychological Point: you have not read your own book.

You are such a wankpuffin!

 

[Lofty1984]

I often wonder how it affected the slaghter men not only dealing with that much death but seeing what your actions were doing to the families that owned the stock, not sure I could of stomached it, we were fortunate it never got as far as us and we've always had a closed herd but I know of a chap who made a fortune off it all with welfare culls

 

[jojo]

It was a time best fegoten [emoji19] second case in are area not bought all sold anything for three months before The joys of living next door to a sheep dealer police camped on the end the drive for the night don't think it's something you get over just time goes by only good thing was the months of school and the joy of the new stock arriving

 

[Derrick Hughes]

I wonder what percentage never restocked