Heifer destroyed with Court Order

[Rossymons]

Surprised this hadn't been mentioned already but here it is

Heifer shot after police enter Welsh dairy farm with TB order - Farmers Weekly


3 minutes


The heifer at the centre of a row between a dairy farmer and the Welsh government over bovine TB has been slaughtered after an early morning swoop by police officers and officials bearing a court order for her destruction.

Anthony and Heather Brunt were asleep when police and government vets arrived on their farmyard at Coybal, New Quay, on Wednesday morning (26 May).

They had a court order for the destruction of the first-lactation Shorthorn.

The animal had had three inconclusive TB skin tests and five negative blood tests for the disease.
Mr Brunt, who has coronary heart disease, said the incident had left him shaken.
“I went outside to count the number of vehicles in the yard but gave up because there were so many,” he said.

The herd is milked once a day and the heifer was grazing in the field with the other animals at the time.
“They had to look for her, I didn’t want to lead them to her but I knew they would find her eventually,” said Mr Brunt.

In April, he resisted attempts to remove the heifer from the herd and had been advised by his solicitor last week that he would be called to give evidence in court before a decision was taken on her future.

“I was expecting to have my say in court, but then this morning happened,” said Mr Brunt.

He described the impact that TB has had on his herd as “soul-destroying”.
In the past four-and-a-half years, his herd has dropped from 120 to 45 cows.

Enhanced measures
The Welsh government’s enhanced measures policy means that after a herd has been in a TB breakdown situation for 18 months, all skin tests are switched to severe interpretation, with third time inconclusive reactors (IRs) also included for slaughter and annual herd gamma interferon blood tests carried out.

Mr Brunt said he had been inundated with messages of support from the local farming community.

“If they thought we were harbouring TB on the farm that wouldn’t be the case.

“We have had nothing but support and have never received a word of condemnation.”

 

[Friesianfan]

Very sad

 

[gone up the hill]

The problem in wales is that you have to have had at least once clear test before you can restock.

For some herds that can take years if you ever do!

If the animal was an IR then surely it should not have been grazing with the rest of the herd?

 

[topground]

If the animal was an IR then surely it should not have been grazing with the rest of the herd?

Is that a question or a statement?

 

[Ffermer Bach]

We must start culling Badgers here in Wales, idiocy that we aren't

 

[gone up the hill]

Is that a question or a statement?

Both.

 

[kiwi pom]

We must start culling Badgers here in Wales, idiocy that we aren't

I'll get yelled at for this, but I'm amazed people aren't quietly shifting them themselves.

Fecking ridiculous that the bloody things have more rights than humans, or other animals for that matter.

 

[yellow belly]

I'll get yelled at for this, but I'm amazed people aren't quietly shifting them themselves.

Fecking ridiculous that the bloody things have more rights than humans, or other animals for that matter.

Because you cannot get away with it
too many people watching

 

[Scrapjockey]

I'll get yelled at for this, but I'm amazed people aren't quietly shifting them themselves.

Fecking ridiculous that the bloody things have more rights than humans, or other animals for that matter.

Because you cannot get away with it
too many people watching

The eleventh commandment.
"Thou shalt not get caught"

 

[Forkdriver]

The eleventh commandment.
"Thou shalt not get caught"

And if you do it's heavy fine time. It's not unknown for static spy cameras to be hidden on land or in woodland, and you are bang to rights.

 

[unlacedgecko]

And if you do it's heavy fine time. It's not unknown for static spy cameras to be hidden on land or in woodland, and you are bang to rights.

If the offense involves dogs then sentences generally start at 6 weeks prison. And the nursery of proof is reversed, in that it's down to the defendant to prove they weren't badger digging.

 

[Jackov Altraids]

So a heifer with 5 negative tests for TB needs a swat team and countless officials to ensure its destruction but a farmer harming a badger that has TB would face prison and/ or hefty fine.....?.

 

[unlacedgecko]

So a heifer with 5 negative tests for TB needs a swat team and countless officials to ensure its destruction but a farmer harming a badger that has TB would face prison and/ or hefty fine.....?.

Welcome to the UK 2021

 

[kill]

So a heifer with 5 negative tests for TB needs a swat team and countless officials to ensure its destruction but a farmer harming a badger that has TB would face prison and/ or hefty fine.....?.

At least the police weren’t involved with a van!!!

 

[Hfd Cattle]

Went to a meeting a few yrs ago about doing a cull in our area . The cost was going to be very high based on acreage and headage of livestock . I never signed up to it .

On another point we do allow some lads to go rabbit shooting at night . .......

 

[Ffermer Bach]

I'll get yelled at for this, but I'm amazed people aren't quietly shifting them themselves.

Fecking ridiculous that the bloody things have more rights than humans, or other animals for that matter.

I think it is the only animal to have it's own law, just for it, I am shaking my head in disbelief!

 

[Gedd]

We must start culling Badgers here in Wales, idiocy that we aren't

The problem there is badgers are loved cattle aren't

 

[matthew]

The problem there is badgers are loved cattle aren't

Nope. There's more (perceived) votes in a dead badger, than a dead cow.

Badgers are a victim of the collecting tins which carry their profile: that is their success story and they are worshipped by many who have much to say, and absolutely nothing to lose.

 

[fieldfarmer]

Went to a meeting a few yrs ago about doing a cull in our area . The cost was going to be very high based on acreage and headage of livestock . I never signed up to it .

On another point we do allow some lads to go rabbit shooting at night . .......

If the cull in your area went ahead I hope you thank your paying neighbours for the help they've been to your busines.

 

[Danllan]

Crap situation all round... there had to be legislation to protect badgers from some pretty barbaric practices, so far so good, but the extent of the legislation was far too large. The bleeding obvious answer to the TB problem is to allow badger culling by landowners, declared and licensed, and / or vaccinating our herds.

I have discussed this with vets (who get money from there being no vaccinations) and with ministry types (ditto). And none of them can provide a rational argument against vaccinations, all they come up with is a dogmatic 'it's a bad idea'. Start asking why and looking at the alternatives - particularly raising animal welfare - and they start flailing around.

Had we an effective national organisation to look out for farmers' interests, we would now have vaccinations and / or culling and negligible TB. We haven't, so we haven't and we haven't.