Re: Need advice about what to do after a TB reactor in cattle

[matthew]

Crazy.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/mobile/uk-england-shropshire-12782364

I don’t like to see this ^^^ either. No excuses.

 

[gone up the hill]

The valuation of bovines' paperwork has come through. The original 17 (reactors and IR's) are all being classed as Reactors. The cow that I've been writing about, was among the two categorised as being clear of tb on the day of the reading, by the vet. However, in a separate paperwork, received today she has been categorised separately as a direct contact. The other cow that's in the clear has still retained her tb free status. It doesn't make sense and I should have contacted the vet on Tuesday. This is really depressing because she was my partner's favourite and she thought she had been given all clear. Apologise for going on about it.

You need to phone the TB removal team first thing in the morning and challenge why she is being classed as a direct contact and then go from there!

No point phoning your own vet as the matter is totally out of their hands.

 

[matthew]

8 were tested and 6 were reactors, the other two were clear.

Thanks for asking.

So the start was a preMT and 6 out 8 were reactors.

Had the other cattle tested and 17 were reactors and several of the others are inconclusives.

Plus 17 at least. Maybe more if IRS go.

We have around 37 at the moment and many of those are calves.

So 23 reactors out of 37? Or 37 left?

If she was a reactor then she would have been dna tagged on the reading day. So my guess is she was an ir, and upon looking at your results have decided to take her aswell.

DC by the sound of it. And possibly taking cohorts of one age group.

How many does this leave you@Guest?
A pretty devastating blow.

 

[Guest]

Yes, that's right. The original 6 out of 8 tested were preMT. Then, the whole herd had to be retested and 17 in total were found to be either reactors or inconclusives. The two that were clear in the first test were not re-tested. Many of the calves received the all clear and there were two cows that received the all clear. There was also another cow they weren't sure about because she was on the borderline of being an inconclusive. So, at the reading last Friday, there were only two cows that were in the clear and a possible third. So, the original paperwork from the Animal Health showed 17 cows as reactors, even though some of them haven't got the green tag. On Tuesday, the man from the Animal Health visited the farm and on his list, it showed another two cows that weren't amongst the original 17. One of them was the cow that was on the borderline of being deemed an inconclusive and the other cow was the one that had been given the all clear by the vet. She wasn't even an inconclusive and I even asked him at the time to confirm that she was in the clear. Therefore, it was quite a shock to see her included on the list and yet, the other cow that had been given the all clear wasn't on it. If this cow has to leave, then there will only be one cow left and the others are calves. They will also receive another test in January.

Apparently, they also have to travel up to three hours to get to the slaughter house. That is from North Shropshire to South Wales.

Gone up the Hill,
I'll try and do that tomorrow but I don't know what they're going think of me doing that when all the paperwork has been drawn up and received over here. I don't like this at all and it's really depressing.

 

[Lovegoodstock]

@Guest one positive is devastating, the numbers you had on a small herd is shocking and devastating. I bought a bull nearly 20 years ago on a 4 yearly testing area, went down on my herd test, then lost 17 in calf friesan heifers on the gamma test, then when you are judged on severe interpretation we lost a handful more. But luckily went clear in next few tests, and thankfully have done for 15 years. But 4/5 years later after breakdown we had a letter giving an ear tag number saying she was required to be culled as a tb failure, not from a recent test but back when we had the breakdown. She must have gone through 7/8 skin tests clear but due to a clerical error she had to be culled. Checked with records she never had a positive skin test, but they insisted she was to go. As luck had it, she was barren and worth 215 quid on burning value and got 1000 compensation, but the stupidity of regulations, I had by record a positive tb cow for years, despite passing numerous skin tests and no positive via the petri dish, but had no restrictions what so ever, how on earth does that make sense

 

[onthehoof]

Yes, that's right. The original 6 out of 8 tested were preMT. Then, the whole herd had to be retested and 17 in total were found to be either reactors or inconclusives. The two that were clear in the first test were not re-tested. Many of the calves received the all clear and there were two cows that received the all clear. There was also another cow they weren't sure about because she was on the borderline of being an inconclusive. So, at the reading last Friday, there were only two cows that were in the clear and a possible third. So, the original paperwork from the Animal Health showed 17 cows as reactors, even though some of them haven't got the green tag. On Tuesday, the man from the Animal Health visited the farm and on his list, it showed another two cows that weren't amongst the original 17. One of them was the cow that was on the borderline of being deemed an inconclusive and the other cow was the one that had been given the all clear by the vet. She wasn't even an inconclusive and I even asked him at the time to confirm that she was in the clear. Therefore, it was quite a shock to see her included on the list and yet, the other cow that had been given the all clear wasn't on it. If this cow has to leave, then there will only be one cow left and the others are calves. They will also receive another test in January.

Apparently, they also have to travel up to three hours to get to the slaughter house. That is from North Shropshire to South Wales.

Gone up the Hill,
I'll try and do that tomorrow but I don't know what they're going think of me doing that when all the paperwork has been drawn up and received over here. I don't like this at all and it's really depressing.

What is your previous Tb situation, have you had reactors before?
Have you got badgers on Farm.

 

[Water Wheel]

Sorry to read your post Guest sounds terrible , really bad luck.

Some interesting Stats. on pre/ post movement tests. Link from bovinetb.info website.

://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/661848/TB-stats-pre-and-post-movement-23Nov17.pdf

About 270 herds per year find reactors by pre movement testing in England.
If my maths is right approx. 1 reactor per 1000 animals tested in England

 

[Guest]

Have telephoned the Animal Health and was unable to get through. Then, I sent an email. Then, he rang back and stated that they might all be taken. I don't know what to do. Around 20 of the herd, (that includes the 2 cows) are in the clear and yet the might have to go. Should I make a stand for them?

 

[hendrebc]

Have telephoned the Animal Health and was unable to get through. Then, I sent an email. Then, he rang back and stated that they might all be taken. I don't know what to do. Around 20 of the herd, (that includes the 2 cows) are in the clear and yet the might have to go. Should I make a stand for them?

Damn right you should make a stand for them! I dont know as much as some people about the tb job but i would punch and kick and scream and shout and fight anyone who tried to take my cows without a bloody good reason. Ive just had a phone call off a neighbour to say hes had a reactor in his herd and were supposed to be a clean area and i had an inconclusive that then tested clear this summer. Its getting closer all the time

 

[GTB]

Have telephoned the Animal Health and was unable to get through. Then, I sent an email. Then, he rang back and stated that they might all be taken. I don't know what to do. Around 20 of the herd, (that includes the 2 cows) are in the clear and yet the might have to go. Should I make a stand for them?

I think if i were in your shoes I'd let them take them all being such a high % are infected. Seems to me if the others have been in contact you'll have reactors in future tests too. Better to restart with a clean slate perhaps? Meanwhile ask animal health what they're doing about the wildlife....

 

[Guest]

Very complacent about doing anything about the wildlife and I want to make a stand for the cows. Also, they will have to travel from North Shropshire to the slaughterhouse in South Wales? These cows have provided a great service to us and is this how they have to leave? I don't know what to do, it's unbearable.

 

[Dairyfarmerswife]

I'm surprised they go to south Wales. Ours, from south Shropshire, go to Cheshire. They are dairy though, maybe that's the difference.

 

[choochter]

Very complacent about doing anything about the wildlife and I want to make a stand for the cows. Also, they will have to travel from North Shropshire to the slaughterhouse in South Wales? These cows have provided a great service to us and is this how they have to leave? I don't know what to do, it's unbearable.

I'm gutted for you. Your herd is about the same size as mine.

 

[sidjon]

Sorry if this sounds harsh, but the time and effort of saving your cattle will only drawn out the problem for longer, they are highly likely to go over several test if such a high number have become reactors, you will find how badly infected they are a slaughter and have little choice.

 

[matthew]

Very complacent about doing anything about the wildlife and I want to make a stand for the cows. Also, they will have to travel from North Shropshire to the slaughterhouse in South Wales? These cows have provided a great service to us and is this how they have to leave? I don't know what to do, it's unbearable.

If they are not fit for the food chain, then they can be destroyed on farm. If for instance they've had fluke treatment or a wormer with a long withdrawal.
Just sayin'.

 

[Guest]

Choochter, appreciate your sentinents.

They haven't had any fluke treatment or a wormer and I don't think we could go through with them being destroyed on the farm.

My partner is very depressed and always crying. I don't think she meant to get so attached but somehow it happened anyway. She's better with animals than people.

 

[Water Wheel]

. Also, they will have to travel from North Shropshire to the slaughterhouse in South Wales? I don't know what to do, it's unbearable.

I'm surprised they go to south Wales. Ours, from south Shropshire, go to Cheshire. They are dairy though, maybe that's the difference.

Dosn't Beesons at Crewe take Reactors
http://www.beesons.co.uk/Beesons/Contact.html
Though I'm not sure that you have any say in the matter.

 

[twizzel]

On farm slaughter is less stress for the cow but more stress for you. We had 2 reactors shot on farm and 2 packed off in a lorry 2.5hrs up the road, when questioned why so far the answer was they got more £££ for them at that abattoir than any of our local ones had tendered. Sorry to hear about your cows, totally devastating

 

[Ffermer Bach]

Can the fluke drench / pour on give a false reading? or do flukey cattle react more to the injection?

I think if the cattle have fluke, they are more likely to react, so fluke drenching prior to testing is a good idea as a strong immune system makes a reaction less likely, I give the cattle a homeopathic treatment too for a few weeks prior to testing, ask me in a month how it goes!