Stirling Bull Sales

[nails]

It wouldn’t bother me buying a bull from a TB1 area, that said we are in one though. If he had had his Pre movement test and been in isolation until the sale I couldn’t see a problem with it. No matter what your health status is or that of a prospective purchase once you enter a market until a vaccine is available for Johnes and bTB, there will always be a risk of contracting one or the other.

Looking back at catalogues for Simmentals at Perth there are several English breeders who used to do well but no longer go and i am pretty sure the reason is the area they are from regarding TB.
In the 1987 catalogue there were" 36 vendors from England and Wales in the Bull section. Bit different to this year with just 4 in the bull section.

 

[Top Tip.]

Looking back at catalogues for Simmentals at Perth there are several English breeders who used to do well but no longer go and i am pretty sure the reason is the area they are from regarding TB.
In the 1987 catalogue there were" 36 vendors from England and Wales in the Bull section. Bit different to this year with just 4 in the bull section.

I think they have stopped coming because they really weren’t getting value for their bulls,people were scared to touch them and they were being discounted to get them sold.

 

[Happy]

Looking back at catalogues for Simmentals at Perth there are several English breeders who used to do well but no longer go and i am pretty sure the reason is the area they are from regarding TB.
In the 1987 catalogue there were" 36 vendors from England and Wales in the Bull section. Bit different to this year with just 4 in the bull section.

Doesn’t seem to put the Irish off from coming over.
18 breeders from North/South in Simmental sale at Stirling this week.

 

[6290]

Doesn’t seem to put the Irish off from coming over.
18 breeders from North/South in Simmental sale at Stirling this week.

I noticed that, l was looking at the Charolais catalogue online yesterday and there was an Irish breeder that had one entered that was TB1 and Johnes risk level 5, and one of the biggest entries was from Wales with a TB1 and risk level 4.

 

[juke]

I noticed that, l was looking at the Charolais catalogue online yesterday and there was an Irish breeder that had one entered that was TB1 and Johnes risk level 5, and one of the biggest entries was from Wales with a TB1 and risk level 4.

Don't think the fella from Wales had a very good day . Alot of the Welsh breeders have stopped going to Stirling , they were sick of hearing tb1 from buyers so don't bother so much .

 

[nails]

Doesn’t seem to put the Irish off from coming over.
18 breeders from North/South in Simmental sale at Stirling this week.

They come over for chance of a higher price. Bulls at Dungannon go relatively cheap and i have thought about going over for a look sometime.

 

[Happy]

They come over for chance of a higher price. Bulls at Dungannon go relatively cheap and i have thought about going over for a look sometime.

Must haven been disappointed this week. Only a 63% clearance rate and don’t see any Irish bulls amongst the headline prices on Sim website.

 

[Charolais cattle]

There one at 10500.. and one at 9500.. 2 breeders.. David Bothwell.. first one and Will short second one.. sorry this is Charolais not sim...

 

[nails]

Must haven been disappointed this week. Only a 63% clearance rate and don’t see any Irish bulls amongst the headline prices on Sim website.

Yeah, Simmentals been on a bit of a roll at Stirling last few years. Bound to slow up a bit in the end. Down here Sims have generally become less popular especially for dairy crossing. All they want at the moment is Angus or Blues.
Twenty years ago i could sell all my bulls , no bother. If the Suckler herds did not want them , nearly every family size dairy ran a Simmental sweeper.

 

[M-J-G]

It wouldn’t bother me buying a bull from a TB1 area, that said we are in one though. If he had had his Pre movement test and been in isolation until the sale I couldn’t see a problem with it. No matter what your health status is or that of a prospective purchase once you enter a market until a vaccine is available for Johnes and bTB, there will always be a risk of contracting one or the other.

It's pretty unlikely that a bull will contract TB at the bull sales since animals from high risk areas will have been pre movement tested.

It would be just about impossible that he would contract Johnes considering that he doesn't even have contact with his own dung at the sales let alone that of another animal that coincidentally happens to be shedding MAP.

 

[6290]

It's pretty unlikely that a bull will contract TB at the bull sales since animals from high risk areas will have been pre movement tested.

It would be just about impossible that he would contract Johnes considering that he doesn't even have contact with his own dung at the sales let alone that of another animal that coincidentally happens to be shedding MAP.

That’s why I said there is a risk though. There is no rule saying once it’s been pre movement tested it has to stay in isolation. Cattle could easily go out grazing for nigh on two months after a test before entering a market. Just because they have tested clear doesn’t mean they are when they arrive at market, and that in my opinion is why people shy away from them at sales. I agree with your point about Johnes, with being tied up there is little chance of catching it in the pens, what about when you walk him down the line to take him for a wash though, if one of the risk level 5 bulls had just had his pen cleaned out there is a risk he could touch come into contact with it then wouldn’t you say? Chances are minimal, but risk is still there. What about pens of heifers? Would you be happy penned next to a risk level 5 bunch of 18 month old bullers?

 

[Whitepeak]

That’s why I said there is a risk though. There is no rule saying once it’s been pre movement tested it has to stay in isolation. Cattle could easily go out grazing for nigh on two months after a test before entering a market. Just because they have tested clear doesn’t mean they are when they arrive at market, and that in my opinion is why people shy away from them at sales. I agree with your point about Johnes, with being tied up there is little chance of catching it in the pens, what about when you walk him down the line to take him for a wash though, if one of the risk level 5 bulls had just had his pen cleaned out there is a risk he could touch come into contact with it then wouldn’t you say? Chances are minimal, but risk is still there. What about pens of heifers? Would you be happy penned next to a risk level 5 bunch of 18 month old bullers?

As I understand it a risk level 5 is an untested herd, so may be 1 test away from being a risk level 2. I'd be more concerned with a risk level 4, as they know they have a problem!
I'd also prefer the TB1, atleast you know the herd is clear and the individual animal is clear if it's in the market. Just because an animal is TB4 doesnt mean its always TB free. However I would always try and look herds up on ibtb to see how long they have been clear and how close to other outbreaks they are, whether they are 1 or 4.

 

[Hesstondriver]

can some one explain this in the catalogue as a health status please ?

 

[Top Tip.]

can some one explain this in the catalogue as a health status please ? View attachment 769156

They are currently considered such low risk that they are exempt from testing.

 

[Henarar]

They are currently considered such low risk that they are exempt from testing.

Perhaps they have no cattle?

 

[shearerlad]

TB exempted is if you are sending over a certain percentage of cattle directly to slaughter and therefore part of random testing anyway. I think it’s 70%. Not had a TB test here for 12-15 years because of this

 

[M-J-G]

That’s why I said there is a risk though. There is no rule saying once it’s been pre movement tested it has to stay in isolation. Cattle could easily go out grazing for nigh on two months after a test before entering a market. Just because they have tested clear doesn’t mean they are when they arrive at market, and that in my opinion is why people shy away from them at sales. I agree with your point about Johnes, with being tied up there is little chance of catching it in the pens, what about when you walk him down the line to take him for a wash though, if one of the risk level 5 bulls had just had his pen cleaned out there is a risk he could touch come into contact with it then wouldn’t you say? Chances are minimal, but risk is still there. What about pens of heifers? Would you be happy penned next to a risk level 5 bunch of 18 month old bullers?

My point was that an animal catching TB from a shedding infective animal at pre tested sale is very low. I agree that pre testing is not ideal either because the animals could catch it at home after testing. Purchased animals are tested post sale.
The chances of picking up johnes at a haltered pedigree sale is as good as zero.

 

[M-J-G]

can some one explain this in the catalogue as a health status please ? View attachment 769156

Slaughtering 25% or more of the total herd per year means you are exempt from testing.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

TB exempted is if you are sending over a certain percentage of cattle directly to slaughter and therefore part of random testing anyway. I think it’s 70%. Not had a TB test here for 12-15 years because of this

Hmmm I’m on 4 year testing here but sending probably 75% to slaughter...will have to enquire about it

 

[M-J-G]

Hmmm I’m on 4 year testing here but sending probably 75% to slaughter...will have to enquire about it

Do you buy in cattle to finish?