TB testing

just do it

awaywithyou wrote: »

my point - i think the tb eradication scheme is a joke

Until there is some leap in testing or control measures your probably right. It's probably unfortunate it was ever called an eradication programme but I suppose they didn't think that 60 years ago. However as a control programme it isn't bad and is a necessary evil to keeping markets open for our produce.

Capercaillie

Tb eradication scheme was set up to stop people from getting TB. Virtually nobody gets TB from cattle now, so in that way is a success.

P_Cash

Capercaillie wrote: »

Tb eradication scheme was set up to stop people from getting TB. Virtually nobody gets TB from cattle now, so in that way is a success.

Very important point, thanks..

Capercaillie

greysides wrote: »

I would agree with that, my comments earlier were to do with cattle-to-cattle spread. IMO, the pattern of outdoor contact leading to reactors, and housing leading to clearance is very strong evidence that wildlife is the worst source.





I realise I've the benefit of not being in middle of that one but (dispassionately) I'd read that differently.

With 30 out of 70 cows from the first batch showing lesions that's a very high lesion rate. (Something like 1 in 3 is more normal.) There can be very little doubt about the presence of TB.

I met a situation once where cows and suckler calves went down in big numbers. Calves that weren't born at the test 60 days earlier went down with lesions.

I'd be inclined to think that if there was a false result it was with the culturing. I'd think that calves are unlikely to be exposed to the things that would cause similar lesions to TB.

Loose testing by vets also a problem. Vets get pressurised not to put cattle down in test.

orm0nd

Capercaillie wrote: »

Loose testing by vets also a problem. Vets get pressurised not to put cattle down in test.

know of a few herdowners who would have a serious bill at the vets, this bill won't be paid until the herd test is done

personally I think that each herd should be dept tested every so often

think it's a shame to have qualified vets tied up testing during the spring when they would be better off employed tending sick animals,

how many years in vet college & how many letters after one's name do you need to measure a f$cking lump on an animal's neck ??

could be done by less qualified individuals

Capercaillie

orm0nd wrote: »

know of a few herdowners who would have a serious bill at the vets, this bill won't be paid until the herd test is done

personally I think that each herd should be dept tested every so often

think it's a shame to have qualified vets tied up testing during the spring when they would be better off employed tending sick animals,

how many years in vet college & how many letters after one's name do you need to measure a f$cking lump on an animal's neck ??

could be done by less qualified individuals

Problems is without the testing there would be hardly any large animal vets in the country. It's like the subsidy for the vets. They ain't going to make a living doing calls.

P_Cash

Capercaillie wrote: »

Problems is without the testing there would be hardly any large animal vets in the country. It's like the subsidy for the vets. They ain't going to make a living doing calls.

70 yoyoys a pop?

Count Mondego

P_Cash wrote: »

70 yoyoys a pop?

There isn't enough sick animals to justify the number of Vets in a TB free Ireland. We'd only call out the vet maybe 3 times a year and the TB bill will be higher than these callouts.

Capercaillie

P_Cash wrote: »

70 yoyoys a pop?

Local vet is less than that, around 40 euros plus vat call out. During the summer they would do feck all calls per day but still have to cover 24/7.

Capercaillie

Count Mondego wrote: »

There isn't enough sick animals to justify the number of Vets in a TB free Ireland. We'd only call out the vet maybe 3 times a year and the TB bill will be higher than these callouts.

Compared to even ten years ago farmers doing way more "vet" work. Calving cows, lambing ewes, castrating, dehorning, treating cleanings, treating pneumonia etc. The scanner man is scanning and farm relief at pairing.

P_Cash

Capercaillie wrote: »

Local vet is less than that, around 40 euros plus vat call out. During the summer they would do feck all calls per day but still have to cover 24/7.

Need a new vet so

Capercaillie

P_Cash wrote: »

Need a new vet so

Nothing wrong with vet. Reasonable price when compared to rest of country. You might have picked me up wrong. They get hardly any calls to do during the summer. If you call them they will be out within the hour.

blue5000

Clear tb test here today, hopefully have turned the corner.

Aska

blue5000 wrote: »

Clear tb test here today, hopefully have turned the corner.

nice one, I had 7 inconclusives out of 78 today

blue5000

Aska wrote: »

nice one, I had 7 inconclusives out of 78 today

Cows? A few of ours had avian (lumps on top) reaction. Is anyone around you down?

Aska

blue5000 wrote: »

Cows? A few of ours had avian (lumps on top) reaction. Is anyone around you down?

4 cows 3 Maidens, there was a good few lumps all over the herd really, but they measured ok, looked worse then they were, or maybe after 7 she began to feel bad, I do not know.

One neighbour is reading tomorrow so we will see the outcome of that, the other 2 I don't believe they have tested this year yet but I could be incorrect in that, if they did test it was early in the year.

jack o shea

friend of mine heard of a lad having 40 reactors lately!!!

P_Cash

How long does it usually take for results to come back on whether or not he was a reactor or clear.

How many days from the animal pick up date.

Buford T. Justice XIX

P_Cash wrote: »

How long does it usually take for results to come back on whether or not he was a reactor or clear.

How many days from the animal pick up date.

I rang last week for the post mortem on my two reactors.
Dept rang yesterday with the results, no visible lesions.
6 weeks after collecting.

foxy farmer

Vet had my results when i called 2 weeks after kill date.

P_Cash

foxy farmer wrote: »

Vet had my results when i called 2 weeks after kill date.

Ok, I'm hoping closer to 2 wks than 6.

Kill date is tomorrow

orm0nd

foxy farmer wrote: »

Vet had my results when i called 2 weeks after kill date.

I presume that was positive for lesions

tim04750

P_Cash wrote: »

Ok, I'm hoping closer to 2 wks than 6.

Kill date is tomorrow

I rang the factory the day the cow was killed and they were able to tell me no visible lesions
Dept need six weeks to assemble an answer on lesions, but will take up to 12 weeks to culture
If tb is strong in the sample it cultures quick, lower amounts of tb take longer to culture, and they will give it 12 weeks to be sure if nothing is showing

foxy farmer

orm0nd wrote: »

I presume that was positive for lesions

No. Both killed out clean. Another test due early Sept and confident they'll pass. No doubtfuls or small lumps in last test. A few of the neighbours had annual tests lately and all went clear.

orm0nd

foxy farmer wrote: »

No. Both killed out clean. Another test due early Sept and confident they'll pass. No doubtfuls or small lumps in last test. A few of the neighbours had annual tests lately and all went clear.

tim04750 wrote: »

I rang the factory the day the cow was killed and they were able to tell me no visible lesions
Dept need six weeks to assemble an answer on lesions, but will take up to 12 weeks to culture
If tb is strong in the sample it cultures quick, lower amounts of tb take longer to culture, and they will give it 12 weeks to be sure if nothing is showing

tim's post kinda explains why I assumed it was +

P_Cash

Don't really have to wait now to hear from dept/vet as i rang factory and the Bullock indeed had lision.

So, now I've 2 tests to face, early Oct and early dec.

Apart from that is there anything else i should see coming from a dept point of view.


Id normally of load the cattle in nov time, would ye advise holding now until New Year, as looks like i can't sell until dec 10ish, assuming i have two free tests.

AP2014

P_Cash wrote: »

Don't really have to wait now to hear from dept/vet as i rang factory and the Bullock indeed had lision.

So, now I've 2 tests to face, early Oct and early dec.

Apart from that is there anything else i should see coming from a dept point of view.


Id normally of load the cattle in nov time, would ye advise holding now until New Year, as looks like i can't sell until dec 10ish, assuming i have two free tests.

If prices are decent off load, last november and december prices were great and kept increasing. Will it pay to hold? Silage? Hardship and your time?

P_Cash

AP2014 wrote: »

If prices are decent off load, last november and december prices were great and kept increasing. Will it pay to hold? Silage? Hardship and your time?

Ya I'll have the silage as cutting some this week, hardship and time is my issue, i don't have slats just a dry shed, I'll find it had to keep the cattle if the vet gives me my cards back dec 5th. I'll prob have already a week or two on silage done. Out wintered with access to shed for feed and shelter.

Buford T. Justice XIX

One reactor:(

Earliest i can sell now is late December when prices are at their lowest.

3 reactors from 3 different groups of stock grazed on different parts of the farm. I wonder how that can be explained

Parishlad

Buford T. Justice V wrote: »

One reactor:(

Earliest i can sell now is late December when prices are at their lowest.

3 reactors from 3 different groups of stock grazed on different parts of the farm. I wonder how that can be explained

Sorry to hear that! Were the cattle mixed together at any stage?

If follow up tests are clear and you get the go-ahead in December it might be better, price wise, to hold on to them until late January at least. What age,type of cattle are they?