Spring 2020..... 1.5m Dairy calves.... discuss.

tanko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119572659#Comment_119572659

Given recent events maybe more farmers should be “bitching” about their neighbours calves before it’s too late for the calves.

ginger22

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119578114#Comment_119578114

there is always one, another greenie

GNWoodd

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119578913#Comment_119578913

Yeah

Only Greenies care about animal welfare !

Green&Red

https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2022/09/05/investigation-after-400-calves-found-dead-on-limerick-farm/

I had put the case last year down to some form of personal issue, thinking that no farmer could treat animals like that but its hard to do that again with an even bigger case. Starving little calves is as low as it comes

mahoney_j

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119579375#Comment_119579375

Agree ….but we all know little about this case ….no t for a second condoning it as it’s totally wrong but the farmer may of had health/mental health or other issues ….not an excuse …..but

K.G.

Do not discuss individual incidents. In my view it s akin to discussing fatal farm accidents.

ginger22

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119578932#Comment_119578932

Yeah sure were all abusing our calves,

Base price

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119579719#Comment_119579719

I agree. It's very easy for people to make assumptions and point fingers yet they don't know anything other than hearing mixed reports in the media.

The only thing that I will say in cases where there are multiple calf fatalities is that it can very easy to find yourself in that situation. We had a case a few years ago (I posted about it previously) when we had 67 calves out of 180 odd getting very sick and off their feed within a day of each other. The majority of these calves were weaned but about 40 were still on oad cmr. We lived day and night with those calves stomach tubing them including our Vet coming every day for 6 days and twice on one day giving the sickest of them IV fluids, antibiotics etc. We couldn't figure out what the cause was other than they wouldn't eat, drink, suck cmr and were lethargic and/or scouring - their dung samples showed up for e-coli. Our Vet twigged that the only common factor was their mains drinking water as the calves were split between different sheds in two separate yards. Our Vet got the water tested in a independent laboratory and it was high for e-coli and other coliforms. We lost 7 calves of which 4 were on oad, 3 were three to four months old and it shook the daylights out of the ones that survived.

We've been rearing good numbers of FR and dairy cross calves for 20 odd years and we never experienced anything like it. It put a huge strain on our physical and mental health. I don't want to go into any more detail as our solicitor is involved.

Edit to add: the person in the laboratory who tested the water phoned OH and told him not to drink the water unless it was boiled as it was unfit for human consumption. Thankfully we'd been buying 5l drums of bottled water for years cause the mains was cloudy or brown from time to time.

Pinsnbushings

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119580384#Comment_119580384

That was very tough and can only imagine how much strain that would put on you, u agree with the sentiment with regard not discussing such individual cases. The only issue I'd question is where there is a large amount of calves dead, why would they all still be on farm and not collected by a knackery. I suppose who knows how any of us would react if something like that happened and we genuinely were trying to look after the calves.

Base price

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119580815#Comment_119580815

As others and I have posted none of us know the circumstances. It maybe the case that the knackery/County Council Vets contacted DAFM when a number of calves were initially collected from the premises, we don't know. I know in our case our Vet contact our Regional Veterinary Office and told them about our situation.

Irrespective of the in's and out's IMO the only issue is the health of the farmer and his/her family at this time.

straight

More than likely a case of someone that couldn't handle the job. Should never have taken on so many calves in the first place.

alps

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119581096#Comment_119581096

That's one rubbish and out of olace statement. We've no idea what has happened here.

Base price

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119581096#Comment_119581096

IMO, only a <mod EDIT> would make a statement like that. We've no idea what happened in this case and it's remiss for you, I or anyone else to cast aspersions on the individual.

straight

I think it says more about ye than it says about me to make such over reactive and nasty comments.

You can make excuses for every crime and incident on the news every night but imo there should be accountability.

Only a fool would get themselves into such a situation and harm the whole industry with their bolloxing.

But sure look, off ye go with you're virtue signalling and your rush to the already crowded high moral ground. Sure maybe they had a hard upbringing for all we know, bla, bla, bla...

straight

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119581244#Comment_119581244

It said on the news that hundreds of dead calves were found. No excuse for that imo.

Base price

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119581539#Comment_119581539

😂 😂

cute geoge

Will there be any one there to buy calves next year by the looks of things .While the good store cattle are a great trade the middling stores 400kg poor trade no more then covering their costs

SuperTortoise

What ever happened to that case several months back where there was a load of dead calves found? Never heard anything about it since.

Bass Reeves

TBF and I can understand any lad can let things get on top of them but incident's like this are a blemish on farming.

Any lad that buys calves should know what they are at. Calves can be fragile enough animal's.

And yes things can go completely wrong for lads. Crypto was really hard to diagnose at the start and you could have 10-15 calves gone in a few weeks 4-5 years ago before a vet would test for it. Nowadays if you lose 3-4 the vet is testing for it straight away.

But if you are suddenly loosing calves out in July/ August there is something more than just thing getting on top of you being the problem.

If you have serious losses it's up to you to seek help. It's reflects on farming if you do not.

straight

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119581607#Comment_119581607

I've actually had a really hard time today and it wasn't nice to see the names you called me but based on you're past behaviour I'm not surprised.

While you are virtue signalling about some guy with a couple of hundred dead calves you are picking on me and being a bully.

You will never see me being such a child on here. Finishing my stiff whiskey and straight to bed.

Base price

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119581640#Comment_119581640

Of course there will be a trade for calves next year and for a few years. It is probable that the proposed EU Parliament recommendations on the "Protection of Animals during Transport" will be adopted, passed and ratified by the EU Council but they will come with a caveat and lead in times.

Base price

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119581778#Comment_119581778

I never like to hear about anyone having a hard or difficult time and I genuinely wish you and your family well.

Take care.

DBK1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119581320#Comment_119581320

I don’t know Base, I probably wouldn’t be as blunt as straight but you have to admit he has a point.

400 is far too big a number to not have done something about it. At a very minimum organise a knackery to take them away and not just leave them there.

Say my name

Since everyone has an opinion.

Not so much an opinion but the way my mind works.

I'd be getting the Guards involved if I was a dept of ag official on that farm now.

I'd be going through that person's financial records and have power somehow to keep an eye on them for some time.

Reason it's a serious harm against the livestock industry here. The IT had 400 dead, others revised it downwards. The reporter was from that county. Reports on goslings on the radio.

We're in a world now where millions are spent on billboards for PR. You couldn't buy the PR from this especially on the week when the minister was opening a new market in Japan.

See elsewhere where activists are drilling holes in milk lorries in the UK and now our enviro commentators in Ireland are thanking those posts.

Just an angle if it was me I'd be looking at.

Sometimes people can be too smart for themselves.

whelan2

May ye never suffer from mental health issues or bad health. Nobody knows the story here. Dont see the point in the speculation and punishments being posted here. Yes it's awful what has happened and those calves deserved better

ginger22

is there a moderator for this thread, are you asleep,

smallbeef

Yes probably a mental health issue. Its still a matter for the gardai, like any major animal welfare issue. They will determine the cause and what action to take, prosecution or help for the person involved.

Agree no point speculating but the media will do it anyway and its yet another jackpot for the vegans.

GNWoodd

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119582949#Comment_119582949

Yeah . The moderator should prevent the publication of any comment you don’t agree with.

I have noticed it on these boards lately that a few posters seem to only want to read whatever they agree with. Up thread there were posters criticising RTE on their coverage of the Limerick story . It doesn’t matter what way this was covered by RTE . There is no point in shooting the messenger

The critical point is that it happened when it shouldn’t have .

Neddyusa

As others have said, little point speculating about the Limerick incident until more details are reported.

However, back to the topic of the thread title, it remains an issue that there are huge numbers of Jex bull calves being sold without enough beisings (or any) being fed, with questionable dates of birth, being sold for very low money via marts and elsewhere.

Base Price above gave an example of how easily and quickly a disease outbreak can spread through a group of young calves sourced from multiple farms.

If you add to this malnourished and immuno-compromised calves - its a disaster waiting to happen on these farms rearing large numbers of calves.

The farmers involved such as in Galway last year will be vilified, and if neglect is proven - i think rightfully so.

However, just as culpable (if not more so) are any dairy farmers who dump weak and vunerable calves on marts and dealers at a few days old.

This is the crux of the problem - and until its addressed in a real way - there will continue "calf disasters" like this.

Siamsa Sessions

Just looked up milk powder and found two options on the Glanbia website. Both are 20kg bags.

• €52, 20% protein, for "Easi-beef calf" https://www.tirlanfarmlife.com/shop/product/GAIN-Easi-Beef-Calf-Milk-Replacer-20kg/1083791
• €62, 25% protein, for "dairy heifers and general use": https://www.tirlanfarmlife.com/shop/product/GAIN-Easi-Mix-Calf-Milk-Replacer-20kg/1014102

I think I used a 24% protein powder this Spring just gone, and it was around €55. So it doesn't seem to have gone up that much, but would the milk powder for sale now have been produced before milk price got to the current price?

Or would anyone speculate on what price milk powder will be next Feb/March?