Mart yard ban

Lady Haywire · 08-04-2018 10:07AM #1

Don't know if the news is much out yet but there was serious incident that happened in a mart yesterday. For fúck sake, don't send wicked bulls to the mart!!

wrangler · 08-04-2018 01:36PM

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

Got a call from a neighbour this morning. Yearling bull was caught up on a gate. Both back legs were in under the top bar and he was hanging forward. Don't know how long he was there but he was rightly caught. We got a big lifting strap in behind his front lags, lifted him and drove back. I jumped the gate to get the strap off. Was jumping back again to get out of the way and he decided to get up and hit the gate. Ended up hitting the ground a wallop. Caught me on the right hip. Can feel it niggling me now.
Just got me thinking about farm safety and how we work in a lethal environment. I'd be as safety conscious as anyone, but how do you avoid something like that.

A farmer was attacked by a bull in mohill mart yesterday, anyone hear anything

Lady Haywire · 08-04-2018 01:38PM

wrangler wrote: »

A farmer was attacked by a bull in mohill mart yesterday, anyone hear anything

Yes, I know the man. Bull came in the chutes it seems and was let off or got out the penning area without word going forward that he was wicked. Broken ribs,legs, punctured lung (or lungs unsure of that), still unconscious, hopefully he pulls through.

whelan2 · 08-04-2018 01:47PM

Lady Haywire wrote: »

Yes, I know the man. Bull came in the chutes it seems and was let off or got out the penning area without word going forward that he was wicked. Broken ribs,legs, punctured lung (or lungs unsure of that), still unconscious, hopefully he pulls through.

You'd have to wonder what lads do be thinking sending an animal like that to the mart

wrangler · 08-04-2018 01:50PM

whelan2 wrote: »

You'd have to wonder what lads do be thinking sending an animal like that to the mart

hence the highest accident rate of any profession.....lads brought up on pallets and baler twine

charolais0153 · 08-04-2018 01:51PM

Animals do get very stressed in marts. Had a weanling once that went apeshìt up in the mart . this bull might have been the same?

Lady Haywire · 08-04-2018 01:57PM

I honestly don't know if the bull went mad or was wicked on the way in so can't really comment on that. Unfair of me to write in the other post that nothing was said about him being wicked when it could have been stress of the mart etc that caused him to attack.
Either way, an unfortunate incident but where he was attacked he should have been able to see the bull coming up the chutes and moved.

whelan2 · 08-04-2018 01:57PM

Should farmers etc be allowed near the chutes?

Lady Haywire · 08-04-2018 02:02PM

whelan2 wrote: »

Should farmers etc be allowed near the chutes?

The way mohill is laid out there's a sort of walking area beside where dry cows are penned parallel to the chutes so normally it's an area folk gather to chat or watch stock. Theres' also a safety area to stand into at it but the lower part is a bit of a dead end unless you go through the gate. Either the bull got out or was let out unwittingly and it turned down there instead of over to a single pen which would be near the heifer/cow ring.

Angus2018 · 08-04-2018 02:11PM

Bulls are unpredictable animals, the levels of testecerone can make them snap in an instant. Plenty of horror stories where owners have been turned on for no reason. You need to always have an exit, hug a fence/ditch/gate etc and never turn your back.

Cavanjack · 08-04-2018 04:44PM

whelan2 wrote: »

Should farmers etc be allowed near the chutes?

No and as for children walking around!!! Was in a mart one day during mid term break, kids everywhere including a main thoroughfare where the cattle are let out after being sold on their way to be repenned. There came a lunatic of a bullock into the ring, he went for the auctioneer and assistant. He was let out of the ring withoutout warning. Don't know how the children escaped.,

Base price · 09-04-2018 03:06PM

Aurivo have closed all their marts for the rest of the week after the incident in Mohill over the weekend.
http://www.thatsfarming.com/news/aurivo-mart-closures

scuggels · 13-04-2018 10:37AM

Marts in the west are starting to announce that mart staff only will be allowed in the yard. Surely this won't work. They will need to come up with other means of safety as I feel there is always a need for viewing before a sale and pick the animals you might buy instead of wondering what is going to come in off the scales.
One mart announced trained drovers only in the yard well some of these may want re training there is a mart east galway there is a header that will drive cattle against people to spite and open gates pushing lads against it.
So overall I think they need to review other safety steps before a total ban from the yard!

bogman_bass · 13-04-2018 11:01AM

Lads don't like change and especially in marts ( how many lads have you seen light a fag around the ring?)
People just have to adapt

croot · 13-04-2018 11:08AM

scuggels wrote: »

Marts in the west are starting to announce that mart staff only will be allowed in the yard. Surely this won't work. They will need to come up with other means of safety as I feel there is always a need for viewing before a sale and pick the animals you might buy instead of wondering what is going to come in off the scales.
One mart announced trained drovers only in the yard well some of these may want re training there is a mart east galway there is a header that will drive cattle against people to spite and open gates pushing lads against it.
So overall I think they need to review other safety steps before a total ban from the yard!

Already in force but not the Marts decision Id say.

I was in Castlerea mart yesterday and Health and Safety officers from the HSE were there in force. I was told to drop the cattle at loading bay and then only use the approved walkways to put the numbers on. Inspection of the cattle was only allowed from overhead walkways. Everyone was warned on the way in.

All Aurivo/Homeland marts are closed at the moment while the HSE are investigating the serious injury that happened to a customer so it seems it is not up to the Mart's themselves any longer.

Lady Haywire · 13-04-2018 12:03PM

The thing is though, the man in question was in the collecting pen in front of the chutes. Not in the yard looking at stock. So where does the fault lie?
The bull barged into the pen behind heifers being let into the pen for moving so does the person who opened the gate get blamed? The mart for not enforcing the sellers to be wary of that pen and only follow cattle out of it, not be in it while the gate is closed?
Bull was a limousin and was quiet at home (so I'm told) was even grand when being tested for sale.

orm0nd · 13-04-2018 12:31PM

I think all bulls over a certain age should be only allowed straight to the factory,

saw 2 cases in local mart , one where the bull jumped out of the weighting scales and only for an alert drover who opened a pen gate to divert him could have killed people in the passage way,

I also agree in keeping people from the passage ways , if they cant judge stock in ring, too bad. You see very few agents or dealers , it's usually tyre kickers drooling at stock they have no intention of buying.

A committee member was telling me of 2 pending claims in a private mart . 1 for 150k for a kick from 3 month heifer.

scuggels · 13-04-2018 12:42PM

orm0nd wrote: »

I also agree in keeping people from the passage ways , if they cant judge stock in ring, too bad. You see very few agents or dealers , it's usually tyre kickers drooling at stock they have no intention of buying.

Agents dealers don't be buying top quality animals and they aren't stuck with an animal they will always have a home (victim) to send the animal. If a farmer thinks the animal is OK in and ring brings it home and regrets the purchase he/she is stuck with it. Al least previewing you can make up your mind and be comfortable and not impulse buying.
There are other measures that can be brought in....

Cavanjack · 13-04-2018 12:42PM

We should not be let roam feeely around a mart. You wouldn't let lads do it at home in your own yard. It's a miracle no child has been killed in a mart (none that I know of). Marts drive animals (and men) mad. The only option is gantrys or specific walk ways.

Bleating Lamb · 13-04-2018 12:43PM

Most marts in NW do not have overhead walkways so it would be v difficult to enforce a rule restricting farmers from the yard.

freedominacup · 13-04-2018 12:51PM

Bleating Lamb wrote: »

Most marts in NW do not have overhead walkways so it would be v difficult to enforce a rule restricting farmers from the yard.

Most marts don't have walkways full stop but this is definitely going to change.

freedominacup · 13-04-2018 12:54PM

Lady Haywire wrote: »

The thing is though, the man in question was in the collecting pen in front of the chutes. Not in the yard looking at stock. So where does the fault lie?
The bull barged into the pen behind heifers being let into the pen for moving so does the person who opened the gate get blamed? The mart for not enforcing the sellers to be wary of that pen and only follow cattle out of it, not be in it while the gate is closed?
Bull was a limousin and was quiet at home (so I'm told) was even grand when being tested for sale.

The fault lies with the mart. This is what will drive the change. There is no defence. The days of wandering around a mart lairage are numbered.

whelan2 · 13-04-2018 01:00PM

Lady Haywire wrote: »

The thing is though, the man in question was in the collecting pen in front of the chutes. Not in the yard looking at stock. So where does the fault lie?
The bull barged into the pen behind heifers being let into the pen for moving so does the person who opened the gate get blamed? The mart for not enforcing the sellers to be wary of that pen and only follow cattle out of it, not be in it while the gate is closed?
Bull was a limousin and was quiet at home (so I'm told) was even grand when being tested for sale.

Any update on the man?

whelan2 · 13-04-2018 01:02PM

freedominacup wrote: »

The fault lies with the mart. This is what will drive the change. There is no defence. The days of wandering around a mart lairage are numbered.

I am not in the mart often. I was there one day and the owner said to me no kids allowed near the cattle pens. This was a couple of years ago.

Cavanjack · 13-04-2018 02:18PM

Bleating Lamb wrote: »

Most marts in NW do not have overhead walkways so it would be v difficult to enforce a rule restricting farmers from the yard.

I'd say it will soon be a case of putting them in or closing the doors. If the insurance companies play ball and reduce marts premiums then it will pay to get them installed.

Lady Haywire · 13-04-2018 02:25PM

whelan2 wrote: »

Any update on the man?

Everyone i've spoken to says the same, not looking good. But he's fighting on at least so outlook has to be better than it was.

patsy_mccabe · 13-04-2018 03:25PM

It's a tough one. How can you buy cattle if you can't look at them. Getting a few seconds when they come into the mart isn't enough. Anyone that says it is, has never bought cattle. Marts are full of guys looking through the pens. You can't view cattle from the walkways either.
At the recent dispersal limousin sale in Roscrea, they had the gates locked denying access to the pens. You couldn't get into the ringside either as it was packed full. What were you supposed to do, just go home.
Ennis mart won't allow the owners herd the cattle to the chutes after you unload. In fairness, it works well. Stops the tailback for unloading in the morning. You are still allowed to walk out into the pens though.

zetor 4911 · 13-04-2018 05:21PM

Lady Haywire wrote: »

Everyone i've spoken to says the same, not looking good. But he's fighting on at least so outlook has to be better than it was.

Was the unfortunate man actually attacked by the bull or did the bull crash into him. Wishing him all the best.

Lady Haywire · 13-04-2018 05:43PM

zetor 4911 wrote: »

Was the unfortunate man actually attacked by the bull or did the bull crash into him. Wishing him all the best.

Pinned and attacked it seems. Could have happened to anyone, just the wrong place at the wrong time.

IH784man · 13-04-2018 06:26PM

Reinforced pens and a few extra bars added to the gates to bring them higher,with drover only until all cattle are penned then a set viewing time with locked pens until the start of the mart and drover only again could be one way to have the best of both worlds.

greysides · 13-04-2018 06:34PM

What will happen when a drover eventually gets attacked?

Mart yard ban

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