TB test

AckwelFoley · 19-02-2021 2:28pm #1

We went down again with TB. This time department tested

In the 40 years I can remember we only ever went down once. But now.. last 3 pr 4 years we have gone down 3 times.. and twice in the last few months

Miraculously none of out neighbours have.. 2 of them and I'm scratching my head.

Is it bad luck?

Am I being overly suspicious that out neighbours are up to something? I've heard of practice of injecting lumps to suppress them (may be an old wives tale..but it was a vet that said it)

If its badger's we share badger's I'm sure although many say it's not badger's that spread it..

Pissed off because we are down 3 in calf cows due next mobth and apparently no more than 70neuro extra for the calf is paid.

Is there any preventative measures we can implement to help stop contracting TB?

Albert Johnson · 19-02-2021 2:59pm

You have my sympathies and hopefully your luck will soon take a turn for the better. I'd put the idea that your neighbours are somehow influencing the situation out of your head, it's clutching at straws imo and counterproductive.

Tb outbreaks are sporadic and don't follow set patterns as too who escapes and who is impacted. A few year's back there was next to no Tb in our general area until an adjoining farmer had 1 reactor, a bought in cow. He went clear afterwards and that was the end of Tb for 5 years. Last autumn there were 9 local farmers with little to no history of Tb locked up and 1 herd depopulated. I'm mentioning all this because the original farmer with the single reactor cow has came clear twice so far when tested despite adjoining restricted herds on all sides.

Is there much forestry in your locality? There's lots of forestry locally and a fair bit of clear felling carried out recently which could have displaced wildlife vectors. I'd be of the opinion that deer are bigger spreaders locally than badger's as we have a substantial deer population.

I'd try and just move forward, try to get the reactors moved on as quickly as possible and work towards the next test. If you have the cattle housed then they shouldn't be as vulnerable to wildlife vectors atm and hopefully this will reduce the risk.

AckwelFoley · 19-02-2021 4:10pm

Albert Johnson wrote: »

You have my sympathies and hopefully your luck will soon take a turn for the better. I'd put the idea that your neighbours are somehow influencing the situation out of your head, it's clutching at straws imo and counterproductive.

Tb outbreaks are sporadic and don't follow set patterns as too who escapes and who is impacted. A few year's back there was next to no Tb in our general area until an adjoining farmer had 1 reactor, a bought in cow. He went clear afterwards and that was the end of Tb for 5 years. Last autumn there were 9 local farmers with little to no history of Tb locked up and 1 herd depopulated. I'm mentioning all this because the original farmer with the single reactor cow has came clear twice so far when tested despite adjoining restricted herds on all sides.

Is there much forestry in your locality? There's lots of forestry locally and a fair bit of clear felling carried out recently which could have displaced wildlife vectors. I'd be of the opinion that deer are bigger spreaders locally than badger's as we have a substantial deer population.

I'd try and just move forward, try to get the reactors moved on as quickly as possible and work towards the next test. If you have the cattle housed then they shouldn't be as vulnerable to wildlife vectors atm and hopefully this will reduce the risk.

Thanks.

I do agree I'm reaching and wouldn't even think of it only it was mentioned by a vet the last time round and it sowed a seed.

Our neighbours are good farmers and with a level head very highly doubt any improper practices.

It's just a real kick in the gut. We have not bought a single beast in over 25 years. So that's not a route or TB

No forestry either.

Badgers. Yes. Lots.

Anto_Meath · 19-02-2021 5:00pm

The herd here has been clear since 1991 with plenty of lads around down over that time. There is a guy beside us who has a 100 acres rented on a lease and he deals in bad shook cows, he is permanently down resulting in us testing every few months. In 2019 he was cleared out and not allowed buy in cattle for a few months so I only had 1 test that year and that was clear but I send cattle to the factory in October and 1 went down, had test and another went on that 1 two clear test then and was clear in June 2020. Sent cattle to the factory in August 2020 (within 60 days of the test and 1 went down) got clear again there at Christmas. My theory is that the spot the cattle were drinking out of at the stream in 1 field had become mucky and the badgers were probably in there hunting frogs and the likes, mixing with the drinking water and contaminating it. I cleaned it up in August and it is back to a nice clean running stream so I am hoping that will clear up my issue. Most of my other cattle would be drinking well water so it would be clean which I think is most important. I wouldn't think there would be messing with cattle after testing as they would be to afraid of the consequences if caught.

390kid · 20-02-2021 9:42am

I feel for ya. Were in the same situation with 6 gone in the second blood test and waiting on the results of the rest of that test as they were sent to two different labs. We’ve been through it all blameing certain cows, certain neighbours, different land parcels and the vets themselves. It’s pure sickening and it just hard to believe the lack of information you get regarding your own animals. The aul lad heres like a anti christ this months over it and I can’t blame him, the amount of phone calls and sh1te that he’s had to listen to and not being told anything that he wants to know is disheartening to see

Track9 · 21-02-2021 12:11pm

AckwelFoley wrote: »

We went down again with TB. This time department tested

In the 40 years I can remember we only ever went down once. But now.. last 3 pr 4 years we have gone down 3 times.. and twice in the last few months

Miraculously none of out neighbours have.. 2 of them and I'm scratching my head.

Is it bad luck?

Am I being overly suspicious that out neighbours are up to something? I've heard of practice of injecting lumps to suppress them (may be an old wives tale..but it was a vet that said it)

If its badger's we share badger's I'm sure although many say it's not badger's that spread it..

Pissed off because we are down 3 in calf cows due next mobth and apparently no more than 70neuro extra for the calf is paid.

Is there any preventative measures we can implement to help stop contracting TB?

===========================
It's a tough station & can talk about the experience of having one cow taken away.
Looked to see what changed locally. Forest was clear-felled & displaced Deer.
The Deer come onto our & neighbours silage fields in Spring. Interesting that a row of farmers all along the harvested Forestry had 4/5/6 reactors.
The Badgers in the area were tested clean a few yrs back.
So, not a whole lot can be done. Do testing & get rid of any doubtful. We were advised to get water troughs off the ground & watch out for Deer.

390kid · 21-02-2021 2:33pm

Track9 wrote: »

===========================
It's a tough station & can talk about the experience of having one cow taken away.
Looked to see what changed locally. Forest was clear-felled & displaced Deer.
The Deer come onto our & neighbours silage fields in Spring. Interesting that a row of farmers all along the harvested Forestry had 4/5/6 reactors.
The Badgers in the area were tested clean a few yrs back.
So, not a whole lot can be done. Do testing & get rid of any doubtful. We were advised to get water troughs off the ground & watch out for Deer.

Have deer been proven to carry it? We mentioned it to the vet and the department and was dismissed fairly sharp about them.

Track9 · 21-02-2021 6:01pm

390kid wrote: »

Have deer been proven to carry it? We mentioned it to the vet and the department and were dismissed fairly sharp about them.

==================================

Re Deer & TB.

Recently read about Dept Test. One Deer test showed circa 4 %, The other showed 15 % .
If you snag a Deer & send it to/ the Dept, they will get it tested & then you will the Deer Status either way,
Pat

390kid · 22-02-2021 12:07am

Track9 wrote: »

==================================

Re Deer & TB.

Recently read about Dept Test. One Deer test showed circa 4 %, The other showed 15 % .
If you snag a Deer & send it to/ the Dept, they will get it tested & then you will the Deer Status either way,
Pat

Do the department push for deers as carriers the same as badgers do? We have a fragmented farm and can’t see any visible sign of deer or badgers along with no recent clear felling of forestry? The more I think about it and read up on it I think the Tb testing is utter bollox

Anto_Meath · 22-02-2021 11:57am

As my late father used to say, its been going on since the 1950's and they are still doing the same thing, if it was any other industry this eradication scheme would be classed as a failure and it would be back to the drawing board.

390kid · 23-02-2021 2:24pm

Have you had anyone out to walk the land and talk you through the outbreak Ackwel?

Mooooo · 23-02-2021 2:31pm

Make sure water troughs and feed store/ silage pits are badger proof. Clean out troughs regularly. Get them to walk the place for badger sets

jd_12345 · 23-02-2021 3:25pm

AckwelFoley wrote: »

We went down again with TB. This time department tested

In the 40 years I can remember we only ever went down once. But now.. last 3 pr 4 years we have gone down 3 times.. and twice in the last few months

Miraculously none of out neighbours have.. 2 of them and I'm scratching my head.

Is it bad luck?

Am I being overly suspicious that out neighbours are up to something? I've heard of practice of injecting lumps to suppress them (may be an old wives tale..but it was a vet that said it)

If its badger's we share badger's I'm sure although many say it's not badger's that spread it..

Pissed off because we are down 3 in calf cows due next mobth and apparently no more than 70neuro extra for the calf is paid.

Is there any preventative measures we can implement to help stop contracting TB?

I feel your pain. Have lost over 50 animals to TB in the past two years. Tbf the compensation is fairly satisfactory it’s just you’re losing so much milk that it needs to be good as we’re not getting freed up to buy. It’s absolutely sickening to see good young animals with probably nothing wrong with them going off for slaughter.
IMO the main things you’ll need to do are:
1. rise all your water troughs so as that badgers can’t access them. Ideally almost a metre high. Get them out of water courses.
2. Stop feeding maize or beet or anything like that If you’re feeding it. It’ll draw the badgers of the country on you especially if they’re near.
3. Accept that your neighbours aren’t doing anything to pass the test. Most people out there will not in their wildest dreams mess with the test for fear of fear it’ll cause a reaction. If they were losing a good chunk of their herd and going away with the compensation it might be suspicious but never the other way. It’s too big a risk.
4. Work with the department. They’ll send out people to cull badgers and make sure you tell them every possible place that they Might find badgers. Play ball wherever possible as it’ll mean that if you want to get reactors away quick they’ll oblige you.
Sorry to sound harsh but your suspicions of your neighbours sounds slightly jealous. Talk to them about it. Badgers love soft ground like ringforts or anything similar and the badgers could well be on your farm and not on theirs.

Lime Tree Farm · 23-02-2021 3:40pm

Mooooo wrote: »

Make sure water troughs and feed store/ silage pits are badger proof. Clean out troughs regularly. Get them to walk the place for badger sets

and any mineral lick buckets near the water troughs are raised out of reach to badgers.

J.O. Farmer · 23-02-2021 4:28pm

jd_12345 wrote: »

3. Accept that your neighbours aren’t doing anything to pass the test. Most people out there will not in their wildest dreams mess with the test for fear of fear it’ll cause a reaction. If they were losing a good chunk of their herd and going away with the compensation it might be suspicious but never the other way. It’s too big a risk.

Was there ever a time when compensation was good enough for it to be beneficial to have a reactor. I'm thinking back when the eradication started.

I've never heard of anyone doing anything like injecting to get rid of lumps but I have heard legends about injecting to induce them.

I know there was the odd lad who'd switch a tag alright. Probably not as common now with the modern tags...but I'd still say it happens.

Doubt all the neighbours would be at it though unless you were unlucky enough to be surrounded by cowboys.

390kid · 23-02-2021 7:10pm

There was a few known men around here the other side of the border were known to be putting them down with the brucellosis test but I’ve never heard to many rooting around with the Tb test. Heard a bit a sh1te talk about cortesone into the lump but that was a bar stool topic and wannabe cowboy telling it

AckwelFoley · 27-02-2021 10:56pm

J.O. Farmer wrote: »

Was there ever a time when compensation was good enough for it to be beneficial to have a reactor. I'm thinking back when the eradication started.

I've never heard of anyone doing anything like injecting to get rid of lumps but I have heard legends about injecting to induce them.

I know there was the odd lad who'd switch a tag alright. Probably not as common now with the modern tags...but I'd still say it happens.

Doubt all the neighbours would be at it though unless you were unlucky enough to be surrounded by cowboys.

The animals were valued and removed this week

For their age a really fair, probably generous priced was given. Albeit it doesn't compensate the loss of the calves due to drop in March but best shake it off and push forward

RD10 · 07-06-2021 11:25pm

Have few cows with calves at foot to sell before end of june for Beam scheme.
Cows were tested early july last year, so they'll just about be still in date for a herd test.
Calves have no test yet and would need to be tested this week.
Am i within my rights to just test the calves or would the cows need to be tested along with the calves before selling?

Joebobs · 29-09-2021 10:09pm

I had a suspect animal and a blood test was done, which came back negative. I got a call that the amimal needs skin test again ...even though the blood test was negative. I would have thought the blood test would be the ultimate test? why do I need to skin test again next week if he came back negative on a blood test 4 weeks ago -on the round test he was suspected so weeks laker a blood test was done by dept.

AckwelFoley · 30-09-2021 10:14am

Since I originally posted these back in Feb we had to have another test done..

..because our neighbours went down in the test.. so looks like my suspicions albeit small, we unfounded

3 the square · 30-09-2023 3:57pm

If you get notice from the department to test by a certain date just say 10 Oct and farmer can only do first day of testing on the 10 of Oct what would be the penalty if any it will be my second test this year

Met a lad and he said you pay for test yourself if you go over there test date !

alps · 30-09-2023 4:26pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121177054#Comment_121177054

Ring, or get your vet to ring the DVO. Usually accommodating.They may let you out to the following week. Otherwise, any chance your vet could do it next week?

morphy87 · 30-09-2023 6:14pm

I went over it last year by about two weeks, my vet was busy, the department paid, no issues

TB test

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