wonder how he's perceived around Longford? George Lee seems very quiet lately? for a man that judiciously went after pat Smith for being paid too much and done hatchet job on ifa over it
Funny enough what lads take out of something
Ah but the water trough was too high for the calves. And it wasn't like. One calf even had a lie down in Kanturk mart. Sure god help us. I'd like to see Fran's expenses receipts from his and his crews french/Spanish holiday.
If that’s the worst footage they had……:The had to show the old French footage multiple times to try add some drama.
There was some bad behaviour throwing calves and the like but jeez they could have done a bit of research into their subject. There was so much inaccurate information reported as fact.
Whenever I hear such lies I wonder are the "exposés" on other stuff just as inaccurate.
It sounds to me you grew up on a farm buts that’s about as much as you know
I’ve siblings and cousins who I would class in the same group as you.
They know a bit and claim to know alot more till they open there mouth
Didn’t think there was anything in the program that hasn’t been flagged on here or in the media in recent years.
It’s terrible PR for dairy. That’s a given. But Fran, for all his sad eyes and slow violin music, didn’t produce a smoking gun.
See they said 20% of fish kills were caused by agriculture. Fair going I thought for 80% of fish kills not to be caused by agriculture considering the huge land area.
Can't catch a calf by ear or tail. Ha - Good luck with that.
The scheme that's coming is a quota imo
It will be wearing a different mask but it will be a quota in one form or another
Stop talking shite about something you obviously know f all about like a good lad
Department office in our local mart. I'm not there often but would see an official there most times. Only a small mart
it's only right and proper that all animals should be treated properly.
it can't be good for people mentally to just throw away calves for nothing
I think it would be fair to say a lot saw it coming over the past few years, it's been spoken about on a number of occasions here. Positive changes are happening but won't happen overnight and will add significant costs to those who became accustomed to dumping those calves at the first opportunity.
I often wonder how inspections take place in marts. As much time as I've spent in marts and abatoirs around the country I've never seen a department inspector. Do they rock up with a high viz and make themselves known so everyone is on good behaviour? I presume it's probably like how every other inspection in this country is done, from education, to hospitality, to healthcare, Advanced notice is given by inspectors so everything can be in decent order.
Silly question but what percentage of calves exported are non freisan? I thought the majority were freisan, but when they looked in the lorry they all seemed AA's.
Whole premise of the show was worthless dairy bull calves, yet the truck they followed had mostly Angus. Which passed off without comment. Didn't fit the agenda I suppose.
Hard to watch alright. Embarrassing also .. we didn’t see it coming
That was a harrowing watch. Scandalous to think the department oversees all of this (approving companies for transport etc etc and not doing on spot checks while they’re in transit) and how in the name of god there isn’t 10+ department officials at the calf marts in gortatlea/castle island to name a few when they know there’s a couple of thousand calves coming through daily in the spring. Tough for every one of us here that take pride in our animals and do everything we can to keep them alive at birth to see how they’re treated!
Didn't make for great viewing, between live exports of calves, the killing of newborns and the amount of pollution from dairying the timing of that program tells me that there's something coming down the line. That program was the prep work for what ever scheme is on the way
No excuse for throwing a calf or kicking it.
Exactly. Heads need to role and the farm orgs should be front and centre looking for that
Usually the calves are giving electrolytes and rested for 24 hours when they arrive on the farms. They could easily be given electrolytes on the trucks as well.
The people who should be and will be most outraged by this will be farmers. Those who take steps to ensure high levels of care for their calves. They should make their voices heard on this, no room for excuses. So.e of the staff you see working at marts are pretty brutal.
By the way, bad practices at marts have been going on for years; it is a separate issue to dairy expansion bit looks like it will be conflated to suit other agendas.
The length of time that elapses between feeds is unforgivable . If a reporter working for RTE can document that, what are our Department doing ?
Surely someone can be held responsible for this ? If the dairy industry is as important as we have been led to believe why not identity and prosecute the haulier/ driver /handlers etc and give them such a slap that no one else will think about doing the same .
I don't know where you think I said anything about worthless calves. Until recently, the push was for milk traits and law of averages then mean a % will be male. I find it hard to believe that no one puts value on them and it's a sad state that our beef industry processors wouldn't at least cover costs for even a free calf. Every calf has a value of course, even in dairy as without the calf you don't have milk. The dairy lads may need to suck it up but even dairy are receiving, or are close to receiving below cost of production for milk. Again, the primary producer, no matter what they are producing are being rode.
I'll agree that there is no plan for the absence of live exports, and why would there be as it's not gone yet. But I've a feeling minds are going to be focused on it after this airs tonight.
Looks like the PT program is lining up to be like one of those anti dairy campaigns. Great timing by RTE, anything to get the spot light off themselves.
Disappointing the carry on regarding the treatment of calves, haven't seen the program yet but by judging by the clips seen so far it doesn't look great. Marts don't see any value in proper handling facilites for calves, instead they use the same old layout that is used for adult cattle. Calves having to be pushed and dragged up the ramps of lorrys, all shutes and pennings unsuitable. Not enough help to handle the calves, one lad often left t get on with it, it all boils down to money and profits.
He was clearly making reference to the 100 acre sized farm which is more in line with the majority of dairy farmers in dero around the country.
Of course a 250 acre farm with 90 cows and all stock kept will make money but that is a very small minority of farmers with that kind of land bank, he was using that as an example of what a farm that size could carry regarding stock not that it wasn’t viable.
Your out of tune there as regards costs and the impacts all these enviro and nitrates reductions will have if we have to comply with all the red tape been thrown at us
the bank of land only has a value if u sell it same as stock ……
You couldn't put a cigarette paper between the EU commission and free market wing of the Tory Party.
Especially on trade especially on agriculture.
I'm not calling here to leave the EU etc but just I've often wondered why people who are so opposed to Brexit decide to characterise the EU leadership as something else...
Been involved in farming for over fifty years. Grew up on a farm of less than 50 acres of poor land with no outside income or subsidies . You can call me a troll if it makes you happy. Sticks and stones and all that .
jaymla627 implies that a 250 acre farm carrying 90 milking cows plus the sale of their followers every year plus a BPS and ANC isn’t viable. Sitting on a land bank worth north of two million euros with 150 plus head of cattle . And that isn’t viable . That’s BS
