Dairy Chitchat 4, an udder new thread.

It's an absolute disaster. I see the amount of time they spend measuring the lumps, every which way, when the first day was just a casual squeeze is a mockery of accuracy. Passing a severe interpretation test is like trying to hit black on a roulette wheel 5 times in a row. If those cows go clear on the blood and kill out clean in the factory, your restriction should be lifted, or at least go clear after one more rest. Trying to pass 2 more with that severe interpretation is just a farce.

If u have a cow with positive on skin and blood could both be false positive.Do bloods ever give false negatives

The severe interpretation is an issue. The measurements done on day one in no way reflect the accuracy of the measurement on day 2 if any lumps manifest. A reading incorrect to the tune of 1mm on day one, can result in an wrong determination on day two.

You will question this when you're at the butt end of these results with animals always clear on bloods and in factory and each incidence hitting the pocket to the tune of 5 figure sums.

The Dept are 60 years trying to eradicate TB and in the year 2024 still don’t have a test that’s 100% accurate.

You’d have to wonder if it’s a fool’s errand at this stage.

say that to someone that locked up for a year or longer that had to keep every calf them lads are in a awful way and all they pray is that they go clear

That’s precisely the point. The test is absolutely useless in this case.

Know of a guy who lost 50 cows between the blood test and 2 skin tests. The day the last bunch were being collected the Dept vet asked him if he had any other poor performing cow he wanted to send. So he sent one more old cow. And it was her that had the worse lesions of them all after passing the tests. Says a lot about the efficiency of the whole testing regime

Your bang on there alps ….I’m reasonably confident the 3 I have will kill out clear …bloods will be negative I’ll get compensated well for value of my cows as I have good ebi ,milk records pedigree regrestiration etc…..what I won’t be compensated for is the loss of milk for these animals …fact 2/3 are in calf to sexed semen to calve next January and the hassle and inconvienence of been locked up till at least December ….it’s just one more kick in the hole for 2024 to throw at anyone restricted

There is an active badger set in a fort in a neighbours farm just over ditch from me …we’re reasonably confident these are healthy badgers but we don’t know ….dept laid traps to try catch and vaccinate or put down badgers few years ago….they gave 2 weeks at it …caught nothing and last we saw of them ….they even left one trap behind and no monitoring done beteeeen Thursday and following Wednesday of Easter weekend 🙄🙄🙄

My neighbour who is down and beside a wood had set guys out last week to go look for sets ….they didn’t go too far into wood because it was tough going and overgrown …they don’t care

I last tested in march all clear and think only 2 with lumps were measured ….both of them had nothing this time other neighbours around us all tested in last 2/4 months all clear ….beteeeen end of march and Christmas this year I will now have 4 tests (in 9 months)…..that’s too many tests in such short time frame in my view and could affect results ….I’d love to have double sided or second crush so they ain’t getting jabbed so many times on one side….tb testing is big business now for Dvo and vets ….they are so far out of there depth as regards trying to eradicate or control it we really need a change in approach and personnel ….only ones to carry the can is the farmer and there is nothing we can do ….anyway rant over

Does that not tell u the whole programe is a joke what difference wud it make ig there was no testing only on sale animals what harm is it selling calves from restricted herds theyll be dead in 2yrs anyway the current dairy cows average not even 3 lactations

When the cows go through the factory there’s no bullshitting about TB. The dept trace the positives straight away. So they wouldn’t be long knocking on the vets door to ask him/her a few questions.

Also the vet has to notify the Dept prior to the test anyway so they can arrive in unannounced to check what’s being done.

Look at bvd carry on and no one saying anything

Wouldnt u think our highly intelligent boys wud havev taught of that when they first designed the scheme

Yes, false negatives are the problem.

Not false positives