Foot and Mouth Outbreak

[Chipstick]

Not again

Breaking news on News24 - its in Surrey

Stop the demand for imported meat by not buying it, people!

Please support British farmers by keeping up demand for their products.

Was so glad to hear that, despite the restrictions on livestock movement, planned agricultural shows up here in Scotland will STILL go on, livestock-free, however.

Don't forget that foot and mouth crippled the tourist industry as well.

So if you've got tickets to see the shows in Perth, Duns and Dumfries, DON'T CHANGE YOUR PLANS!

Ag shows include a number of other attractions and plenty of lovely non-meat products.

Please go and show your support!

blimey

southeastastra

BLimey next headline "DEFRA sued over F&M outbreak" perhaps! But they are cat 4 labs!!!! Rabies, BSE & Scrapie work only use Cat 3.

Bit of a question for you all. I live right on the edge of the surveillance zone. At the end of the road, extending into the zone are a small herd of heathland grazing cattle. In a weeks time we are due to go camping in Wales. I need to check out again where we are staying but I think it has livestock. Would it be a good precaution to inform the campsite owners to let them know where we are from and let them decide if we might pose a very small but theoretical risk?

If it is the strain assocaited with vaccines, then how has it "escaped" from Pirbright?

I would do this as a courtesy to the campsite managers, Kreacher, absolutely!

In fact, that's incredibly thoughtful of you.

And it's possible the outbreak will hopefully be contained soon.

Cool - will do Expat. I remember how horrendous it was in 2001 and want to make sure that we do everything in our power to make sure its not repeated. I reckon that if everyone does the same then, if its not too late, it can be stamped out before it spreads.

Badkreacher, as extra precautionary measures, I would also wash down your car/tyres with disinfectant, and make sure any footwear is also disinfected before you leave.

FYI, we had a call last night that the Camelford Show (N Cornwall) on Wednesday is also going ahead, although without livestock. They thought long and hard about it, but came to the conclusion that it was better to keep going and just ensure they had precautions in place. The poor woman sounded terrible, having been on a one month standstill last time around when one of their neighbouring farms contracted FMD.

Ironically, Okehampton show, due to go ahead next Thursday was announced cancelled last week because of the bad weather.

Badkreacher good advice, we have just had to cancel guests from the same area but they were bringing horses down and were goinf riding round the large estate that we live on. Contact the place where you are staying.

India Knight made some good points but backed them up with some very ott 'facts'. Personally, the last time I saw a cow in a meadow was today. Most people who live in an area of good pasture land will be able to say the same thing.

As for this: "I know someone who culls and buries his cattle - having been subsidised for raising them - because the cost of the fuel involved in taking them to market, and the price he would get there, don?t make it worth his while" hmmm, big pinch of salt required.

Full article here: www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/india_knight/article2199189.ece

Bumping this to keep it active.

Because it needs to be, IMO.

Oh, I'm not debating the fact that farmers don't get enough money for the animals that they raise, just that this particular farmer killed and buried his own beasts rather than take them to the abbatoir/market. For a start every beast born has a passport and it is very difficult to 'disappear' even one bullock for the family freezer.

(Pig roasts are great btw - we've done them before too).

I agree with you Callisto.There is so much red tape associated with animal husbandry in this country,that I can't see how any farmer could kill & bury his own stock.

We have lots of sheep,yet I can't afford to buy lamb from the supermarket or butcher,so asked my dad if we could buy a sheep from him for meat.He refused as it would be illegal for him to slaughter it.The regulations on animal movements are extremely strict & the paperwork is astounding.

By the way,wool prices are coming in at about 23p per sheep at the moment,so it is probably cheaper to bury wool than send it off to the auctions.

Forgot to say-I've never seen cows kept anywhere other than a meadow,unless the weather is bad.What is India on about?

Meadows round here full of stock but - um - where does India live? Might it be London?

They do keep cows in all winter though.

Cargirl I thought of you as I watched the news this morning I remembered your post because it struck a cord

I am sure you have no pleasure in being right but all credit to you for spotting it

and

boingboing where in cornwall are you?you mentioned camelford show?i live in camelford.

What is INdia knight on about?

Cows are in meadows around this area (durham) from march till november, then kept in warm comfortable sheds during the winter. Sheep are outside all year around.

Where I do agree with India, is her point about battery chickens and also this must include Pigs kept in factory conditions too.
I now buy my meat from farm shops where the animals are treated with care and respect. I do pay more, for example I paid £11 for a organic free range chicken, but it was out of this world, no fat and extremly juicy. I personally would rather pay the extra money.
Her point about the out cry on fox hunting was a great one, I can never understand how people can get so upset about fox hunting, but buy a rotiserie chicken from supermarket for £2.

BoingBoing - Fortunately the campsite we are going to doesnt have livestock afterall (not quite sure why I thought it did) but I am going to give the car and footwear a good scrub down anyway - it wont do them any harm and I might as well do all I can.

i'm right on the edge of the surveillance zone, normandy isnt v far from me at all

this is the local council info

Parents have a place in Elstead - just next to the field where some of the cows were kept. Luckily they are away at the moment.

they're bringing the diseased cows to the south west of england

isn't that another way to spread the disease?????????????