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Original poster

Lies and subterfuge in Ambridge - from a policeman? That's just not cricket! Discuss The Archers here.

972 replies

PseudoBadger · 11/03/2017 11:03

Thank you R4 for the title.

OP posts:
Mootsie · 17/03/2017 19:25

I think Ed shoved the escaped cattle into another farmer's field to get them off the road then rang Pip to tell her.

Ooops!

FrancisCrawford · 17/03/2017 19:25

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

enochroot · 17/03/2017 19:26

I thought they had mingled with another herd.

RhinestoneCowgirl · 17/03/2017 19:27

Yes I think it's Pip letting the cows escape that is behind this disease outbreak. When Ruth was going on about how careful they were with biosecurity...

TheAntiBoop · 17/03/2017 19:29

Lowfield suggests it's from Josh and his farm visits

Gruach · 17/03/2017 19:33

Ah ... So they'll each be blaming the other?

DoctorTwo · 17/03/2017 19:34

It's not Pips fault though. Oh wait, it is. Also it's Josh's fault, as he caused the breach and he and Pip failed to secure it. The self centred pair of arsepieces. I hope their parents rip them new ones.

TheSilveryPussycat · 17/03/2017 19:36

Put me down for the Spoon Museum, Kingscote Brew Brew

TheSilveryPussycat · 17/03/2017 19:38

BOOP alright. Poor Lilian - she still loves Tiger and can't help hoping...

Gruach · 17/03/2017 19:43

Dunno if they're deliberately implying a Tiger-issue.

But she definitely doesn't want to be owned - with which I can completely empathise. (And public proposals are utterly grim.)

RhinestoneCowgirl · 17/03/2017 19:57

Also, Lil is 70 and a woman of independent means. Why does she need to be married?

TheAntiBoop · 17/03/2017 20:32

Particularly when your boyfriend needs help to stand up again

ThatsNotMyToddler · 17/03/2017 21:39

Just popping on to give a little cheer. Have been hoping all week that Pip's cover-up error was the cause of the drop in yields. How satisfying. I'm sure there was mention of the cows being in with Tony's, wasn't there? Didn't Pip and Toby have to separate the cows out on their first rescue mission?

Really hope this doesn't mean that Bridge Farm will lose cows as well. I guess it won't be clear which way the infection travelled. But maybe Josh brought the virus onto Brookfield land and their cows then spread it to Bridge Farm?

Not a good week for Pip all round...

ThatsNotMyToddler · 17/03/2017 21:41

Oh and just to clarify a point I made on the last thread (really behind here!). I didn't think it was rude of Pip to ask Toby to help her rescue the cows or mend the fence. Just that the way she did it was pretty rude.

TheAntiBoop · 17/03/2017 21:52

Interesting theory - Josh brought it into the farm and then pip spread it to bridge farm

This will lead to fall out and blame - probably Johnny will be blamed

Given how forgiving pip was when toby killed the chickens through negligence - I don't think she will be too bothered about the suffering she's caused her own animals

Imbroglio · 17/03/2017 22:13

Maybe the cows getting out is a red herring.

selsigfach · 17/03/2017 22:15

Ruth and David were moaning about yields going down and I assumed that Pip had mixed up the Brookfield/Bridge Farm cows and brought home Tony's duds. Is that right? Or is it that they have their own cows but the milk is down because they're ill and about to peg it?

ErrolTheDragon · 17/03/2017 22:18

Poor cows.

And poor (though he deserves it) Justin. BOOP for the commentary from the brace of birders.

TheAntiBoop · 17/03/2017 22:18

Tony has a different type of cow so I think they would notice. I also imagine that Ruth knows all her girls on sight so a strange cow wouldn't get past her!!

ErrolTheDragon · 17/03/2017 22:21

They don't have dairy cows at Bridge farm any more, Pip wouldn't have mistaken them ... and if one had ended up at brookfield they'd sure as heck have noticed when they tried to milk him!Grin

ThatsNotMyToddler · 17/03/2017 22:22

I think Tony's cows are beef cattle aren't they?

And I originally thought maybe the yields were down because the cows were stressed by their escape. But now I assume it's because they're ill.

@dairyfarmerswife where are
you when we need you?

TheAntiBoop · 17/03/2017 22:34

Can't beef cattle be both male and female?

witchmountain · 17/03/2017 23:10

Yes beef cattle can be male and female but you wouldn't keep the female ones lactating beyond feeding their own calves - you don't milk them.

ppeatfruit · 18/03/2017 09:36

Ed shoved SOME of the escaped cattle into another field. Oh dear there could be a village wide outbreak.

Wonder if our Pip will own up , I noticed she wasn't around the farm yesterday evening. To draw out the drama.

dairyfarmerswife · 18/03/2017 09:51

Firstly, they would definitely have noticed if they had strange cattle in the milking herd, even if they were dairy cows. We have 300 but any of us, except the work experience kid, would know if we had a strange cow in the parlour.

So, that probably means the infection has come from the cattle getting out. I would have thought Bridge farm would vaccinate against IBR (all the Archers do things by the book, don't they!) But didn't Ed put another escaped group in with some cattle at Home farm? On the herbal leys? So maybe those cattle infected the Brookfield cows.

I think it's unlikely to be Josh's fault mainly because he seems to avoid working with the cows wherever possible! And to be honest I'd have thought when he was visiting other farms he'd be in fairly smart clothes, rather than working clothes.

But no doubt there is supposed some conflict caused by Pip and Josh blaming each other. Maybe it wont be either of them!

Oh, and beef cows don't get milked because they feed their own calves. They do have a calf every year though - in case anyone thinks they are culled after reading one calf.