to be re-tested but if I leave them there for
61 days then a re-test is required again at
my expense.
For anyone who has not watched Adam’s
Farm on the BBC’s Countryfile, the cattle are
run through a race into a crush, where their
individual ear tag numbers are recorded and
they are injected with a small amount of
tuberculin as well as Mycobacterium avium
into the skin around the neck. This will cause
the animal's immune system to react,
causing an allergic reaction (swelling) of the
skin a few days after the injection. The TB
test takes major advance planning, from
setting up to having sufficient experienced
labour for two days to handle the 220 head I
need to test this year. The cattle are
generally easy to catch the first time but the
second time…earplugs in please! It will be a
very stressful week for many reasons.
If I get the all-clear then I do not need to
re-test for another 12 months BUT if I get a
Reactor or Inconclusive then the holding is
shut down with no movements except direct
to slaughter. I will then need to re-test any
affected cattle 60 days later, which may
result in affected animals slaughtered,
another 60-day re-test or the shutdown
lifted. With widespread doubts about the
source of some vaccines used, especially on
cows near to calving with hormones rife, a
farming friend had eight in-calf heifers sent
for slaughter after a skin test, one being her
favorite but the organs showed no sign of
TB! This clearly is not an ideal test but the
only one available, so rightly or wrongly we
live with it.
Jess the new farm cat arrived late last year;
she had been rescued through RSPCA but
had issues with being picked up so not
suited as a house cat, but friendly in every
other way. As with most farms and the wet
weather, the rats were finding their way into
the buildings; the daily feeding of rat bait
was helping but not completely curing so this
sounded a perfect solution. Jess was
confined to the dog kennel for a week, minus
the dogs of course; when the gate was left
open she still spent most of the day in her
new bed! ‘Not quite the idea Jess’.
Gradually she began venturing further from
her bed and slowly exploring the farm. Jess
has now moved herself into the stable
containing the cattle food and very proudly
sat by her first rat kill and I could almost hear
her saying ‘Is that what you wanted then?’
and happy to say she is now earning her
keep, so it is a win, win for all.
The three New Forest ponies have been
happily grazing the large field opposite the
yard with the Old Dairy as shelter, their
regular field being waterlogged. They will be
moving back shortly but don’t panic if you do
not see them, there will be no horse meat in
my products!
Sarah Jackson
Why not order Goscombe Farm beef or pork,
email [email protected] or phone
01962 733969 for a price list and special offers.
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