Stock photo for illustration only.

NFU Cymru has condemned MS Joyce Watson’s recent comments on farming families battling bovine TB as “deplorable, insensitive and shocking”.

During yesterday’s plenary session (14th November) the minister for rural affairs made a statement on bovine TB eradication. In the discussion that followed, Joyce Watson said: 

“But if we’re talking about a rethink, Minister, have you looked at any farms that have perpetual TB status, and have you considered the question of whether those particular farms should be dairy farms at all? 

“Because if it is the case that they are in perpetual TB infection status, surely they need to find another business.”

@JoyceWatsonmsas you show a total lack of empathy & respect for those vulnerable farmers struggling to live with bTB. I couldn’t be more disappointed in this statement from a member of our Senedd#WeAreWelshFarming pic.twitter.com/7HPSz6TNKW

— Abi Reader (@AbiReader) November 14, 2023

Calls for an apology

Rachel Evans, director for Wales at the Countryside Alliance responded to the comments in a video on X, formerly Twitter: “That statement was absolutely appalling and has only added to the woes and stresses for those farmers who are down with TB. 

“That was pre-scripted, it wasn’t given out to the chamber on a whim, it was written down, it was thought about and prepared. 

“Joyce Watson you owe your constituents an apology and the sooner that comes the better.”

NFU Cymru deputy president Abi Reader also condemned the comments in a video on X, calling them “thoughtless and best, unkind at worst”. 

“Myself and Alex have both experienced first hand the trauma that bovine TB can cause in herds. We fully understand what many people will be feeling right now,” she added.

However, she said a number of positives also came out of the session and made special reference to minister for rural affairs Lesley Griffiths and Sam Kurtz MS, who noted the success of the Pembrokeshire TB Project, as well as Mabon ap Gwynfor MS who spoke about the NFU Cymru Bovine TB Survey.

Lacking empathy and respect 

NFU Cymru has written to the MS to underline the hurt caused by these comments to many farming families across the country who are affected by bTB.

Bovine TB focus group chairman Roger Lewis said: “I was truly saddened and disappointed to hear your insensitive comments in the Senedd following the statement made by minister Lesley Griffiths in relation to the Bovine TB Eradication Programme. 

“I am struggling to put into words my frustration that a member of the Senedd elected to represent Mid & West Wales could make such deplorable comments, so lacking in empathy and respect for the farming families in your constituency going through the emotional hell of dealing with an outbreak of bovine TB on their farm. 

“Your suggestion that these families, many of whom are suffering persistent bovine TB breakdowns despite adhering to strict veterinary and scientific advice, should just walk away and find another business is – frankly – shocking.”

Joyce Watson was invited to spend a day learning about the Pembrokeshire Bovine TB Project, and to meet some of the farming families who are working hard to rid the countryside of bTB. The project is led by local farmers and vets seeking to find solutions to this disease within the constraints that have been set by Welsh Government policy decisions, Mr Lewis added.

Joyce Watson has been approached for comment.

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The Jones family, of Nantgosh Farm near Oswestry, estimate that around 50,000 to 100,000 starlings were helping themselves to four tonnes of feed a day.

Last year they embarked on a project to protect the buildings with welded wire mesh panels.

At a cost of £30,000, starling proofing the sheds was a major outlay for the business, but the family estimates it will pay for itself in just two months through feed savings alone.

There were also financial losses from reduced milk production – up to two litres per cow per day in the 770-cow herd, due to the lower energy density of the fed ration from predation, with negative effects on fertility as a consequence.

Bryn Jones, who farms with his wife, Bev, and son, Mathew, told farmers attending a recent Farming Connect open event at Nantgoch that the money spent so far on measures to deter starlings had been a very worthwhile investment.

“It is a lot of money to find and we still have another 20% of the buildings to do but it is the only way we can protect the feed and the cows from the infestation,’’ he said.

Biggest challenges

Protecting feed passages on the outside of buildings was one of the biggest challenges but it was achieved with cage-like canopies which can be raised off the passage when the feed wagon is depositing the ration and winched back into position when cattle are feeding.

One of the next hurdles is to protect the maize clamp during times when access is not needed.

“It isn’t going to be easy but it is something we are going to have to do,’’ said Mr Jones.

Dips in milk production

Graphs produced by the farm vet, Rob Edwards of Cain Vets, show dips in milk production during the months of peak infestation, with a potential 4.4% loss in energy corrected milk (ECM) during those months compared to the period when starlings have migrated, although other factors such as day length and a dip in maize silage quality later in the year can influence that too.

Mr Edwards also warned of the health risks from starlings as potential vectors of infectious diseases such as Salmonella Typhimurium.

Bovine TB risk

Mitigating the risk of bovine TB spreading from badgers accessing feed is another priority at Nantgoch. There is currently a breakdown in the herd after six clear years.

Mr Edwards said use of cameras can be a good way to confirm the presence of badgers and also which parts of the farmyard they visit. 

He recommended sheeting access gates with tin or board to a minimum height of 1.5m, no more than 7.5cm above the ground.

Keep areas that can be accessed by livestock free of pools of stagnant water as TB bacteria can live in this water for up to 12 months, Mr Edwards added.

Compact feeding benefits

The high yielders at Nantgoch are fully housed and what goes into their compact TMR ration, to produce the average annual yield of 12,530 litres from three times a day milking, is crucial to maintain performance and health.

Compact feeding has prevented sorting and helped with digestibility of the raw materials.

The ration is formulated by the farm’s nutritionist, Neil Blackburn, of Kite Consulting, incorporating 24kg maize silage and 15kg grass silage, both fresh weight quantities, 6.7kg bread, 2.5kg blend, 3kg 18% protein cake, 0.5kg of sustainably-grown soya, and 8kg water, providing a total fresh weight intake of 62.2kg to produce 40 litres.

Around 2,800 litres of the annual yield come from forage, with 198ha of maize grown on the 445ha farm and grass silage produced from a five-cut system at an average of 11.2 MJ ME/Kg DM.

“Quality forage is absolutely critical in this type of system,’’ said Mr Blackburn, and also consistency. “The general rule is to avoid change if the ration works,’’ he advised.

Transition cows

A calcium binder is included in the transition cow ration after issues were experienced with colostrum quality and with clinical cases of milk fever.

At a cost of £0.70/cow/day for three weeks, or £3,400/tonne, Mr Jones admitted it was not a cheap option but said it is extremely effective and there is a saving on the cost of calcium boluses which are no longer needed. The plan is to move back to a DCAB system in time to reduce cost.

Good clamping protocols means no binder is currently needed to counteract mould and mycotoxins but Mr Blackburn recommends including in the ration where there have been problems; these cost around £0.06/cow/day.

“It is costly to test for the specific mycotoxins and there is such a range of them that my advice is to put a binder in and you will either see a result in milk response within 21 days or not, where it is needed it definitely does work.’’

Healthier stock means reduced use of antibiotics, an ambition that every dairy and livestock farmer should be striving to achieve, said Rhys Jones, technical lead at Arwain DGC (Defnydd Gwrthficrobaidd Cyfrifol/Responsible Antimicrobial Use).

He advised farmers of the programme of work Arwain DGC has with a number of farms and with the equine industry to trial ways of reducing antimicrobial use.

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A single cow has tested positive for bluetongue serotype 3 at a premises near Canterbury, Kent. The case was discovered on 11^th November as part of routine surveillance.

A 10km temporary control zone has been declared around the premises where the animal was kept. Movement restrictions apply to cattle, sheep and other ruminants.

A number of serotypes of bluetongue are currently circulating in Europe including, BTV-3, BTV-4 and BTV-8.

Last month, reports of the new strain of bluetongue (BTV-3) spreading rapidly in the Netherlands, prompted a series of emergency meetings by the Ruminant Health and Welfare (RH&W) group.

Vaccines are available for serotypes 1, 2, 4 and 8, but existing vaccines will not offer cross-protection against the new strain.

As a result, it’s especially important to follow advice to take action and prioritise good biosecurity measures, whilst remaining extremely vigilant to the disease.

The virus does not affect humans or food safety, it can cause significant production losses. Dr Hazel Wright, deputy head of policy for the Farmers’ Union of Wales said:

“Alongside purchasing livestock from responsible sources, surveillance is the best way to combat the spread of this disease and we are therefore urging members to be vigilant and report any suspicions of disease immediately.”

RH&W advises a three-pronged approach to preventing the disease:

1. Buyer beware, only source animals from Europe responsibly
2. Take action, prioritise biosecurity and report any suspicious clinical signs
3. Vigilance is key, monitor livestock closely.

Bluetongue can spread to the UK through infected midges, which can be carried across the channel by the wind. The south and east coasts of England face the highest risk.

The risk level is impacted by the level of disease in nearby parts of Europe, weather conditions – especially wind speed and direction – and temperature.

The virus could also be brought into the UK through the import of infected animals, blood or germinal products, from countries where it is circulating.

Further information and resources can be found here: https://ruminanthw.org.uk/bluetongue-virus/ or on gov.uk

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A ban on live exports could create an oversupply in UK markets, resulting in lower demand and prices, Welsh farmers have warned.

The Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Bill is set to introduce a legislative ban on the live export of cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and horses for slaughter or fattening from Great Britain.

However, the Farmers’ Union of Wales has raised concerns about impacts on the home market.

FUW president Ian Rickman said: “Introducing a legislative ban on live exports has the potential of creating an oversupply in UK markets, resulting in lower demand and therefore prices farmers receive for their stock.

“Defra previously estimated that such a ban would cost the industry £6.6 million per annum, yet this was merely based upon an assumed 15% price differential without taking into account the loss of markets or the likelihood of such costs disproportionately falling on small and micro enterprises.”

King Charles’s inaugural speech also set out the government’s priority to introduce the Trade (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership) Bill, which would effectively ensure the UK can meet its international commitments under the CPTPP.

Mr Rickman added: “The UK Government promised that they would not compromise on our high environmental protection, animal welfare and food standards in all trade negotiations. However, what we’re seeing here is an increase in barriers for UK producers while the government signs liberalised free trade agreements with other countries.”

The CPTPP comprises a diverse range of countries with varying standards, but many produce food in a way that would be illegal in the UK, he said.

“As such, it seems that efforts made by the UK Government to ensure that, where possible, standards are included in trade deals in order to ensure equivalence, maintain UK food standards and protect UK farmers from unfair competition have been absent or negligible.”

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Data from 274 bulk milk tank PCR samples showed 50% of herds tested were positive for Q fever, according to Ceva Animal Health.

Q fever has been historically underestimated and awareness of the disease amongst farmers and related industries has been low – despite the fact that it’s been endemic in GB dairy herds for some years.

While Q fever has the potential to impact herd productivity, the disease is frequently overlooked as other infertility causes are often investigated first, which can lead to economic losses for farmers in the meantime, Ceva says.

The disease, which is caused by the bacterium Coxiella burnetii, is also zoonotic which makes it a health risk to those in contact with infected animals including farmers, farming families, vets and abattoir workers.

Infected dairy cattle generally do not display clinical signs, however these signs include: severe hyperthermia and rapid pneumonia in the acute phase (inflammatory stage) with spontaneous recovery over seven days.

In the chronic phase Q fever primarily affects reproductive performance in cattle and presents a serious threat to productivity. Signs reported in Q Test samples that tested positive include: Infertility (79%), abortions (71%), metritis/endometritis (36%), retained placenta (15%), and pregnancy loss/still borns/weak newborns (11%).

80% of farms test positive

Tom Angel, a veterinary surgeon at Synergy Farm Health, comments: “The bulk milk Q fever testing we have been undertaking in our practice has returned positive results in approximately 80% of farms sampled.”

It’s challenging for vets to determine the impact of Q fever on farm, he adds. “In some cases, where other causes have been excluded, signs such as increased pregnancy losses and still birth rates have been identified.

“However, on other units more subtle, but still costly effects, such as increased days open and increased transition disease may be attributable to Q fever.”

Supplementary diagnostics – such as serological testing of animals in different management groups, and the cost calculator from Ceva’s Q audit – have helped the practice develop vaccination protocols on different farms in a cost-effective manner.

Where vaccination protocols have been put in place, early results have been positive, with an apparent reduction in pregnancy loss and still births, Tom said.

“Whilst it is too early to assess any long-term impact of vaccination, these preliminary findings are encouraging and should increase the awareness and engagement from farmers and vets with this disease.”

New Q fever map

A new Q map from Ceva Animal Health highlights the incidence of Q fever in dairy herds throughout the UK based on the Q Test data.

Katherine Timms, ruminant veterinary advisor at Ceva Animal Health, says: “The Q map clearly demonstrates that Q fever is endemic throughout the UK and it will be updated on an ongoing basis.

“Diagnosis can be challenging, as it is similar to many other diseases in dairy herds, however farmers should ask their vet to investigate the disease if cows in their herd are experiencing fertility issues; these include unexplained abortion and still birth, high levels of metritis and endometritis, or if there is unexplained poor fertility performance such as repeat breeding, higher calving to conception rate and embryo loss.”

For further information please contact your local vet. To view the Q map or for further information on Q fever go to: www.qfever.co.uk.

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Stephen’s milking system has 18 robots to speed up productivity, save labour and improve yields, as his 600 Jersey cross British Friesians enter the stalls when they please. The milk is then gently pasteurised, bottled and sold at one of his four vending machines in local shopping areas under its brand name JustMilked. It’s sustainable, convenient and Stephen has kept the profit right through the supply chain.

Stephen funded the state-of-the-art parlour by combining government grants and specialist agri asset finance.

“Stephen’s farm is a brilliant example of someone having an idea and finding the perfect way to make it reality,” says Matthew Smart, CEO of Rural Asset Finance, which funded the project. “These projects do need specialist financial support and most lenders can’t structure multiple finance products in parallel to cater for the diverse revenue streams in modern farming.

“For a start, the legacy HP, lease, loan and mortgage debt needs to be analysed. We consolidated Stephen’s existing finance to a new long-term loan at a cheaper rate which more than halved his monthly repayments. This freed up his machinery fleet from finance, enabling him to change and sell machines easily to complement his changing business model.

“The new parlour was funded with fixed-rate lease finance over 10 years and a new loan for the shed to house it. Loan funds paid the invoices and Stephen used grants to retrospectively repay some of the initial loan and provide solid working capital buffers to counter high input costs. A further grant, with HP finance, bought the pasteurising equipment and the vending machines, with no cash outlay from the farm bank account.”

Government grants including the Farming Investment Fund, the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund and the Farming Transformation Fund can provide up to £500,000 towards equipment or building projects. And with the right finance partner farmers could, like Stephen, use that money as a foundation to access borrowing that transforms their farms, and their revenue.

Now is the time to take advantage of government support. Matthew explains: “Many farms are seeing benefits processing food products and retailing them directly, which keeps more of the supply chain profit on the farm. Whether it’s turning potatoes into crisps, or washing and packaging your products before sale, that’s adding value and can be done with automation.

“Yes, it’s significant investment in such things as packhouses, parlours and processing plants, but grants complemented with the right credit agreements are making this more achievable than ever. Obviously, the whole farm’s finances need to be reviewed – modern farm revenue generation is changing so dramatically that historic debts now need structuring differently to ensure they remain manageable.

“We’ve helped so many farmers expand their business in this way and with the grants continuing into next year we’re ready, willing, able and happy to help many more.”

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Cattle and sheep farmers are being warned to be vigilant for increased parasite burdens.

Due to the increased number of parasites in the environment, lambs are continuing to suffer from high worm burdens, which can have knock-on performance impacts – slowing down their finishing times, said Ben Strugnell during Elanco’s ‘Parasite’ update video.

“It’s crucial to monitor lambs closely, looking for signs of poor performance. If you can, weigh them frequently and faecal egg count (FEC) test, to confirm any suspected worm burdens within a flock,” he said.

Never ignore a husky cough

Mr Strugnell explained that he has recently seen increased numbers of cattle come into his clinic with heavy worm burdens.

“I’ve performed several post-mortems on calves who’ve died after losing condition suddenly,” he said.

“Although the cause of death was originally thought to be liver fluke, it was revealed that these calves had bad cases of parasitic abomasitis (inflammation caused by worms) or lungworm.”

While lungworm is uncommon in sheep, it is more prevalent in cattle, though generally only occurring every few years.

Mr Strugnell said: “I’d caution all farmers not to forget about lungworm in cattle, and never ignore stock with a ‘husky’ sounding cough, as this is a key symptom.

“In terms of testing for lungworm, although both methods aren’t 100% reliable, you can send faecal samples away to check for larvae, and blood samples to check for antibodies after infection.”

Harder to monitor 

He explained worms are harder to monitor in cattle than in sheep, as the egg numbers present in FECs are not as high – but in general, anything over 200 eggs per gram means it is worth worming.

“Again, in cattle, anthelmintic resistance isn’t as common as it is in sheep, but it’s still important to follow best practice by worming to weight and conducting a second FEC two weeks after drenching, to check wormer efficacy.”

Mr Strugnell will continue to provide regular update videos on current disease and parasite threats on the updated Elanco Parasight webpage.

Visit the page and sign up to receive Parasight updates directly to your inbox: https://bit.ly/3s38gX0.

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A dispersal sale of the Gretnahouse herd is set to take place at Borderway, Carlisle, on Saturday 18^th November.

The British Charolais Cattle Society has described it as a “landmark event” in the history of British Charolais, as it is the sale of some of the most influential and admired Charolais genetics in the national herd book.

The sale will be livestreamed and open to bidding through Harrison & Hetherington’s  MartEye.

For many Charolais Society members and livestock breeders, this sale will be a tribute to and celebration of the life and achievements of the late Alasdair Houston.

A past chairman of the British Charolais Society among many other distinctions, Alasdair took over the Gretnahouse herd from his father Adair in 1985 and made it one of the powerhouses of the breed’s development in the UK.

Gretnahouse stock bull Lochend Nighthawk will clearly be a highlight of the sale, together with 30 spring calving cows and calves and nine autumn calved cows with 10 calves at foot. The sale will also include nine in calf heifers, two autumn in calf heifers, 11 spring 2022 born heifers and 11 autumn 2022 born heifers.

At Gretna House the main focus has always been ease of calving, and general performance with a strong influence on performance traits to keep the herd in the top percentiles of the breed.

The BCCS will produce full breeding and EBV graphs for all the Charolais in the Gretnahouse sale, underlining the commitment that Alasdair Houston made to breeding for commercial performance as well as for pedigree excellence.

Pre-sale inspection of the herd is welcome by appointment. Please call Joe Speak on 07469 70488  or email Gretna.house@btinternet.com

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AHDB Beef & Lamb has unveiled an innovative systems-based knowledge exchange programme, Roots to Resilience.

It kicks off with a three-day workshop for up to 50 farmers running from 13-15^th December in Sutton Coldfield.

Attendees will be able to develop a bespoke action plan for their farm businesses, which will include identifying worry areas to address, communication at home and within the business, the establishment of clear goals and a shared vision for attendees, their families, and their businesses.

They will also be able to take part in four quarterly virtual ‘check-in’ sessions in 2024 with course leader Dallas Mount, where he will continue to support them on their journeys to healthy land, happy families and profitable businesses.

Dallas Mount owns Ranch Management Consultants and has worked with thousands of farmers and ranchers across the US, Canada, Mexico and Australia to position their businesses for economic profit and ecological health.

A two-day workshop will also run for industry consultants ahead of the farmer-specific session from 11-12th December, focusing on developing their understanding of the new systems-based approach and discussing how they will work with the involved farmers and AHDB to motivate positive change.

Head of engagement for beef and lamb, Samantha Charlton, said: “It can be challenging for farmers to focus on the future and invest in themselves when their time and brain space is filled with daily tasks and problem solving.

“We want to challenge their thinking and help them reach their long-term goals by looking at the entire system instead of focusing on technical application alone. We understand that every farmer and every farm is different, and that one size fits all approaches are outdated and rarely successful.”

She added: “The farmer workshop in December will give delegates the opportunity to step away from practical farming for three days and focus on long-term planning. It is very much about focussing on people and what they want to achieve not just in their businesses, but in their lives, as we know how intrinsically linked the two are.

“The workshop will play a pivotal role in not only providing those attending with bespoke action plans for their businesses, but in equipping us at AHDB with greater insight into the topics that our levy payers want and need more help with, so we can deliver the best value for money in terms of the support services we offer.”

To read more about the Roots to Resilience programme or to sign up for the events visit: https://ahdb.org.uk/roots-to-resilience/

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Rumen acidosis occurs when the pH of the rumen becomes acidic. The change in pH can result in some rumen microbes dying off, impaired rumen function and performance dropping. In severe cases, liver abscesses can form, and animals may die.

“When talking about acidosis in cattle, we are talking about the excess production of acid within the rumen,” says Howard Kellock, managing director of Fakenham Farm and Equine veterinary practice.

This can occur by feeding too much of something, like cereal or compound feed. From his experience, Howard tends to see more cases of acidosis in cattle fed high-energy rations. This is because it drops the rumen pH more regularly. Any animal fed a well-managed total mixed ration (TMR) tends to suffer less from acidosis effects.

How to prevent acidosis

Farmers can protect against acidosis by providing plenty of fibre. Fibre will encourage more cudding and, in turn, saliva production. Howard believes saliva production is critical because this is where all of the natural acid buffer produced by the cattle is from.

“Most commonly, acidosis is subtle and not obvious at first. The primary way to judge this is on dung consistency, which tends to be less solid the more severe the acidosis. The knock-on effect of these symptoms is a loss of production. For dairy cows, this is a loss of milk production; for growing or finishing animals, it is a loss of daily live-weight gain or poor feed conversion efficiency,” says Howard.

“Using high lactic acid silage, feeding high levels of cereals, and new season grain are all risk factors for acidosis,” says Jill Hunter, beef and sheep nutritionist for animal nutrition provider Harbro. “This could be seasonal, such as the switch to freshly harvested grain, or when they switch from growing to finishing rations.

“Prevention is always better than the cure. We know ruminants evolved to graze hills and long-stemmy forages, not to stand in a shed and eat ad-lib cereal. It is about returning to basics and ensuring the rumen environment is right, so animals can really get the most out of what we feed them.”

Farmers can mitigate acidosis risk by altering some management practices. Ensuring the silage’s chop length is correct and the structural fibre in rations can help. Jill advises transitioning to a finishing ration should last two to three weeks; any shorter, the risk of acidosis significantly increases.

Nucleus research farms

Harbro has been conducting trials using its unique rumen buffer Alkacid to optimise rumen health on its Nucleus beef research farm in North East Scotland. It is one of a pair of farms run by Harbro to conduct practical research, providing information to aid its advice to farmers. The other farm focuses on dairy cow research.

Alkacid combines rumen buffers, essential oils and natural hot spices in a honeycomb structure, which Jill claims will absorb 20% more acid than bicarbonate. The rumen buffers work immediately and for 24 hours. These are supported by the essential oils inhibiting starch-digesting rumen microbes and hot spices, increasing water intake and promoting saliva production.

“Scientific research is at the heart of our research and development programme, which is why we have close links with Glasgow Vet School. The Nucleus research farms aim to impart commercial reality into our research work; a great balance between science and farming reality.

“They are set up to replicate a finishing unit typical of many customers, meaning our findings are highly applicable when we discuss them with farmers,” explains Jill.

Rumen buffer trials

For the Alkacid trial, cattle were a typical mix of continental and native breeds, bought from auction markets throughout Scotland. Once they arrived on the farm, cattle were fed Harbro Beefstock nuts as a transition feed. This is gradually phased out and replaced with ad-lib barley, which has been processed using one of Harbro SuperBruiser machines.

The cattle were divided into four pens, with two receiving Alkacid with their feed ration. This provided two replicates in the trial and a more robust dataset. They were finished and sent to the processor within 100 days of arriving at the farm.

“We were astonished by the results. The cattle fed Alkacid in their rations gained, on average, 350g per head per day more throughout the transition period than those that did not. This gain is attributed to the cattle transitioning better, which led to improved rumen health and utilisation of their ration.

“By transitioning and finishing quicker using Alkacid, the cattle are on-farm for fewer days. This leads to an increase in profitability and a decrease in the carbon footprint. If a farmer can get cattle off their farm quicker, they can increase their business throughput by finishing more cattle in a year.

“When combined with thorough herd management, adding Alkacid to a feed ration is an easy choice when looking at our results,” concludes Jill.

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