The Poultry Keeper

cookie88 · Joined: 08 Sep 2007 Posts: 302 Location: ISLE OF LEWIS

its very cold should help things shouldnt it?

bronskibeat · Joined: 09 Sep 2007 Posts: 1400 Location: Clawddnewydd

Theoretically, yes, but DEFRA are very good at putting things in place and then burying their heads in the sand when it comes to having to change Legislation to override current bureaucracy.... Evil or Very Mad

Apparently, cold weather should mean no adult "infected" female midges should survive and so the virus should stop being spread. I use the word "should" because DEFRA and the Welsh Assembly arent adhering to this and still wont sanction movements. There are movements going on all around the surveillance zone every day and there have been no cases inside the surveillance zone. Ergo, movement is not passing the virus across the country at the moment as the Authorities seem hell bent on believing it will. This will change when the Spring comes and the midges are really active (I know they appear when its nice and sunny at the moment, but not with the apparent potency they will have next Spring Confused

)
Apparently, the SVS/Paige St. are in the middle of collating all my evidence along with a copy of my letter to my MP ( Embarassed

, I wasnt exactly complimentary about DEFRA in the letter....... Embarassed

) Hehehe, oh well! I'll wait and see what they come up with........

Attila The Hen · Joined: 19 Sep 2005 Posts: 385 Location: Shetland

Well, that's the straw that DEFRA have clutched from the outset. An increasing weight of evidence from Northern Europe points to the disease over-wintering in torpid midges in animal housing, before they're 'reactivated' by the onset of warmer weather. We've all seen the clouds of midges that appear as of nowhere around byres on those rare balmy, still and sunny midwinter days. Come the spring, and their lifecycle goes back into full swing.

So the onset of cold weather will help stop the spread of the disease, but will certainly not eradicate it. Trust me as one who knows, bluetongue is here to stay. Managing it, that'll be the trick.

Attila

Attila The Hen · Joined: 19 Sep 2005 Posts: 385 Location: Shetland

Sorry bronskibeat, my message crossed over with yours. I was replying to weatherman, not you!

Attila

bronskibeat · Joined: 09 Sep 2007 Posts: 1400 Location: Clawddnewydd

No worries, I entirely agree with you. Management of BTV is the best we can hope for as it looks increasingly unlikely we'll go down the "compulsory vaccination for all vulnerable species within the UK" route Evil or Very Mad

I mean for heavens sake, Scotland and Wales havent even tendered/ordered yet (although it looks like Scotland may be thinking about it....)

milkmaid · Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 6750 Location: isle of lewis

are they

bronskibeat · Joined: 09 Sep 2007 Posts: 1400 Location: Clawddnewydd

On Nov 5, 3:38 pm, Mparr2...@aol.com wrote:
I did a search on the Scot Gov web site last week and could find hardly a
mention of Blue Tongue

I wrote to my MSP Dr Elaine Murray who replied that John Scott had already
tabled a question on BT8 vaccine. I would have liked the question to go
rather deeper than the one tabled but it is a start......

Agree the midges have hung on this year with new hatches every warm calm
day, even though we have had frosts which killed my runner beans etc but last
winter they were still hatching in January here

Well, I did say Scotland "may" be thinking about it Rolling Eyes

bronskibeat · Joined: 09 Sep 2007 Posts: 1400 Location: Clawddnewydd

This should prove interesting! By the time they have decided on a "vector-free period" and we have to have been in it for 60 days, it'll be spring again Rolling Eyes

Fingers crossed they "back-date" it Laughing

Farm-to-farm moves in bluetongue zones will be allowed - 23/11/2007
16:30:00 - Farmers Weekly

New rules to allow the movement of livestock from bluetongue
"restricted zones" to bluetongue "free zones" have been agreed in
Brussels.

Until now, farmers have been prevented from carrying out such stock
movements, except direct to slaughter. But the new regulation provides
for farm-to-farm movements between zones at crtain low risk times of
year and/or when a vaccine is ready.

In particular, the regulation calls on member states to establish
"seasonally vector-free periods", during which time inter-zonal
movements may be permitted. This should be granted if:

There is no virus actively in circulation.
Vector activity has ceased.
The midge population has dropped significantly.
Air temperatures have dropped below a certain threshold.

DEFRA is understood to be consulting with stakeholders on the scope to
introduce such a "seasonally vector-free period" in the UK.
The new regulation also specifies a number of conditions for live
animals to move out of a restricted zone. These include:
The animal has been in a "seasonally vector-free period" for at least
60 days, or
The animal has been protected from vector attack for at least 60 days
prior to dispatch, or
The animal has been protected from vector attack for at least 28 days
and subject to a serological test, or
The animal has been vaccinated at least 60 days before movement, or
The animal has been shown to have antibodies against bluetongue
(suggesting it has acquired immunity).

An EU commission official said the new regulations were closer to
international standards and were "sustainable, proportionate and based
on sound science". "We now have a better scientific knowledge," he
told Farmers Weekly. "We know that properly vaccinated animals do not
present any risk."
Author: Philip Clarke

NB> A map showing bluetongue restriction zones in Europe is here -
http://www.fwi.co.uk/Articles/2007/11/23/108539/farm-to-farm-moves-in-bluetongue-zones-will-be-allowed.html

milkmaid · Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 6750 Location: isle of lewis

read that yesterday and hoped it would help

Attila The Hen · Joined: 19 Sep 2005 Posts: 385 Location: Shetland

Am not taking any pleasure in the possibility of being proved right about cold weather being no barrier to the spread / survival of this particular strain of the disease.

Bluetongue now suspected on a farm in South Aberdeenshire. 5 cows dead, at least one showing signs of pyrexia. Animals were to be tested yesterday, so results should be imminent.

Attila

milkmaid · Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 6750 Location: isle of lewis

hi this is nonie on milkmaids. but is it possible for me to find out your source? its just I've been out there for college this term and a couple of the lads are worried.

thank you
nonie

Attila The Hen · Joined: 19 Sep 2005 Posts: 385 Location: Shetland

Good news. Am delighted to say tests are negative.

Attila

CP · Posted: Fri Dec 14, 2007 5:37 pm Post subject:

http://tinyurl.com/2schc6

milkmaid · Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 6750 Location: isle of lewis

Gilly C · Joined: 22 Jun 2006 Posts: 2200 Location: South Cumbria

I heard that on our local radio station, imported from germany ! Sad