Now Foot and Mouth Hits My Families Farm.

Englishman

I thought that maybe I would keep everyone up to date re the foot and mouth epidemic that is sweeping the UK.

My wifes brother Bob has a farm in Dumfries, which is just across the Scotland border. Yesterday Tony Blair visited the area and commended the farmers for their courage in keeping going in the face of almost insurmountable odds.

This morning Bob received a letter from the Ministry of Agriculture. His animals are within 5 miles of an outbreak of F & M, and as such they are to be slaughtered in an effort at containment. Only his beloved Percheron horses are safe, apparently the disease only affects cloven-footed animals.

The tragedy is that Bob and his wife Maggie have invested everything that they have in an effort to preserve rare breeds of cattle and pigs. Maggie is one of the Gordon-Grants, who produce Glenfiddich whisky, she sold her shares in the company to finance the farming enterprise.

Although they will receive some financial compensation, the cull will wipe out all the effort that they have put in over the last 10 years.

Maggie and her daughters have not left the farm for over 6 weeks now to try not to carry the disease back to their land. Now it all seems to have been in vain.

Ah well. http://www.dumgal.gov.uk/footandmouth/index.htm

Englishman.

waiting

Hey english,

I'm so far away, but please believe I send my sympathy to your family. I raised pedigree labradors for a while - my big dumb darlings. If I would have had to destroy my eight breeders, I would have been crushed.

I have no fathom of how bad your brother & family must feel. Mine was a sideline investment - much different.

Please be kind to them as they'll need it.

Best wishes,

waiting

somebody

Thank you for keeping us updated, Englishman. Thanks for the link too. My thoughts and prayers will be with them. It's heatbreaking all around.

peace,
somebody

rabotnik

Thanks for the post, Englishman. It's hard to imagine how devastating this scourge is ... I hope your family and you will soon be beyond all of this.

Hang in there,
r.

ZazuWitts

Englishman,

Oh, my, what a tragedy. My sincerest sympathy for your family. To work that hard and then encounter a blow like this is beyond imagining.

The U.S. hasn't had an outbreak of
F&M since the very late 20's. Just in the last week there were two suspected
outbreaks, in Iowa and N. Carolina, that thankfully proved false.

And, I have read that all international travelers, who were visiting 'infected' areas, are being required, upon re-entry to the States, to use a disinfectant on their shoes! I don't know how effective such measures are - but the 'industry' and farmers here are quite fearful...that's for sure.

Lindy

Dear Englishman,
This is sad and horrible. I can't believe they are making them do this. No money will compensate for all the hard work and affection that has gone into all this. A question though. Can the sperm and the eggs be taken from the animals and frozen or is that prohibited too? I don't know the finances either, it might be to costly. Just an idea as I was reading this. I am so sorry, give my sympathy to your family.
Lindy (Antique)

JAVA

Englishman,

I've been watching and reading about this calamity, and feel awful for all involved. I'm sincerely sorry for the loss your family is suffering.

--JAVA

counting time at the Coffee Shop

patio34

Englishman,
So sorry for the woes on your wife's family.

It seems I read recently there were some animals in Vermont, U.S., who were going to be destroyed for F&M.

Best thoughts to you,

Patio

RedhorseWoman

So sorry about this, Englishman. Some of those rare breeds are SO special. The loss of any animals puts the whole breed that much closer to extinction.

I don't understand the total cull philosophy, though. I don't know that much about Foot and Mouth, but from what I've found in my veterinary manuals, it doesn't kill the animal, and I haven't read that the virus is transmissable to humans. Why do they feel that quarantine of affected animals is insufficient?

Englishman

Thanks to everyone for your kind thoughts.

Red, foot and mouth disease renders the animal permanently sterile and underweight. I suppose the reasons for culling are financial.

Englishman.

Now Foot and Mouth Hits My Families Farm.

--JAVA

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