After a multitude of protests and campaigns led to a protracted period of uncertainty, Defra has confirmed that Geronimo has been euthanised.

The alpaca became unwittingly famous as the face of the government’s bTB policies after his sentence provoked a furious backlash from the public – something that resulted in mixed feelings among cattle farmers, who have faced the same heartbreaking scenario for years without any public support.

Geronimo’s owner Helen MacDonald began a four-year fight for the alpaca’s life following questions over the testing he received. Several appeals against Geronimo’s execution lead to a final legal fight in the High Court, ending with a warrant for his destruction. His final removal from the farm comes just days before the warrant was due to expire on the 4th September.

The end of the fight for the alpaca’s life came to a close with dramatic scenes at his Gloucestershire home, as a heavy police presence surrounded the officials sent to retrieve the animal. Many of Geronimo’s supporters had gathered at the farm in hopes of being able to stop officials entering, and there are reports that there were some clashes with police.

Dramatic pictures from the farm are fuelling questions from the alpaca’s supporters over Defra’s handling of the incident.

As the alpaca’s death brings the lengthy case to an end, comments are coming in from various governmental officials with sympathy for Ms MacDonald, but with certainty that on this occasion, necessary actions have been taken.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesperson echoed this sentiment saying: “It’s obviously highly distressing for someone to lose animals to TB and that’s a situation that farmers sadly have to face.”

The comments are similar to those which have been made by farmers since Geronimo began making headlines. In the latest figures from Defra, 28,356 cattle were culled due to bTB between March 2020 and March 2021.

In August, dairy farmer Abi Reader spoke directly to Geronimo’s owner saying: “Farmer to farmer, this is a direct message to Helen who owns Geronimo. My heart goes out to you. Myself and many other farmers have been in your place. Myself and many other farmers would give a lot to not have to say goodbye to their animals.

“You’ve had Geronimo since 2017; I’ve had some of my animals a lot longer than that. They are descended from my father’s and my grandfather’s herd and they are embedded in every part of my life, so I understand what you are going through and I feel that you are undermining the current TB control.”

Now that the case of Geronimo has come to an end, farmers will have to wait and see whether the public interest in this one animal leads to more support for farmers dealing with the devastating effects of bTB.

Geronimo will now undergo a postmortem from APHA veterinary pathologists.

The post Defra officials confirm Geronimo the alpaca put down appeared first on Farmers Guide.

Image: Change.org/Helen MacDonald

Nearly 100,000 people have now signed a petition to save alpaca Geronimo from death, following a four-year long legal battle between Defra and his owner, after he twice tested positive for bTB.

As protestors begin a march on Downing Street this afternoon (9th August), activists have also formed a human shield around Geronimo’s pen today, after his owner Helen MacDonald lost a High Court battle to save him last week. Public figures calling for Geronimo to be given a re-test include actress Joanna Lumley and the Prime Minister’s own father, Stanley Johnson.

Defra now has 30 days to enter the farm and can legally force entry to shoot Geronimo, Ms MacDonald says.

What is the controversy?

Geronimo reportedly tested negative for TB four times in New Zealand, using a skin test, but tested positive twice in the UK using the Enferplex test. Environment secretary George Eustice claimed in an article for the Mail on Sunday that the Enterplex test is over 99 per cent accurate, with false positives in only 0.34 per cent of cases – while the skin test is ‘far less reliable’, picking up infection in around a quarter of cases.

However, veterinary nurse Ms MacDonald, 50, who breeds alpacas at her South Gloucestershire farm, believes Geronimo is receiving false positives due to a tuberculin protein he was injected with to increase sensitivity to the blood test.

Mr Eustice claimed the Enferplex test detects the protein of bTB, not the immune response, so the theory has been dismissed – however, vet Dr Iain McGill, who is also a former government adviser and bTB expert, accused the minister of a ‘total misunderstanding’ of the science behind the Enferplex test, which he says Mr Eustice confused with the Actiphage test, according to the Daily Mail.

Meanwhile, vet Bob Broadbent, who is a former president of the British Veterinary Camelid Society, is also quoted by the Mail as saying the government has not published any data on how priming alpacas before blood tests affects results, despite years of requests.

It was recently revealed that an 11-year-old alpaca, Karlie, was similarly euthanised on government orders following a positive test, after which a post mortem examination failed to find any evidence of infection with bTB.

Mr Broadbent, who has treated both Geronimo and Karlie, said: ‘I’ve known Geronimo for three years and conducted regular examinations including scans on his liver. I have seen no lesions or evidence of disease.’

Protestors have gathered in London today to call for a re-test for Geronimo, citing concerns over the impact of ‘priming’ before carrying out TB testing.

‘A fear of finding out further information’

The British Alpaca Society (BAS) has said it continues to support Ms MacDonald with the ‘exceedingly difficult circumstances’ surrounding Geronimo’s case. In a statement it said: ‘BAS highlighted concerns to Defra specifically in Geronimo’s case in March 2018 about the potential adverse effects of multiple priming before an Enferplex test in alpacas. To date no evidence has been produced to explain the effects of this practice on test results.’

BAS has written to Defra on several occasions and asked for controlled experiments to produce evidence on the effect of multiple priming on test results and has offered support and financial input. BAS notes that the low level of voluntary testing among its members ‘clearly demonstrates’ a lack of confidence in the regime, a good deal of which can be linked to the Geronimo case.

The society also said it endorses the request for a further test for Geronimo, but ‘to date such requests have been declined by Defra/APHA. It appears there is a fear of finding out further information’.

Boris’s father Stanley Johnson has supported calls to allow Geronimo a stay of execution and an actiphage test, describing the death warrant against Geronimo as an ‘absurd murderous errand’ in an article for The Sun. He added: ‘My message to the Rt Hon George Eustice, MP, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, is: “Tear up that threatening letter, Minister. Write another one, a nice friendly one. Give Geronimo a new test. That’s all Helen Macdonald wants. Is that too much to ask?”

Former farmer Mr Eustice, writing for the Mail on Sunday, acknowledged that it is “soul destroying” for farmers who are forced to remove cattle due to bTB, noting his own struggles with several bTB breakdowns a few years ago, but added: ‘There are no easy answers when it comes to dealing with TB in cattle, and we will always need to pursue a range of measures.’

Ms MacDonald has told the press she will stand between Geronimo and any gunman who comes to the farm.

A Defra spokesperson said: “We are sympathetic to Ms Macdonald’s situation – just as we are with everyone with animals affected by this terrible disease. It is for this reason that the testing results and options for Geronimo have been very carefully considered by Defra, the Animal and Plant Health Agency and its veterinary experts, as well as passing several stages of thorough legal scrutiny.

“Bovine tuberculosis is one of the greatest animal health threats we face today and causes devastation and distress for farming families and rural communities across the country while costing the taxpayer around £100m every year. Therefore, while nobody wants to cull infected animals, we need to do everything we can tackle this disease to stop it spreading and to protect the livelihoods of those affected.”

Have an opinion? Email livestock@farmersguide.co.uk 

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What is laminitis?

It is an extremely painful condition affecting 1 in 10 horses/ponies every year and can cause permanent damage to the hooves.

Laminitis can affect any horse, pony, donkey or hybrid at any time of the year and not just in spring – there is no ‘safe season’. It affects tissue called sensitive laminae which are found in the horse’s hoof. The sensitive laminae act like Velcro to form a strong bond to hold the pedal bone in place within the hoof.

Credit: The British Horse Society.

Laminitis causes the sensitive laminae to stretch, weaken and become damaged which can cause the pedal bone to move within the hoof (for example, think of a zip being undone).

Causes

Certain circumstances can contribute to the likelihood of your horse developing the condition. Overweight horses or those that have previously suffered from laminitis are more susceptible. Weight gain more than doubles the risk of the condition. 

Laminitis should be thought of as a sign of a disease rather than a disease itself. This means the cause needs to be investigated and then managed to help prevent future episodes. The causes of laminitis fall into three broad categories:

Hormonal Laminitis – two types of hormonal conditions that can contribute to laminitis are Equine Cushing’s Disease and Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS).

Although it is currently unclear how these conditions actually cause laminitis, both diseases are associated with high levels of insulin in the bloodstream which is known to cause the condition.

If your horse develops laminitis it is recommended that you test for Cushing’s Disease and assess body condition to determine whether EMS is present. Your vet will be best to advise on your specific circumstance.

Inflammatory Laminitis – If you feed concentrates as well as forage, this should be no more than is needed to provide the required energy for your horse and should be limited to 150-200 grams per 100 kilograms of body weight per meal. To aid digestion it is advised to spread the daily concentrate ration over at least two meals a day. Speak to your vet or a nutritionist for further information on the specific dietary requirements for your horse.

Eating a large amount of concentrates in one go can cause an overload in the digestive system with undigested sugar and starch pushed through to the hindgut, where it starts to rapidly break down. This process can damage the gut leading to the absorption of toxins into the bloodstream. It is thought that the toxins may disrupt the blood supply to the laminae and increase the risk of laminitis.

Abnormal weight bearing laminitis – Abnormal weight bearing laminitis can be caused when a horse has a condition or injury where it is unable to put weight on a leg so uses the opposite leg to support its weight. Laminitis can occur in the hoof taking the extra weight.

Gemma Stanford, Director of Welfare for The British Horse Society, said: “Laminitis is a serious, debilitating condition of the foot that can significantly compromise an equine’s welfare by causing excruciating pain and immobility. Our trained BHS Welfare Advisers deal with around 1,500 welfare concerns every year and laminitis is a common concern. Research indicates that one in 10 horses or ponies may develop at least one laminitic episode each year. We also know that weight gain more than doubles the risk of a horse developing laminitis. It’s crucial for horse owners to know the subtle signs of laminitis and put the correct management practices in place to prevent it.”

If you’d like to read more about laminitis, please visit The British Horse Society for more information. 

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Three Rural Business Management students from SRUC’s Craibstone campus in Aberdeen were awarded iPads from Converge – which works in collaboration with Scotland’s universities to uncover emerging spinouts and start-ups – after winning the Group Business Planning competition.

The students were asked to choose a farm, food or business product or service and investigate the benefits of forming a marketing or purchasing co-operative before preparing a detailed development and marketing plan for their proposed co-op.

Third-year students Georgina Milne, 20, from Oyne, near Insch, Alison Rotheray, 31, from Turriff, and Emma Maguire, 21, from Montrose, put forward a proposal for a co-operative goat meat business for North-East Scotland, with 30 founder members dedicating part of their farms to the production of kids.

In their report, they described goat meat as the UK’s fastest-growing meat market and wrote: “Goat is a very healthy meat with lots of flavour and a growing restaurant and home-cooking market, so North-East Goat Meat has the potential to become very lucrative for its members in time.”

The runners-up included Vicky Haddow, Emily Inglis and Kate Massie from the King’s Buildings campus in Edinburgh, who suggested the formation of a Scottish Craft Beer Association; the Ayr team of Olivia Kelly, Lia Connel, Dylan Brown and Daniel Anderson, who came up with The Best Whey – a product for the elderly market to combat muscle wasting; and Neli Kuzina, Kirsty Laidlaw and Sophie Hilton from the Barony campus, whose Fly’n’Spray project used a drone for spraying.

Head of Innovation Hub at SRUC, Teresa Shutter, who judged the competition, said: “Many congratulations to the four finalist groups who presented thoroughly-researched market opportunities and especially to the North-East Goat Meat Co-operative for their excellent business plan. I was impressed by all the finalists’ high standard of work and am proud to have such innovative and business-minded students at SRUC.”

Interim director of Converge, Derek Waddell said: “As Scotland’s largest company creation programme for the university sector, Converge is delighted to support SRUC’s business plan competition. Our mission is to help the next generation of innovators, creators and ground-breakers turn their ideas into commercially viable ideas, and we can see great potential in the projects that have come through this competition.  We congratulate the winners and wish all participants the very best of luck as they pursue their business ideas.”

The online prize-giving ceremony was held on Wednesday 2nd June, with live presentations planned for early July if coronavirus restrictions allow.

For more information about studying at SRUC, visit: www.sruc.ac.uk/courses

The post Student project has goat potential appeared first on Farmers Guide.

Jordan Stone pictured with Melsop Farm Park’s two Albion cattle.

Melsop Farm Park in Norfolk is working to preserve one of the UK’s rarest breeds of native cattle, having purchased two Albions which are expected to calve next year.

The Albion is included on the Rare Breeds Survival Trust’s watch list and there are currently only 87 breeding females of 100 per cent pure Albion blood across the UK.

Melsop’s two Albions, Blue Haze and Blue Mist, are due to calve in mid- to late-January, to an Albion bull called Blue Mink from the 1980s.

Jordan Stone (pictured), who owns the Farm Park alongside his parents, Keith and Sue, says that Albion cattle are a valuable part of British livestock and that he is committed to raising their profile and helping to protect and preserve them.

He explains: “The Albion are not just a lovely looking breed with a great temperament, they are part of our heritage in this country and we need to be doing everything we can to try and preserve them.

“It is fantastic that Albions have been officially recognised as a true native breed by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust but we now need to work hard to increase the breed population.

“The message we really have to get across to people is that when endangered and rare breeds like the Albion are gone, they are gone forever. By having them at the farm park I am hoping we can raise awareness of the cattle and their story.”

The majority of the farm’s collection is comprised of rare breeds and Jordan says he is passionate about raising their profile and the importance of their heritage.

“I want our visitors to go away knowing how rare breed animals have helped to shape our landscape,” he adds.

Bred for both beef and dairy, the dual-purpose Albion was set to become a major cattle breed of the UK in the 1920s before herds were decimated by two outbreaks of Foot and Mouth, in 1923 and 1967.

Numbers were hit again after the Second World War when dual-purpose breeds such as the Albion were replaced by herds with a single purpose. Fortunately, a small handful of breeders kept the line going and the cattle that remain today are the descendants of these.

The position of Albion cattle in the UK today is “critical”, according to Gail Sprake, chair of trustees at the Rare Breeds Survival Trust.

“The Albion is one of our most endangered breeds of cattle in the UK and are categorised by Rare Breeds Survival Trust as category one, critical,” she says.

“The Albions at Melsop Farm Park are the only examples of the breed in all of East Anglia and, as such, Jordan is playing a vital part in the national breeding programme in order to secure the future of this iconic breed.

“The geographical isolation of the Melsop herd means that valuable bloodlines are protected should animals in other parts of the country be compromised through any disease outbreak.

“A visit to Melsop Farm Park is worthwhile if only to meet and admire these very rare animals.”

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Steve’s ambition to provide Scotland with its first ever home-produced buffalo mozzarella started a number of years ago, not long after the herd of buffalo arrived at his farm. Gordon Ramsay visited Steve and together they made a trial batch, giving Steve the determination to supply Scotland’s foodies with their own delicious buffalo mozzarella.

Steve, the 6^th generation of the Mitchell family to farm in Fife, is seeking support from foodies from across Scotland to help him secure the final chunk of funding he needs to turn a dream into reality. Steve is offering supporters of his crowdfunding campaign, called the ‘Founders Club’, the chance to secure rewards comparable to a 10 per cent return on investment, delivered in buffalo vouchers, in addition to a host of other exciting social benefits such as farm tours, the chance to name a buffalo and having your name captured in the build of the new facilities.

The ambitious crowdfunding target of £800,000 will enable Steve to build a manufacturing facility, milking parlour and slurry store. New or existing fans of The Buffalo Farm can help to make the buffalo mozzarella dream come true in one of three ways:

• Buffalo Farm Supporters Club – get in with the bricks with a £100 donation and see your name on the walls of the new production facility
• Buffalo Farm Founders Club – enjoy rewards equivalent in value to a 10% Annual Return on Investment paid in Buffalo Farm vouchers (minimum investment £1,000)
• Buffalo Farm Founders Executive Club – enjoy rewards equivalent in value to a 12% Annual Return on Investment paid in Buffalo Farm vouchers (minimum investment £10,000

By joining the Buffalo Farm Founders Club, your joining fees are providing us with funding for an initial fixed term of four years. After the initial four-year period, you can choose to redeem the Club membership and receive your money back, or you can hold on to your membership and receive the same rate of interest for the duration of the membership scheme.

In addition to your rewards, you will also receive a number of fantastic Club Membership benefits, including:

1. You will receive your exclusive Founders Club membership card
2. Your name will be inscribed on the wall of the Buffalo Farm mozzarella production facility as a permanent record of everyone who supported the project
3. You and a guest can enjoy a personal tour of the Buffalo Farm
4. A complimentary pack of mozzarella from the first full production run
5. 20% discount on hiring The Bothy as an events venue – subject to availability
6. The first 50 members will get to name the new milking buffalo

Find out more at www.thebuffalofarm.co.uk

Speaking of his ambitions, Steve said:

“Producing buffalo mozzarella has been a long-held dream of mine and it’s now so close I can almost taste it!

“I am so grateful to all those who have shown their support so far, either by donating or by helping to spread the word. The social benefits of getting involved, such as farm tours and the chance to name a buffalo, have so far proven to be just as popular as the financial incentives. People seem really keen to see us succeed and that’s so encouraging.

“In these current political times, I feel more passionate than ever about local food and drink and about being able to contribute to my local community, as well as to the wider Scottish food and drink industry, by producing home-grown buffalo meat and, once we hit target, buffalo mozzarella.

“My business not only places animal welfare at the very top of the agenda, but we are also proud to provide local jobs and help towards Scotland’s strong foodie reputation.

“I am both humbled and excited to have reached over the £556,000 mark and urge anyone keen on supporting a local business (and a delicious product) to support the crowdfund now if you can and help us to reach our final target. Thank you so much!”

The post Farmer bids to become Scotland’s first producer of Buffalo Mozzarella appeared first on Farmers Guide.

Providing tranquil, back to nature holidays in their eight hand-built Shepherd Huts; Honeysuckle Holidays will also provide guests and visitors with opportunities to learn about traditional rural practices such as bee-keeping, cider-making and goat husbandry, through a series of rural experience packages.

On-site accommodation

Each traditional Shepherd Hut has been individually designed and built by owner Matt, and boasts four, fully fitted permanent beds (1 x double and 2 x single), accommodating families and groups of up to four people, as well as fully-equipped kitchen, WC and shower.

Blending tradition and heritage with all of the comforts expected of modern accommodation, each shepherd hut is clad with wood, allowing it to vanish effortlessly into the countryside, and is nestled among wildflowers – bringing nature directly to the door.

Showcasing the skills of local manufacturers, each hut sits on a high quality steel chassis provided by local company AW Smith, with every aspect designed by and for Honeysuckle Holidays, including the tin roof which has been curved to specification; making them completely unique.

 Honeysuckle Farm

The Shepherd Huts are located across three acres of Honeysuckle farm, which is surrounded by many footpaths and beautiful walks – making it the perfect base for Suffolk walking holidays.

A no-car zone has been created to emphasis Honeysuckle Holidays’ back-to-nature ethos, while specially-planted trees and wildflowers add to the rural tranquillity of the site. Wifi is also not provided on site – a refreshing change in a society that is too often enslaved by technology.

The on-site farm shop will stock produce from local suppliers, as well as from Honeysuckle Farm itself, and will be open to the general public as well as to guests. The remaining three acres of the site will be developed following the launch of the farm’s accommodation facilities this summer, and added to over the next two years.

Rural & cultural experiences

As part of an ongoing development plan for Honeysuckle Holidays, a series of rural and cultural experience packages, educational activities and livestock attractions is being introduced including:

• Goat Husbandry
• Chick Hatching/Rearing
• Apple Pressing
• Bee-keeping
• Evening Bat Walks
• Specific Key Stage Three courses (TBC)
• Woodland Craft Skills

Activities are designed not only to showcase traditional rural skills and practices that have been lost over the years, but also to educate adults and children on important aspects of the agricultural industry – an area that owner Matt Reed is passionate about.

Speaking of the concept behind Honeysuckle Holidays, Matt said: “The rise of education-tourism and activity holidays, has provided a unique opportunity for us to create an environment where people can learn and experience new things whilst on holiday, as well as showcase British agriculture and rural crafts to their best.”

He continued: “My background in the agricultural industry and meeting non-agricultural people highlighted the huge gap in knowledge as well as misunderstandings about the industry. The range of rural and cultural experiences we have planned for Honeysuckle Holidays will, we hope, go some way towards addressing this as well as providing a relaxing break in our beautiful county.”

As part of a special launch offer, accommodation is available at just £75 per hut per night for 2018. Bookings can be made via email (info@honeysuckleholidays.co.uk), via the website www.honeysuckleholidays.co.uk or by calling Matt on 07899 912212.

Honeysuckle Holidays is also keen to hear from local rural businesses and suppliers wishing to showcase their produce, activities or services at the farm.

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