DEXTERS IN DANGER FROM F & M - BREEDS AT RISK REGISTER

Inger · Post by **Inger** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 7:44 am

It emphises the need to collect semen and eggs for a genebank, in case of disasters like F & M.

Martin · Post by **Martin** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 8:03 am

Living about a half hour trip around the M25 from the present outbreak (some a lot closer) and the prevailing wind comming from that direction myself and others in the Southeast Dexter Group feel very vulnerable and fearfull of what may happen in the not too distant future. With a public highway on one side and footpaths on two bounderies of the farm I feel particularly helpless as footpaths are open and very popular here on the North Downs. My main hope is as there are few cattle in my direct area with only one other cattle keeper within a couple of miles, so spread here may not be as easy as in some places. I know of a couple of our members that have footpaths through their farms and are a lot closer to the outbreak than me, how they are feeling can only be guessed at.
Yes, there may be plenty of Dexters for sale, and their numbers may be larger than some other breeds, But look on the for sale board and you will see very few for sale in the south east. We are a four yearly test area for TB and as there is talk of putting restrictions in place for movements from areas of a shorter test area into a longer test area, after this fiasco is over we may find it difficult to restock. Some may after the trauma never do so and Dexter numbers would fall as a result.
It may be easy for some that are a fair distance away from the present outbreak to feel reasonably safe and confident that the spread of the disease will not reach them, for those close to it there is real fear and anxiety whenever they check their cattle or switch on the TV.
We would apreciate any assistance in whatever form if this situation gets worse! Another outbreak this morning, ten miles from the original one is not good news and our fears grow.

Martin. Medway Valley Dexters. (Chairman South East Group)

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 9:24 am

The importance of being registered as a native breed has nothing to do with being rare.

Note sure we're talking about the same thing. As this topic was happening I had an email from the Shropshire Sheep Society saying that we should register our flock with the Breeds at Risk Register of or via the RBST, to help protect to some extent against culling I assume.

Here's the quote "Article 15 of the European Union Council Directive 2003/85/EC on community measures for the control of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) places a responsibility on member states to establish a list of holdings where animals are kept for the purposes related to the conservation of animals that are indispensible for the survival of that breed or in other words rare breeds so that they may benefit from any special measures that may apply at the time of an FMD outbreak."

Here's the link www.rbst.org.uk/breedsatrisk.php

Sylvia/Jo - Shetland Sheep are on that list, Dexters are not.

Just ignore me if I've misunderstood things...trying to fit this in between getting farm back into shape and be helpful, hopefully!

Sylvia · Post by **Sylvia** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 10:29 am

Martin, my heart goes out to you and your fellow Dexter keepers (and all other livestock keepers) who are close to this current outbreak. Do those of us further afield feel safe? Not entirely. I find it extraordinary that people are being told the countyside is open for them to enjoy as usual. This, to my mind, is sacrificing the farming industry to keep the tourist industry happy. As you know, in this TB hot spot, there are now a fair number of us on standstill twice over. I find Lisa's comments about thinking that there are Dexter owners who would think "No worries, 20,000 more to choose from" so very offensive. I can't believe there are any people with suckler herds or milking herds who would not be heartbroken to lose their animals. Because of your proximily to this outbreak of course your fears are much more acute but believe me those of us further away are not carrying on without a care in the world.

Woodmagic · Post by **Woodmagic** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 12:12 pm

I find myself at a bit of a loss on this one. In 2005 the BCMS figures for applications for Dexter passports were 4811 pure breds and 353 non-pedigree. Even if we assume 25% of the cows didn’t breed in 2005, surely on the high side, this only gives a figure of 5164 breeding cows, what category do the remaining 17,108 come under?

bjreroberts · Post by **bjreroberts** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 2:15 pm

When did the passports come in? If it was in 2005 then this should match the breed population figures, but in a normal years won't the number of passport applications = number of births?

Woodmagic · Post by **Woodmagic** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 3:31 pm

. Passports have been in existence since BSE, applications must equal the number of live births. That is why I quoted the above figures, they should give a reasonable approximation of the number of breeding cows.

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 6:04 pm

I think the 22000 is everything that is alive, cows, bulls, calves, steers and crosses, and non-pedigree/registered.

Woodmagic · Post by **Woodmagic** » Sat Aug 11, 2007 7:56 am

The BCMS figures give the breakdown to include cross breeds, the latter number is small, only 353 in 2005 as against 4811 pedigree, and this proportion appears to be average Most herds consist mainly of cows and calves. Even if every animal were retained until killing, the number would only be around three times the number of cows, i.e. around 1500.
I have just had my latest heifer registration back H.B. 32497. The Herd book was founded over 100 years ago. The average lifetime of a Dexter would need to be around 75 years If the total Dexter population today were achieve 22000

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Sat Aug 11, 2007 9:20 am

Moved to a new topic to avoid cluttering FMD thread.