Schmallenberg Update - 14th January 2013

Schmallenberg cases up 24% in a month

Philip Case

Monday 14 January 2013 18:21

Confirmed cases of the Schmallenberg virus have soared by 24% in the past month, suggesting the disease is spreading rapidly through sheep and cattle this season.

The latest figures, released on Monday (14 January) by the Animal Health and Laboratories Agency (AHVLA), show 1,211 cases of the disease have now been confirmed in England, Scotland and Wales.

This is equivalent to an increase of 24% on the last survey results, released in December, which showed 976 confirmed cases.

The virus, which causes fatal birth defects and miscarriages in sheep and cattle, has now spread to every county of England and Wales and is wreaking havoc among livestock farmers, according to reports.

Devon, Cornwall and Dorset have recorded the highest number of cases - 126, 68 and 59 respectively. But a worryingly high number of cases has also been confirmed in Shropshire (56) Cheshire (53) and North Yorkshire (41), suggesting the disease is rapidly spreading northwards, as scientists had feared.

Wales has 104 confirmed cases of the virus, including 21 in Carmarthenshire. Scotland has nine confirmed cases - five in cattle and four in sheep - but all these cases relate from animals introduced into Scotland from English counties.

An AHVLA spokesman said: "The Schmallenberg virus has now been detected everywhere south of the England/Scotland border.

"We are now seeing an increase in confirmed cases in northern and western regions, including Wales, which suggests that for a lot of flocks and herds in those regions, they are effectively seeing their first year of Schmallenberg virus.

"The virus may well have worked through flocks and herds in the south of England where a level of immunity has been seen to develop. But that's probably not going to be the case for farms in Northumberland and western holdings this year."

Because the virus has now spread to every county in England and Wales, the AHVLA has stopped its free-testing service for Schmallenberg.

"We are no longer providing free testing. However, some farmers will still want to pay for testing to establish once and for all if they have got the disease in their herds and flocks," confirmed the spokesman.

Farmers who suspect the disease in their livestock should contact their vets if they have any concerns, the AHVLA said.

The Schmallenberg virus causes mild to moderate symptoms in adult cattle, including fever, reduced milk yield and diarrhoea, and stillbirth and birth deformities in sheep, cattle and goats.

Scientists believe the virus first was spread to the UK by biting midges in the summer of 2011 and it first appeared on the continent before crossing the Channel.

A vaccine to protect livestock against the disease, produced by MSD Animal Health, has been submitted to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD), and is waiting approval for full commercial use. However, it is understood that the vaccine may not be ready for introduction for this lambing season.

Sourced From: http://www.fwi.co.uk/articles/14/01/2013/137159/schmallenberg-cases-up-24-in-a-month.htm

Government consults on support for beekeepers

Friday 11 January 2013

Defra has unveiled new plans to help beekeepers protect their hives from pests and diseases to reduce bee population losses. Around the world, pollinating insects such as bees are experiencing population declines.

Although the factors contributing to the declines are believed to be manifold, the government has come under fire for its failure to act on a growing weight of evidence that suggests certain agricultural chemicals may be exacerbating the problem, in spite of an acknowledgement from EFSA that current EU risk assessment testing measures are flawed.

Nevertheless, The Westminster government maintains that not enough evidence is currently available to prohibit use or increase regulation of certain neonicotinoid pesticides. On announcing increased support for pest management on Thursday (10th January), government sided with the agrochemical industry in proclaiming, "The potentially devastating Varroa mite [is] considered the single greatest problem for beekeepers."

Last year, a government committee launched an inquiry into Defra's decision not to change its policy on agricultural chemicals, despite the increasing weight of evidence that certain pesticides may be doing harm to essential pollinators. The committee heard evidence from agrochemical companies; representatives suggested the decline in habitats as a result of developments, a changing climate and disease were principally responsible for the bees' decline.

They were also told by the director of insect charity Buglife that 30 peer-reviewed studies published in the past three years have linked controversial pesticides with damaging effects on bees.

Government proposals to support beekeepers

Defra and the Welsh Government this week outlined proposals aimed at helping beekeepers to identify and manage pests such as the Varroa mite. The announcement was made following a consultation with amateur and commercial beekeepers on how best to provide more support to improve honey bee health.

The proposals, which include measures such as reductions in inspections for keepers performing well, marry with the government's laissez faire 'red tape challenge'. They are:

• Increased effort to tackle the management of the Varroa mite, including improved guidance for bee keepers from the National Bee Unit (NBU), and a new enhanced rolling training programme run by the NBU and beekeeping associations for all bee keepers;
• Rewarding bee farmers demonstrating good management of their hives, including reducing the number of official inspections they require from Government;
• Renewed emphasis on increasing our resilience and preparedness for exotic threats, such as the small hive beetle;
• A new welfare code to remind beekeepers of their responsibility to their bees.

Commenting on the new proposals, animal welfare minister, Lord de Mauley, said on Thursday, "Honeybees are an iconic species which are vital to the environment and I want to make sure that we do all we can to safeguard their future. But these bees are susceptible to pests and diseases and need to be cared for properly to aid their long-term survival."

Late last month, an investigative committee of MEPs stated that, "A widespread conclusion of different authors is that neonicotinoids can contribute to lethality even at low doses by making bee colonies more vulnerable to other disruptive factors. Recent scientific findings are urging for an update of the risk assessment of all neonicotinoid insecticides approved at European level and their effects on bees."

Organisations ranging from the STEP project, a research initiative backed by the European Commission and comprised of scientists from across Europe, to Friends of the Earth have called for immediate action and a reform of policy to halt the decline in insect pollinators. To date, Italy, France and Germany have moved to ban or drastically restrict use of certain neonicotinoids.

Source: http://www.farming.co.uk/

Calling all German Smallholders

We are calling all German Smallholders.

174 people in Germany have looked at the East Essex Smallholders Blog in the last 10 days.

We would love to hear from you, What you grown, how you grow it and how you use it?

Please email me: Danielle.Perkins@Yahoo.co.uk

Sheep - Things to do this Month - January

The Smallholder Series is a fantastic resource for all Smallholders.

They produce a things to do monthly list: Here is January.
http://www.smallholderseries.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=featured&Itemid=233

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Sheep - Things to do this Month - January

SHEEP – for a March/April lambing flock:

• Now that the ram’s work is done for the year and has left the ewes (pregnant, we hope!), check him over paying particular attention to his feet, any areas where the harness may have chafed, and condition. If he’s lost condition, which is likely, feed him your best hay and an appropriate amount of hard feed, if necessary – but remember, rams can suffer from urinary calculi if fed concentrates over a prolonged period. If you look after your ram now, he will do a good job for years to come.
• If you’re planning to scan the ewes, book the scanning operator if you haven’t done so already, and get organised: think about your handling system, aim to reduce stress for the ewes while making sure of a steady flow to the scanner. Scanning will tell you whether the ewe is pregnant, and whether she’s expecting a single, or multiple lambs – you can then feed appropriately to keep her at the ideal body condition score (3 for lowland ewes, 2.5 for hill and upland ewes) throughout her pregnancy.
• During early pregnancy, the ewes shouldn’t become too fat (see Specialist Sheep Vet, Chris Lewis’ article on Management from Tupping to Lambing) – so check their body condition regularly (Refer to Programme 2, “Managing Your Flock for Peak Health”, or look on our You-Tube channel for a demonstration of how to do this).
• Specialist sheep vet, Agnes Winter, has written an article for The Smallholder Series on The Importance Of Monitoring Body Condition through the winter, a vital element in producing healthy lambs next spring.
• If you’re feeding hay – a must in bad weather if the ground is frozen – they will get used to you going into their field every day, which means that if you need to treat any it will be less stressful for them.
• Think about housing for indoor lambing flocks – how well did your arrangement work last year? Can it be improved? Ensure there is good ventilation at head height to prevent respiratory disease, but try to avoid draughts at ground level.
• Calculate how much feed you’ll need for the 8 week period running up to lambing, and for 8 weeks after – (See our article, “Nutritional Management of the Ewe in Late Pregnancy”), and ask your feed merchant for a bulk discount!
• Continue to be vigilant for signs of liver fluke, especially if your sheep graze wet pastures (which includes most grazing after this year’s record rainfall) – any sudden loss of condition or unexplained death should be investigated. As winter progresses, so does the disease; cold weather (<10^oC) will arrest further snail eggs being laid, so watch for symptoms of sub-acute disease, which include lethargy, anaemia (identified by pale mucous membranes), poor body condition, poor fleece quality and reduced grazing.  Chronic fascioliasis, the next stage of the disease, can be detected in faecal samples; acute and sub-acute disease is diagnosed though blood samples that will show raised liver enzymes, and should be treated strategically in line with your Flock Health Plan. Choose the right treatment for each stage of the disease, as not all flukicides will treat all stages of disease. For a complete explanation of the complex lifecycle and treatment of this disease, (click here) to watch a video presented by Michaela Strachan.  
• Scab continues to be a serious problem in many parts of the country, so watch out for itchy sheep and if you spot a sheep rubbing itself, ask your vet to take skin scrapings to confirm the diagnosis: if positive treat the whole flock immediately, not just the affected animal as scab is highly contagious. The best way to avoid scab is to observe strict bio-security for your flock: quarantine all incoming animals and ask your vet to test if you have any itchy sheep, and maintain double fencing between your flock and neighbours’ – remember the old adage: “A sheep’s worst enemy is a another sheep”.

Berkshire Pork Available - February 2013

Berkshire Pork Available

I have half a Berkshire Pig available during February.

Raised with love on our smallholding!

It can be butchered and bagged for £150.00

Or is you wish to cut the meat yourself. £135.00

Please contact Danni: 07854595640 or Danielle.Perkins@yahoo.co.uk

Absolutely Shocking - Horsemeat in Beef Burgers

Absolutely Shocking - this is why we grow our own food! Maybe people with now consider buying their food direct from the source!

 

'Horsemeat beefburgers' investigated in UK and Ireland

Tesco's Tim Smith: "We're very sorry this has happened"

Continue reading the main story Investigations are under way to try to find out how beefburgers on sale in UK and Irish Republic supermarkets became contaminated with horsemeat.

Irish food safety officials, who carried out tests two months ago, said the products had been stocked by a number of chains, including Tesco and Iceland stores in the UK.
They said there was no human health risk and the burgers had been removed.
Tesco said it was "working... to ensure it does not happen again".
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) said the meat had come from two processing plants in the Irish Republic - Liffey Meats and Silvercrest Foods - and the Dalepak Hambleton plant in Yorkshire.
The burgers had been on sale in Tesco and Iceland in the UK and the Republic of Ireland, where they were also on sale in Dunnes Stores, Lidl and Aldi.
A total of 27 burger products were analysed, with 10 of them containing traces of horse DNA and 23 containing pig DNA.
'Unacceptable'
Horsemeat accounted for approximately 29% of the meat content in one sample from Tesco, which had two frozen beefburger products sold in both the UK and Ireland contaminated with horse DNA.

Continue reading the main story

“Start Quote

For some religious groups, or people who abstain from eating pig meat, the presence of traces of pig DNA is unacceptable”

End Quote Prof Alan Reilly FSAI chief executive

In addition, 31 beef meal products, including cottage pie, beef curry pie and lasagne, were analysed, of which 21 tested positive for pig DNA.

The director of consumer protection at the FSAI, Raymond Ellard, said several investigations would now need to take place.
He said: "The companies have taken a very responsible attitude. On a voluntary basis they have withdrawn products from sale, so have the retailers.
"They are co-operating completely with the authorities here to investigate how this could have happened. A long chain of inquiry has to take place now to look at all the raw ingredients that we use for these productions, where they came from and how the cross-contamination could have occurred."
Tesco's group technical director, Tim Smith, stressed the company "immediately withdrew from sale all products from the supplier in question" after receiving the test results on Tuesday.
In a statement, Mr Smith said food safety and quality was "of the highest importance to Tesco" and "the presence of illegal meat in our products is extremely serious".
He added Tesco was "working with the authorities in Ireland and the UK, and with the supplier concerned, to urgently understand how this has happened and how to ensure it does not happen again".

Irish Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney: ''There is no food safety risk"

FSAI chief executive Prof Alan Reilly said there was "a plausible explanation for the presence of pig DNA in these products, due to the fact that meat from different animals is processed in the same meat plants".
But he added: "There is no clear explanation at this time for the presence of horse DNA in products emanating from meat plants that do not use horsemeat in their production process.
"In Ireland, it is not in our culture to eat horsemeat and, therefore, we do not expect to find it in a burger.
"Likewise, for some religious groups, or people who abstain from eating pig meat, the presence of traces of pig DNA is unacceptable."
'Highest standards'
The Irish Minister for Agriculture, Simon Coveney, reassured the public that the burgers posed no health risk, adding the Republic of Ireland "probably has the best traceability and food safety in the world".
Iceland said the FSAI's findings were concerning, stressing the company had "withdrawn from sale the two Iceland brand quarter pounder burger lines implicated in the study".
It said it "would be working closely with its suppliers to investigate this issue and to ensure that all Iceland brand products meet the high standards of quality and integrity that we specify and which our customers are entitled to expect".
Aldi said only one of its products - the Oakhurst Beef Burgers (8 pack), which is on sale only in the Republic of Ireland - had been affected.
In a statement, Aldi Stores (Ireland) said it had "immediately removed the product from sale and have launched an investigation into the matter".
The company said it "takes the quality of all its products extremely seriously and demands the highest standards from its suppliers".
Lidl was not available for comment when contacted by the BBC.
Meanwhile, Silvercrest Foods and Dalepak both said they had never bought or traded in horse product and have launched an investigation into two continental European third-party suppliers.

From: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21038521

 

Ascott January 2013 Newsletter

January Email Newsletter

Here we are, and it’s the middle of January already! We hope everyone has recovered from their New Year celebrations and are relaxed and refreshed for 2013. Now is the perfect time for getting everything ready and in tip top condition for the coming season! So to help you to plan ahead we have an extensive range ofdisinfectants and sterilisers for hen houses andincubators now in stock. Choose from the Smite Professional Disinfectant which is a powerful and very effective cleaner. It is non-toxic with organic naturally occurring minerals, suitable for all commercial and domestic premises and is safe for pets and other animals. Alternatively try Brinsea’s disinfectant which is specially selected for sterilising eggs, incubators and brooders and is available in concentrated form. It is both safe and effective against yeasts, fungi, viruses and bacteria which can cause fatal damage to the growing embryo, and comes in a 100 ml bottle. At just £7.99 a little will go along way as you dilute 1 part concentrate to 100 parts water!   Why not try... For all of you lucky enough to have received a cheese kit for Christmas, why not be a little more adventurous with your cheese making and try out our range of moulds for everything from delicious camembert and creamy brie to hard cheeses. We also havecultures for ripening brie, camembert and penicilium roqueforti! Take a look at the full range on our website. Recipe of the Month Our mid month email now contains a seasonal recipe with this month’s focus on nutritious kale. So we thought we would combine our love of cooking and communicating with our customers by creating the opportunity to highlight featured customer recipes. If you would like to share your recipes with us via the email newsletter, there is a FREEcheese starter kit worth £19.99 for everyone who has theirs published! Email us now with your favourite family recipe. Cherry tomato, kale, ricotta and pesto pasta You will need: 2 tbsp olive oil 3 garlic cloves, chopped 1 tsp crushed chilli flakes 2 x 400g cans cherry tomatoes 500g penne 200g kale, chopped 4 tbsp ricotta 4 tbsp pesto Parmesan or vegetarian alternative, to serve (optional) 1 Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes until golden. 2 Add the chilli flakes and tomatoes, season well, and simmer for about 15 minutes until the sauce has thickened. 3 While the sauce is cooking, cook the pasta following pack instructions - add the kale for the final 2 minutes of cooking. Drain well and stir into the sauce, then divide between 4 bowls. Top each with a dollop of ricotta, a drizzle of pesto and shavings of Parmesan, if you like. 3 Stir in the vinegar and sugar and continue cooking for another 10-20 minutes until the onions are completely translucent and the marmalade reduced. 4 Stir in 4 tbsp of water and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for another 10 minutes until thickened and slightly sticky. Season to taste. The marmalade can be eaten immediately or stored in jam jars for up to 2 months. New for this Month

Ask the Experts You will need to make sure you have a safe enclosure and chicken house. The enclosure can be made from chicken wire and fence posts, remember to dig the chicken wire into the ground at least 6” to stop the fox from digging under the wire and getting into the chicken pen. If possible put netting over the top of the run, this will stop the chickens getting out and the fox getting in! The chicken house will need to be secure and have a door on the front that can be shut at night. You must also make sure that the chickens are shut in their house every night, if it’s not possible to visit the allotment every evening and morning you can use a doorkeeper, this is a battery operated door opener and closer that works with a light sensor.

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