TB - Brookfield's experience
20 March 2008

As TB is discovered at Grange Farm, no-one will be more sympathetic than David and Ruth, who know only too well the dispiriting round of tests and restrictions which Oliver now faces for his herd.


Brookfield Farm has been unlucky enough to have three serious TB outbreaks in the last fifteen years.

In May 1994, a Brookfield dairy cow reacted to a routine TB test. Restrictions were immediately imposed. They even had to buy milk from Mike - at over three times the price they were getting from the dairy. Another cow tested positive in June. The financial pressures cast a shadow over David's plans. He couldn't even buy the new mower he'd wanted.

Bridge Farm's herd had to be tested, but fortunately it was clear.

Some of Jill's B&B guests left early and Martha Woodford in the village shop advised another couple not to stay at Brookfield.

In the test 60 days later in August, 11 more cows tested positive - nearly ten percent of the herd. The vet advised that it looked like the TB was active and spreading, which meant that they might need to think in terms of slaughtering the whole herd. The reactor cows - all in calf - were sent for slaughter and Brookfield received 75 per cent of their value as compensation. The post mortem discovered lesions in nine of the cows, but not in their lungs. This was potentially good news - it meant that they might all have been infected from the same source.

With badgers a possible source of transmission, the Divisional Veterinary Officer called. But he said that even when Brookfield got into the queue it could take months before the Wildlife Unit could investigate.

Green graffiti
A recurring irritation was that Brookfield's B&B sign kept being defaced "TB listed". A tell-tale smear of green paint betrayed young William Grundy as the graffitist and Clarrie took prompt action.

Because no beasts could be moved off the farm, except for slaughter, Brookfield had to rear 50 extra calves. Aside from the difficulty of finding space for them all, the likely cost was £6,000 or £7,000 in extra feed and labour. In October, old buildings at Marney's were pressed into service but the calves there developed viral pneumonia after Bert has made the buildings too cosy and airtight.

There was huge good news in December - a clear test, which was followed by another clear test in February. At last they could move stock. Their celebrations were marred by going over their milk quota - and by the refusal of the ministry badger panel to agree to a badger removal operation.

Second outbreak
Three years later, in October 1998, came a second outbreak, from a group of cattle bough in from Herefordshire under Ruth and David's expansion plans (which Phil had opposed). Twelve of the 15 cows tested positive and a few days later eight more reactors were found in the main herd. Brookfield was forced to lease out 105,000 litres of milk quota. Tests in November showed the disease spreading again. Ruth considered getting a job off the farm, to help with the financial situation but in the end decided against it and by February things seemed clear.

Badger killer
In June 2003, TB was discovered at nearby Bank Farm, and once again Brookfield's herd developed reactors. David was certain that badgers were transmitting the disease. Despite their attempts to badger-proof the feed store, George Barford confirmed the presence of the animals there. In July, exhausted David discovered Ruth trying to flush out a badger from the store. Despite Ruth's protests, he ran for his gun and shot the animal. Unfortunately for David, Matt Crawford drove by as he was dumping the corpse on the road in an attempt to make it look like roadkill. Matt extracted his revenge for David's refusal to co-operate over a property deal and informed the RSPCA. David had to face the opprobrium of the village - and even his own daughter Pip.

In September, a clear test raised their hopes, dampened by David's appearance in court the following month. He pleaded guilty and was fined £400 with £200 costs. And in November, dreadful news: three reactors in the Hereford beef herd, bringing David almost to rock bottom. They weren't finally clear of TB until July 2004

Brookfield has since become Certified TB Free. But Oliver's shock experience shows that the threat of TB is ever-present in many parts of the country.

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