Around the beginning of each year our cows and sheep have their annual obligatory blood test and today was the day. One of our vets came along bright and early, well it wasn't that bright being a bit damp and foggy today but she turned up with her box of empty sample vials and needle.
The animals are tested for Brucellosis and IBR (infectious bovine rhinotracheitis) here in the Aveyron, which is free. If you go two minutes in the car over the border to the Tarn et Garonne farmers have to pay, but here in the Aveyron we must be poorer farmers, or maybe more livestock farmers who would cause an outcry if they had to pay for an imposed test.
All bovines over the age of 24 months have to be tested, locked down while feeding Anne the vet went along the line lifting tails, inserting a needle and drawing a small amount of blood. Farmer J's job was to tie non co operating cows heads, which calms them down a bit and to shout out their individual number as I wrote it on their sample. All behaved themselves with it being over in a few minutes.
Our two remaining old sheep were left, shut in the barn after feeding they were not impressed, Robsewe was much easier to get blood out of than miss Fatty, a bit to much fat covering. Now all done for another year we wait for the results which thankfully each year come back negative. Just the sows to do now which farmer J does with a bit of distracting from me holding the food bucket. With a quick cut to an ear a few drops of blood are placed on a round blotting paper and taken to the vets to be sent off.
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