Annual General Meeting Meeting on Friday 29 September 2006 at the Trumpeter, near Ledbury

 

Present:	Bill Wiggin MP Carolyn Southern Lorna Hart Graham Ling	Catherine Stockford Jill McAree Elaine Probert Bernard Crick	Chrissie Patrick Gilla Leigh Linda Jones John Wood
Apologies:	Chris Dobson	Edwin Hughes & Ian Shellard	Charlotte Gibb
Absent:	Nicholas Casdagli Malcolm & Jean Reeves Frank Simcock & Family	Gill & Ian Smith Paul & Nicki Stannard Kate Ryan & Family	Trudi Qualter Andrew Brown Andrew Froud
New Member:	No new members
Thanks to	Our Guest Speaker …   Mary Marshall From Ledbury

 

1.                   Introduction

 

Bill Wiggin (as Chairman) started discussion on the content of future meetings.   Graham Ling (Treasurer) gave out copies of his financial report.   He has not be able to create a bank account as yet. There was a discussion on the roles of the current officers and as no-one was dissatisfied with the current officers or volunteered to take over their roles so all were re-elected for a further year.

 

Talking of organising a show for members who wish to show their birds it was decided to write to the organisers of the Kington Show.

 

During discussions on the fact that Fridays are not convenient for all members, it was decided to vary the day of the week when meetings are held.   It was also decided to lengthen the time between meetings from one a month to one every 6-8 weeks.

 

Suggestions for themes for future meetings included:

§         A talk from a Breeder regarding colours (Rosemary Sharp)

§         Sexing chicks

§         Chicken breeds through the ages

§         A Poultry Quiz (Carolyn Southern)

 

2.                   Talk from Mary Marshall on Healthy Animals and Defra

 

Mary has had a smallholding in Kent and kept chickens, water fowl, llamas, pigs and guinea fowls (among others).   In the 2001 foot and mouth outbreak she contacted scientists as a representative of the British Llama and Alpaca Society.   Mary was fighting to avoid the slaughter of healthy animals.

 

Mary said she found useful information on the website of the International Society for Infectious Diseases.   She has started a Smallholders Forum and is interested to obtain the views of people holding small flocks of animals or birds.

 

With reference to the requirement for owners of flocks of more than 50 chickens to register with Defra so that action can be taken to control the situation if bird flu does arrive in the UK, it seems that people with 49 or less birds do not need to register.   This gives the small flock owner no possibility of compensation but registering with Defra brings no other advantage.

 

Other possible solutions, ie., registering with a local vet, were discussed.

 

Mary described two methods by which Defra monitor bird flu and other notifiable diseases:

 

Active surveillance – with testing and monitoring

Passive surveillance – Defra waits, no testing, but this allows diseases to spread

 

Mary said that Defra need to be more serious about protecting healthy livestock, which will contain outbreaks more efficiently.    Imported birds can be now imported merely with a vet’s certificate, they should be blood tested.   The emphasis is now on small flock owners to “do the right thing” to avoid prosecution.  

 

Mary would liike to see optimisation of animal health (through testing and vaccination) not mass slaughter, which includes healthy animals.

 

In a general discussion about Bovine TB, this Government does not attack the situation.   Cows are tested and if they fail the test (which are not foolproof) they will be slaughtered even if they are actually healthy.   It should be controlled as it was in the 1930’s.   If cattle are culled because of Bovine TB, then sheep, that have been grazing the same ground, can still be sold and moved around as before.   This can infect other cattle.