Farm is given all-clear after death of cows
A DAIRY farm where 55 healthy cows died suddenly has been given the allclear following an investigation by Government inspectors.
Staff from the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), part of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), were called in to Houghton Lodge Farm, in Houghton Lane, between Stoughton and Houghton on the Hill, following the incident last month.
The dead cows were part of a herd of 700, managed by farm management company Evolution Farming.
The company’s directors and staff worked round-the-clock to stabilise the situation and a team of vets worked through the night to save 30 other cows following the incident on Tuesday, June 19. The cause of the sudden deaths is not known, but it is thought they were linked to water contamination.
Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Ser- vice sent a water carrier from Loughborough which was used to fill a “dam”, holding 6,000 litres of water.
A crew from Wigston ferried supplies from a hydrant throughout the night to keep the remaining cows watered.
APHA says it has now concluded its investigation and say it was an isolated incident.
A spokeswoman said: “Our investigation confirmed this was an isolated incident that affected an otherwise healthy herd. All milk from the herd was destroyed and did not enter the food chain.”
The alarm was first raised when 10 dairy cows at pasture collapsed, showing signs of bloat. The company said that because the cows’ condition was so extreme, the farm’s experienced stockmen performed emergency rumendectomies, which involves using a cannula to release the gas directly through the cows’ sides.
Speaking at the time, a spokesman said: ”This quick thinking undoubtedly saved several cows’ lives.’’