JEREMY Clarkson has revealed his cowshed will be on lock down for two months due to a “devastating” TB outbreak.
And in another blow, the Sun columnist revealed his puppy died hours after he was handed the heartbreaking news.
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The former Top Gear host confirmed news of the outbreak yesterday saying everyone at Diddly Squat was “absolutely devastated”.
Bovine Tuberculosis (bTB) is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium bovis, which can also infect and cause disease in cats, badgers and dogs.
Jeremy, 65, explained how no cows be introduced to, or leave, the farm until another test can be done on his cattle.
He added that a calf had also become unwell following the outbreak.
But in some good news for fans, he said the farm shop would remain open and unaffected.
Speaking on Times Radio today, Jeremy said: “It’s awful, it is awful.
“You have a test every few months on the cows and then you sort of become blasé, it’s a hypothetical threat.
“And then the vet looks up as he did yesterday lunchtime and said ‘I’m really sorry this one’s failed’.
“So that means we’re now locked down and it’s just dreadful, absolutely dreadful.
“It’s only been not even 24 hours since I found out and it occupies my mind.
Jeremy Clarkson ‘absolutely devastated’ after latest blow to Diddly Squat farm
“Well it was occupying my mind but I got up this morning and found one of my puppies has died. And we’ve got a very sickly calf.
“Nothing can come onto the farm and nothing can leave it, we’re sort of paralysed….on the cow front…certainly two months because that’s how long we have to wait before we do another test.
“Honestly, farming? I’m not enjoying it this week.”
On Sunday, Jeremy revealed his red Labrador Arya had given birth to 11 puppies.
He and his wife Lisa Hogan acted as midwives for the adorable pups while the Lionesses roared to victory in the Euros final.
Posting a video on his Instagram, he said: “Well done Arya, our lioness of 11 & to all the other champion Lionesses!! Quite the Sunday victory.”
At the end of March there were 44,238 cattle herds in England.
According to Government figures, 1,906 were not officially TB-free due to a bTB incident.
In cattle, TB is mainly a respiratory disease.
The outbreak is the latest blow for the Diddly Squat team in recent months after hot and unpredictable weather caused havoc with crops.
Writing in The Times, Jeremy explained: “It used to be reasonably predictable, but it just isn’t anymore.
“In March Diddly Squat had no rain at all. Not even a drop. In April we got 20mm, which in old money is bugger all.
“And so far in May we’ve had 4mm. It’s been drier than it was in 1976. So my onions and my beetroots are just sitting in the dust.
“The wheat, meanwhile, is curling up, the barley won’t really get cracking at all and I dread to think what manner of terribleness is being foisted on my poor potatoes.”
What is bovine TB?
Bovine Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease of cattle and badgers.
It is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis) which can also infect and cause disease in many other mammals including humans, deer, goats, pigs, cats, dogs and badgers.
In cattle, it is mainly a respiratory disease.
What are the symptoms?
It is hard to spot bovine TB as the signs are similar to other diseases and normally only develop in the advanced stages.
It is normally picked up in cattle testing before clinical signs develop or during inspections of slaughtered cattle.
Animals can get thinner, have a light fever that keeps coming back, appear weak and have a reduced appetite.
Some will also have swollen lymph nodes, in the neck and a moist cough which is worse in the morning and during cold weather or exercise.
The government states it may cause chronic mastitis, an infection of the udder.
How is transferred between animals?
Evidence of bovine TB is most commonly found in the lymph glands of throat and lungs of affected animals.
They spread the disease mainly through coughing and sneezing.
Bacteria are released into the air and inhaled by other animals in close contact.
The disease can pass from badgers to cattle via close contact – and vice versa.
Contaminated equipment, animal waste, feed and pasture can also transfer the infection.
Can humans catch it from cattle?
Humans can catch bovine TB through:
- unpasteurised milk or dairy products from an infected cow, buffalo, goat or sheep
- inhaling bacteria breathed out by infected animals
- inhaling bacteria released from the carcasses of infected animals or from their excretions (such as faeces)
- Infection is more likely if an unprotected wound is exposed to bacteria from an infected animal.
But the government insists the risk of infection is very low for the vast majority of the population.
Symptoms are similar to human TB, including weight loss, fever, night sweats and a persistent cough.
Anyone who develops these symptoms should consult a doctor.
The disease can be treated by a complex combination of drugs over a long period.
Meanwhile, on the latest series of his Amazon Prime show, Jeremy revealed how endless rain had sparked chaos on the farm last year.
The Diddly Squat Farm Shop’s Instagram page wrote: “It’s going to be a rough year. All that seed sowed, drowned with the constant rain.”
And Clarkson’s right-hand man Kaleb Cooper was the victim of soaring tool theft after robbers nicked a £7,000 farm tool this week.
The farmer turned TV hero, 27, told fans his pricey post knocker, used for hammering in fences, had been stolen on Tuesday.
Another firm’s £70k John Deere tractor was also taken, with a burnt-out SUV car found down the road.
Cooper fumed on Instagram: “My post knocker was stolen last night.
“As well as the John Deere tractor.
“Can we please make this as hot as possible!
“What is going on with England at the moment!”
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