Mayday at Heolfawr Cross - a film by Chris Chapman 

Great video this is exactly what needs to be broadcast to the general public. We keep a 80 cow suckler herd on our farm and are currently infected with TB. Anyone with a business mind can appreciate there is only so long a business can survive for when it is unable to sell its produce into the main stream market!

i have not been a stockman for 28 years and the last time i shed tears was FM 2001 ,the whole country should see this broadcasted at peak viewing time, I feel this mans pain as once a stockman always a stockman . I wish you all the luck in the world you deserve it

What an amazing powerful piece of film!!! I only hope that this will not fall on deaf bigoted ears and start an informed discussion that is prepared to move on and do something to eradicate this terrible disease in not only our cattle but also that is affecting our wildlife!!

A well made but very sad video, I hope Mr Bevan is able to rebuild his herd. Wish him all the best from a fellow farmer.

Facebook shared & tweeted, very important to get this video seen by as many as possible.

Interesting and moving video. A real eye opener.

Great documentary Chris...

I'm not sure, but RU-vid seemed a good start. I'm just hoping more and more people watch it and begin to understand the problems with this disease. This is not an isolated case and as each year passes the preservation of the genetic pool from these fine pedigree herds, which people like Dai have rescued and improved, is put under threat. No amount of government compensation will ever remedy that. It's an absolute tragedy. .

i'll be 100% honest, I am still on the fence with culling badgers, I think you hit the nail on the head when people in the general public need to see the "proof" so they can see for themselves the damage thats being done. great documentary, thanks for that.

Great to hear from you old timer and yes, I still have the photograph!

Chapchrisman well done!

Hi Chris, good, if that's the word, film of one man's tragedy. Back to Wales and The Beeches too! Long time ago now isn't it? Hope you've still got the photo of you up to your knees in muck. All the best mate!

This is a great film and the british public should be shown this, its sad and perhaps the public might get the idea that things in the countryside need to be delt with e.g badger cull must be done to stop the spread of TB

Very poignant piece Chris. Can I ask what you're doing with it? Has it been used elsewhere as it certainly deserves to be broadcast. Lovely however to watch how you pace it and allow the characters to come out without imposing yourself as the film-maker. Interesting too how effective video can be even over stills - the first slaughter clip when you focus on a clearly upset Dai but can still hear the poor animal's kicking really stood out. Tim C in NZ

Exactly.

Having just lost 74 cows myself I relate to the pain, frustration, rage, disappointment, feelings of guilt and hoplessness reflected in this video. For people to say 'cows die' anyway is such an insult to this mans integrity as to be contemptible. As a farmer you do your best to reduce the risks through good husbandry but the Tb threat is beyond your control, it's a risk imposed on your herd.As a closed herd for 16 years our cases from outside, we think it's the badger, it's time for action.

Does anyone know how the herd is doing now?

And what do you want to do? Cull the badgers?

huw888 You ignore the fact that in some areas a very large % of badgers have Tb and are dying slowly of the disease. They suffer greatly, out of sight, usually, so I am told at the bottom of the sett, all the while passing it on to - among other things, the other badgers. How do you propose to stop this happening? Surely minerals won't cure it! If it will it is a miracle and we need to rush around and tell the medical world.

A very large percentage of badgers have TB, they will die of the disease and suffer terribly when they do. Another interesting point is that when we send our bovines out to far flung British Islands that have no badgers - they do NOT get TB!

Scotland is not TB free. On the 26th April 2012 sixty one cattle were slaughtered on the farm at Ballencrieff in West Lothian. The affected dairy herd was fully closed i.e. no cattle had been brought onto the farm since 1988. A full investigation is underway. I can't quite see where you are coming from with your suggestion that pedigree owners might be keeping quiet so that they can continue to breed their cattle and spread the disease. The word embarrassed comes to mind, if you get my drift.

"The difference is, they were healthy badgers." Do we want TB riddled badgers? That is what we are going to have if the disease isn't tackled in the wildlife aswell as the cattle. There is none so blind as he who will not see.

May i also add TB riddled badgers are a form of pest! Would a badger lover live with a rat in his or her house?! I dont think so.. UK farmers are living with pests on their farms. Something needs to be done!

Well cattle that have TB get culled don't they? Badgers do have TB, they are dying painfully BUT OUT OF SIGHT how thoughtful of them, so yes something has to be done, ideally probably a cull in the worst effected places and vaccination everywhere else because it would be dreadful not to have badgers wouldn't it.

ric41091 what do you want to do? Bury your head in the sand?!!