Thank you, again, for your concern and caring - you will never know how much you touch individuals caught in a rollercoaster that nobody seems to have control of. It is appreciated, deeply, by more people than you know.

The total of farms that, tonight, are without beasts to take care of in the morning is a staggering 297.

A case in Shropshire has come to light - the farmer had one goat and 786, yes that is the correct number, sheep that were obvious Foot and Mouth cases. Who knows how long his farm has been infected and how far the infection has spread from his animals..... but you have to have some small sympathy. The creatures he lied about and hid are all now gone.

Any rare breed that is under threat is a lost cause in this country, at least. The moment of birth, the first breath is the moment of infection. This is such a relentless disease that if embryos are not already stored, sadly, now is not the time to do it. On that score, at least, Britain can be proud - we have such a huge collection of rare domestic as well as wild animals, most of which are part of the international "Frozen Zoo" project.