If your calf was suffering from a chest infection or cough, whether she had a draw, a blow or had a chill would very much depend on what part of Ireland you are in. The same calf would have an impression in co Sligo, would be lifting in co Donegal, suffering founder in counties Derry & Tyrone and have a case of catarrh in co Galway.

If you farm in a low land area and in the summer your cow starts passing red water, she may need treatment for Babesiosis: a blood infection carried by ticks. Whilst red water is actually the most common name for this condition throughout Ireland, it’s interchangeable with Murrain. In Connaught they say red murrain/blood murrain, in co Tipperary its murns, whilst in Ulster its murll, merle or mure.

Many will have heard of scour, a widely used term for diarrhoea, frequently seen in calves, foals and lambs. While there are many variations of the term skitter used for this condition throughout Ireland, in counties Kildare & Dublin, farmers say the animal is suffering  flux and in co Tyrone it’s gut murrl. It follows then that the opposite of this condition; constipation, has a few colloquial names too. The widely used term is dry murrain and in county Tyrone, we hear of dry mure.

In the summer a farmer may find a few of his cattle with sore, teary eyes. Pink eye is the phrase commonly used to describe this infection carried between beasts by flies. In mid Ulster it’s known as forest disease, in co Galway its pearl eye and they say the beast has one eye cold in Leinster.

Cattle grazing the first flush of spring grass are at risk of developing grass tetany. This can cause them to have tremors and can prove fatal. Farmers will leave ‘lick’ buckets or blocks out in the grazing pastures to help prevent this. In many parts of Ireland this condition is also knows as the staggers and locally in co Westmeath it is termed the starts.

If your cow developed unsightly growths or warts on her skin, in many areas of Ireland she would be said to have a case of angle berries. In co Galway this condition is also known as strawberry foot. Similarly, if she developed circular patches of hair loss around her eyes or face, she could be suffering from the fungal infection known widely as ringworm. In counties Laoise & Offaly they call this condition tethers or tetters. In co Dublin it’s scruff, scurvy in co Galway and poc in co Tipperary.

There are also many different regional, traditional treatments for these conditions, including from folklore. In the next article we will look at cures such as ‘turning the sod’ to treat hoof infections, hanging holly in barns (female plants with berries) to prevent ringworm and feeding forge water for gripe.

With special thanks to the farmers and vets who contributed phrases for this article.