Badgers And Bovine Tb ...

[Campercaillie]

Between 2009 and 2011 Wales has achieved an almost 50% reduction in bovine TB, achieved TOTALLY by cattle-based measures. So why exactly are badgers being slaughtered elsewhere? Scientists have never been able to establish a definitive link, and yet our government approved the cull on the basis of "well, let's give it a go just to see if it does make a difference." Given the sheer incompetence of those engaged in carrying out the cull, I very much doubt it.

 

[chaser]

Think you will find all those measures are happening in England as well, don't know about scotland

 

[Wildman]

I don't see how the above is any different to the English measures. TB takes time to develop, by shortening the lives of cattle most positive tests are avoided however the testing regime does produce false positives resulting in losses for the farmer. Animal with TB are perfectly good to eat cooked meat does not transfer any disease. Badgers do carry and spread TB some means of control is necessary. Some countries just ignore it.

 

[Campercaillie]

Think you will find all those measures are happening in England as well, don't know about scotland

Scotland is officially TB free .... (though we do have lots of badgers!)

 

[Bertie Bassett]

Between 2009 and 2011 Wales has achieved an almost 50% reduction in bovine TB, achieved TOTALLY by cattle-based measures. So why exactly are badgers being slaughtered elsewhere? Scientists have never been able to establish a definitive link, and yet our government approved the cull on the basis of "well, let's give it a go just to see if it does make a difference." Given the sheer incompetence of those engaged in carrying out the cull, I very much doubt it.

I'd like to say that we have more enlightened politicians here in Wales but I won't insult your intelligence. What we do have is a very strong and vociferous wildlife lobby.This together with the fact that most of our farms are still run by families and not 'companies' may provide something of an answer. (IMO & FWIW of course)
PS. Badgers don't vote and are sickeningly easy to gas!

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[magicsurfbus]

I've suspected for some time that not all the badgers we see lying in roads are roadkill, especially when you see 3 or 4 on the same journey that weren't there the day before.

 

[Tootles]

Badgers do carry and spread TB some means of control is necessary. Some countries just ignore it.

Do they??? I thought they caught it from cattle, that are so pumped up with all sorts of steroids and so called 'fatteners', that their immune systems have no answer to generically forwarded TB.
Here's an experiment for you. Find a 'clean' farm, kill all the cattle, then monitor the badgers.

 

[sdc77]

Badgers are a reservoir of tb aren't they? (in some areas)
Seems a sensible precaution to cull badgers to protect livestock and livelihoods. Surely they are more important.

 

[Wildman]

Do they??? I thought they caught it from cattle, that are so pumped up with all sorts of steroids and so called 'fatteners', that their immune systems have no answer to generically forwarded TB.
Here's an experiment for you. Find a 'clean' farm, kill all the cattle, then monitor the badgers.

I don't have to our cattle are not pumped up on anything, nor is the grass treated with anything 100% organic and has been for the past 30 years in my care plus another 20 years before that. TB is caused by living inside in damp conditions as badgers do, not living out in the open air 365 days of the year like my cattle. Any instance of TB is brought to the farm by Badgers. Mr Brock is not the innocent picture you paint.

 

[Allanm]

Mr Brock is not the innocent picture you paint.

Certainly not when he and his family break into my new wooden hen house and kill 20 valuable birds, and only take 2 away.
I like badgers, but Not In My Back Yard.......

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[rangi]

Mr Brock, such a cutie, especially from the townies point if view.
Of course waste of time to show them the eviscarated Hedgehogs littering the fields, or maybe the remains of 500 day old Ducklings, or maybe seeing a pedigree Bull worth £5000 taken off for slaughter.
Good ol' Mr Brock Ahhhhhh!

 

[Campercaillie]

.... Any instance of TB is brought to the farm by Badgers. Mr Brock is not the innocent picture you paint.....

Then why, given the population of badgers, does Scotland remain TB-free?? There are of course many factors at play, but one of THE primary contributors to the scale of bovine TB is the amount of cattle-movement that takes place - locally, nationally and internationally!

 

[DBK]

Then why, given the population of badgers, does Scotland remain TB-free?? There are of course many factors at play, but one of THE primary contributors to the scale of bovine TB is the amount of cattle-movement that takes place - locally, nationally and internationally!

Because it is moving slowly north up through the country. If it was being spread by the movement of cattle it would have been there years ago. I won't offer a suggestion how it is moving, but I can guess!

 

[Cat53]

I don't have to our cattle are not pumped up on anything, nor is the grass treated with anything 100% organic and has been for the past 30 years in my care plus another 20 years before that. TB is caused by living inside in damp conditions as badgers do, not living out in the open air 365 days of the year like my cattle. Any instance of TB is brought to the farm by Badgers. Mr Brock is not the innocent picture you paint.

Maybe the way you farm is the answer then. Organic and natural giving your cattle a really healthy immune system. I think the cull was cruel and pointless by the way. There has to be a way for man and his needs to coexist with wildlife and theirs. We do not have the sole right to this planet, or to assume our needs are greater than theirs. It's time we learned that.