Comments on: Wales Announces Pilot Badger Cull Will Start This Year

By: james oriordan

james oriordan — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 20:48:32 +0000

how can i make contact with minister elin reguarding cattle tb ,,there is avery simple answer to the fifty year tb industery,, and afew days wiil bring an end to tb buisness.. in gb and ireland,, prvided the ministr wants to listen ..and there will be no cost involved;;my name is james oriordan limerick ireland phone 06398271 g b 003536398271

By: Ann50

Ann50 — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 11:06:55 +0000

I think someone should investigate how near bad and dirty farmers are to these outbreaks. I have ridden through fields in Devon on many occasions and found rotting carcases, if this does not spread disease then what does?

By: Fredrik Svensson

Fredrik Svensson — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 16:02:24 +0000

*Warning* poor spelling and even worse grammar ahead! (english is not my native tounge ^^)

Where I come from – Sweden – we have hundreds of thousands of badgers in the wild.

Despite this, I haven’t heard any veterinarian here say that “it’s the badgers fault” that we sometimes have outbreaks of TB among cattle.

Instead they refer to cramped spaces for the cattle on the farms that report outbreaks of TB. As soon as that is remedied, the cases of TB drops to almost nothing.

By: Norme

Norme — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 18:41:49 +0000

The largest transmission of bTB is between cattle to cattle in over crowded cattle sheds that are overcrowded at half the “welfare” standard, and during transportation. This is where efforts should be concentrated to eradicate this disease. Testing should take place at pre and post movement of cattle, taking out those infected. This would eradicate two thirds of the disease within a year. Bio security should be used on ALL farms to keep badgers and cattle apart wherever possible and keep food stocks secure from predation by ALL other animals.

Why waste tax payers money of a badger cull when it is already
known it is impossible to kill ALL the badgers in any area and would re- populate within 5 years.

Bovine TB is, as its name implies, a disease amongst bovines (cows) and effects them badly. It is possible for badgers and other animals to catch this disease from the cows but it does not effect them so badly. Otherwise since badgers live in such confined sets the whole family would be wiped out.

To eradicate this disease effectively all efforts should be concentrated from its origins amongst the cows themselves.
Tests should be carried out far more regularly and action taken immediately before it can spread. Then this disease would become controllable.

Money should be spent in this area alone where it would be possible to control the disease quickly and effectively.

Initially farmers would have to be helped financially but then be encouraged to take responsibility for their herds by using better husbandry together with bio security methods and regular testing. Farmers should not receive compensation for infected cows at the same rate as a healthy cow sold at market as this does not encourage them to take the necessary precautions.

By: Amanda Rofe

Amanda Rofe — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 09:57:18 +0000

We are fast losing wildlife and habitat on this planet, what then can we be thinking when we decide to sacrifice vast numbers of beautiful wild animals in a pitiful attempt to shore up an already shameful livestock-based agricultural system. And any one of us who purchases meat, dairy, leather and their by-products will have to take some responsibility for this.

By: Lorna O'Leary

Lorna O'Leary — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 11:30:55 +0000

A cull took place in the West Country a couple of years ago. The results were showed a failure to stop TB (which is treatable in cattle) when badgers were culled.