Badger culls in England kill thousands

[Catherine]

I was shocked and distressed to read about the badger culls. They say they killed over 10,000 badgers.
There is no evidence that killing even one badger or a million will in any way help the cattle TB problem.

http://news.google.ca/news/url?sr=1&ct2=...t=2&at=dt0

They don't want to do what it would take to stop the problem of Bovine TB. It is poor practices that have caused it to spread again. I can't understand why they would focus on the badgers and not on the farmers.

It is a massacre and so many badgers have lost their lives for nothing.

[LPC]

Yes, this has been controversial in the UK for some years now. The falsity of the "kill the badger" argument can be seen in the fact that Scotland has been free of bovine TB since 2009....but there has never been a cull there! The real truth is that TB is spread from cow to cow, either within herd, or else at markets (where cattle from different herds come into close contact), or else by sale/purchase of stock from other farmers (which goes on all the time). In general, bovine TB spreads into a herd which was clear previously, by "buying in" cattle. Farmers are buying and selling stock all the time. The poor badgers are just scapegoats.

Any suggestions of a "lock down" when infection is found are vigorously opposed by farmers. They claim that it would affect their profits. But in my opinion, when an infected farm is found, there should indeed be a "lock down", with a complete and extended ban on animal movement in or out (and infection controls imposed on humans going in or out).

There are currently rules in the UK about this, but they are quite weak. See https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/articles/mov...culosis-tb  Note particularly this weak restriction:
"If TB is not confirmed in the herd or there are 5 or less positive animals, it may be possible to derestrict the herd after a single clear herd test, carried out not less than 60 days after the removal/isolation of reactors and cleansing and disinfection has been completed and inspected."

It is current farming practices which are to blame, not the poor badgers.

[Tobi]

I agree LPC. It is too sad and unnecessary. Tne Badgers have become scapegoats.

Badgers are a 'nuisance' on grazing land, (because of the huge holes they dig) and farmers never liked them for that reason. Finding out that Badgers can also contract TB and carry it, is just an excuse I feel. It is debatable whether the Badgers cause TB or the cattle already have it and spread it to the Badgers!

It could very well be that the unhealthy treatment of farm animals is the cause. If OUR immune systems were subjected to the stresses farm animals have to cope with, you can bet we would develop all sorts of diseases too.
But that is one thing many farmers don't want to even look at.....

[Catherine]

There is little doubt that unhealthy farming practices are the real problem.  I can't imagine that the cows or bulls have strong immune systems. The way cattle are shipped for sale and exposed to each other is highly dangerous when there is an infectious disease problem. I doubt farmers practice proper quarantine methods when purchasing new cattle.

I wouldn't be surprised if cattle suspected of carrying TB were quickly sold off by a farmer to protect his herd. This would of course spread the disease elsewhere.

I wonder how good they are at record keeping. Can they really trace where a TB cow has come from.

It is unfortunate that badgers are getting TB from infected cattle. Since badgers do not travel great distances by truck it is unlikely that they are the ones spreading the disease.

Since Scotland has contained the problem without hurting the badgers clearly the badgers are not the problem and therefore also not the solution.