Badger Farms and TB

[Imaginos]

Originally Posted by Earth Hart

If you want to eradicate BTB, then don't barn your cattle over winter, farmers pamper them too much. Cattle can survive outside during the winter, it's just for the farmer's convenience that they are barned. How warm do my cattle need to be? They have lived on the land far longer than you, leave them there & you will see a rapid decline in BTB.

I would guess that the current breeds of cattle haven't lived on the land far longer than the human race and certain of them will not be tolerant of colder conditions.
I also get the feeling that even early on in our farming heritage cattle were protected from cold weather (even to the extent of living above he cattle in the winter to benefit from their warmth).
Finally, what proof is there that Bovine TB is similar to Human TB in its rate of transferral in cramped conditions? I find it interesting that people reject one view in favour of another purely on the grounds that they like badgers...I quite like mosquitoes, but I'm sure I'd be in a minority against them being wiped out, if it were considered necessary.

[Imaginos]

Originally Posted by Earth Hart

If you want to eradicate BTB, then don't barn your cattle over winter, farmers pamper them too much. Cattle can survive outside during the winter, it's just for the farmer's convenience that they are barned. How warm do my cattle need to be? They have lived on the land far longer than you, leave them there & you will see a rapid decline in BTB.

I would guess that the current breeds of cattle haven't lived on the land far longer than the human race and certain of them will not be tolerant of colder conditions.
I also get the feeling that even early on in our farming heritage cattle were protected from cold weather (even to the extent of living above he cattle in the winter to benefit from their warmth).
Finally, what proof is there that Bovine TB is similar to Human TB in its rate of transferral in cramped conditions? It does seem to make sense, but then it also makes sense if you look at a lot of the research that has been done (check Alan's link for some papers) that badgers are the vector. I find it interesting that people reject one view in favour of another purely on the grounds that they like badgers...I quite like mosquitoes, but I'm sure I'd be in a minority against them being wiped out, if it were considered necessary.

[Deerhunter]

Originally Posted by tiggertoo

What is your point of veiw on pre movment testing and movement restirctions? Surley moving cattle from high risk areas to other lower risk areas is dangerous. As stated earleir we must take a holistic approach.


“A large survey to establish the extent of TB in wildlife other than badgers, continued during 2003. Over 4,500 carcasses of a variety of terrestrial mammal species were examined. M. bovis was identified in fallow deer, roe deer, field voles and foxes, and for the first time in the UK in muntjac, and a range of other species.”

Do we start with badgers and then move onto deer, then to field voles and then foxes and then what is next. No we have to look at how these animals are becoming infected and how the disease is being transferred to other areas – in other words we have to examine everything connected with this problem and come up with a viable and effective solution"

I suspect you know there is a huge difference between these animals. I have a few voles but they don't plough my fields. I have dozens of Badgers and they do.

What I attemted to get over here was the fact that it may not only be badgers to blame - again - we must take a holistic approach that includes full measures and not jump to unfounded conclusions and emotive arguments (using an emotive argument!)

Is it the damage to your fields that upset you?

I am happy with pre-movement testing.

I believe the behaviour of Badgers make it more likely that they spread Bovine TB than other creatures. Voles are eaten, Foxes and Deer are culled. Badgers are breeding out of control.

And yes, the damage to my fields is very annoying.

[Deerhunter]

Originally Posted by Earth Hart

If you want to eradicate BTB, then don't barn your cattle over winter, farmers pamper them too much. Cattle can survive outside during the winter, it's just for the farmer's convenience that they are barned. How warm do my cattle need to be? They have lived on the land far longer than you, leave them there & you will see a rapid decline in BTB.

Yes, and I will see a rapid decline in their condition as well.

So you think if I leave my cattle out on the top of Exmoor this winter I will have no TB reactors?

Any reasoning behind this?

I can of course leave my cows out all winter. I can also lamb outside. But I have this problem. I have to sell a product at the end of the year.