Badgers

[Eileen]

Well the badger cull has started, I know its also sad when farmers have there cows put down because of TB, but wat is it with this country, we have the most amazing wild life, but our farmers are determined to wipe most of it out. If the farmers had there own way there would be no foxes, no rabbits, no badgers, no insects, and no birds of prey. .

[Malcolm Robinson]

Short-sighted in my view!

[Symptoms]

The problem really lies with a generally casual approach to bio-security on many farms and the 'underground' movement of stock (which is rife). Farms are covered in dung (especially yards and sheds) which is often not cleared effectively or regularly, many sheds and pens are well past their best with broken side panels and roof coverings which allow vermin to easily enter, animal feed is often stored insecurely which allows vermin to contaminate it, and so on. Offending farmers need to get these things organised before badgers are killed. I visited farms in Blighty for the best part of 40 years and was often shocked with how scruffy and unnecessarily dirty and unhealthy they were - hardy suprising that infections in herds is so commonplace.