Should Cows

[brionon]

be culled to save the Bagers from TB ?

[redman41]

They are culled at the Slaughterhouse for Beef anyway !

[Canary42]

Yes

[mungbeanz]

Badgers aren't tasty like cows, so I don't see it catching on. Have you ever drank badger milk? Or worn a badger skin jacket?

[Canary42]

No, but I've used a badger-hair shaving brush

[mungbeanz]

I assume you mean badgers and not bagers? I don't even know what a bager is!

[mungbeanz]

And these bagel/tiger hybrid things are at risk of catching TB from cows? I thought that TB had been irradicated in the UK. How does a cow pass on TB anyway?

[lankeela]

Need to be sure the badgers are the cause of TB in cows. I have a dairy farmer friend who encourages badgers and protects them on his farm.

[Ratty2E]

Pretty sure the badgers were there before the cows, so yes cull the cows or at least don't breed so many. I think it's dairy cattle that are affected in which case we have too many diary cows as it is so get rid of them. Having less cows would help with global warming too. Better for us and for the badgers.

[notasyoungasiwas]

I like the sound of your dairy farmer friend lankeela.

[carolegif]

Why can't they just vaccinate the badgers? I think the EU won't let them, they would rather kill them instead. A lot of cows have already been slaughtered because of TB from badgers.

[archeraddict]

There are badgers on my smallholding (but no cows). I know that plans aren't that concrete at the moment but, if after the pilot next year they decide to extend the cull, will I be forced to allow them onto my land to kill these creatures? I will be furious if that is the case - I like my land to be a bit of a haven for all animals, where they can feel safe and not fear trapping, poisoning or being shot!

Trimeresurus - it is actually bovine TB that is mostly spread from cow to cow but badgers can carry it, if they pick it up from grubbing around in cow pats from infected cows. They rarely get symptoms from it and the RSPCA found that 88% of badgers culled did not have TB.

Sledgehammer and nuts come to mind!

[LoftyLottie]

Nice post archeraddict.

I agree with you and Lankeela's friend.

Saw a very knowledgeable gentleman talking about it on TV yesterday. He says that the culling will in the long run do no good whatsoever. It hasn't been thought out properly.

[LoftyLottie]

Carolegif. This is what the chap I was watching was talking about. He reckons that vaccination is the only solution. Culling is short term.

[LoftyLottie]

"Badgers are vermin, nasty little creatures who enjoy nothing more than killing hens."

How ridiculous! In what way are badgers vermin. You might as well say the same about human beings. We kill hens too!!

[archeraddict]

Totally agree with you LL. I also have chickens and have never lost one to a badger - and I don't live on the land so there are long periods when I am not around to protect them!

Of course, nature dictates that badgers are carnivorous and I'm sure they would kill one of my hens if I didn't do my part in ensuring they have good housing etc. It's my responsibility because we have spent years domesticating hens so that their natural means of protection have been almost bred out of them, making them easy prey. That doesn't make badgers bad! As you say LL, humans eat chickens and cows, pigs, lambs etc., and often keep them in poor conditions so that we can satisfy our desire for meat at a cheap price.

I don't think humans have any right to make accusations against animals who are just trying to survive.

[Avatar]

"f we get rid of our dairy cows, we will have to import milk from countries where welfare maybe isn't as important as it is here. Milk will also be more expensive.

And what do you suggest all the dairy farmers do for a living with no cows?

Badgers are vermin, nasty little creatures who enjoy nothing more than killing hens"

What a load of ***. Good username 2shortplanks you are obviously as thick as the name implies.