Government announce plans for Badger cull

Bob ---I think it is widely  accepted that of the wildlife causing infections Badgers are the biggest danger and while Deer are suspected no one seems to consider they are much of a risk also as Badgers have gone into Scotland it seems B T B has gone with them.

This movement of cattle thing in my opinion knowing the procedures and anyone can indeed read the rules and find if followed it should be almost impossible as nothing can be moved without testing.Of course I accept that like everything else there will be law breakers but as a rule the risks involved of being traced and infecting valuable stock make that a very unlikely route for anyone.

I am convinced that it is just one of those propaganda things politicians put out to cover all possibilities and would be interesting to ask them how anyone could spread the disease by cattle movements following there rules.

It perhaps sounds as if I am on different side to yourself and Harrier but do not think so as we all want the same thing and as you know no way am I anti Badger but I think I perhaps see we need a solution much quicker than the ordinary person in the street as although never having animals culled because of B T B we did have 10% of herd culled for other things and to see animals culled you had helped at birth then reared and been responsible for every day of their life is very traumatic and the part of not being able to sell anything except for slaughter until clear is in my opinion just as bad a experience.

We now get very conflicting views on this vaccine and surely if it is efficient it would be used straight away as the cost must pale into insignificance compared to the campaign in Iraq and similar things.  

have they ever considered that it might be the way farming feed is stored as i was watching a programme and it showed badgers in where the feed is stored the feed was in large canvas bags left open to moisture etc.. feed should be kept in secure purpose built silos. another thing i saw in that programme is a farmer moving the cows through woodlands where the badgers live this practice should stop. could cattle get tb from mosquitos as these flys feed off the blood of other animals and that mosquito could bite a cow and pass on the tb.my siter got biten by a horse fly and she had a lump under her skin same as what a cow has. i am just giving other possibilities

Sky the simple answer to all those possibilities is that they are nothing to do with B T B,for 6 months of the year for example almost all cattle graze the fields and almost impossible to keep badgers out of most places as they can climb relatively well and dig brilliantly.Believe me if farmers could stop anything infecting there animals they would.  

How about someone else coming in to answer, or have a go, it seems we only have one, I have even kept quite, surely there is more out there that would like to have a say, it doe's effect everyone. from buying milk to getting a bit of steak.

to add (or to enjoying our wildlife that has been here well before us all) I used to watch a programme called "Your life in their hands"

Can I come at this from a slightly different angle.  For over 200 years there have been NO cattle importations (live or semen) into the Island.  The herd register was very tightly controlled to maintain  herd purity.  In 2008 these restrictions were lifted to allow the importation of semen - this has opened a whole can of worms.  Prior to 2008 any ovine, equine and porcine had to pass a barrage of test prior to coming onto the Island and had a time in which they had to travel once health certificated and horses were re-tested once on the Island.  The Jersey cattle herd was TB free, how long that will remain so remains to be seen, the two things that we do not have on the Island are badgers and foxes. What we do have tho is humans with TB...............

I can remember a panic back in the 70's when two horses brought to the Island were reactors - they appeared fit and healthy and had to be destroyed and incinerated.  The owner was devastated, not only because of the loss of the horses but he also had a prize winning Jersey herd, the progeny of which was exported world wide.  The horses had tested clear prior to export but were delayed in transit and had a layover at a yard before coming over - enough time to come into contact with something.  

Caroline in Jersey

Harrier sorry if it annoys you that no one else answers.That is not my problem as anyone in the country can answer if so inclined.

Fact is milk perfectly safe as treatment brought in probably over 70 years ago makes it perfectly safe.Culling procedure means meat is perfectly safe.

If I did not answer lots of people may be put off buying products from animals.