29 Comments

It's general knowledge that badgers have nothing to do with TB infection in cattle. This strengthens that PoV. And, I have not seen ONE good communique about Defra. Ever. Not even on the polluted Wye being steadily poisoned by massive and serious pollution (sadly mostly caused by farmers who I always thought understood and respected the land)... They (Defra) appear to be unfit for purpose.

Expand full comment

CATTLE TB it is very strange that no body replies to all the various COMMENTS THAT people including myself never get a reply from some cattle farmer that is caught up in this cheating and wrong doing the cattle TB is supposed to be the hub of the problem but instead it goes off in all different directions example slurry , too much movement .. to many dairy cows ,, badgers deer ,, compensation// valuations // 30 day testing .. biosecurity,, cost rising ,, will never be cured because there is nothing to be cured .. but the list goes on and on day in day out in the ROI AND GB squandering billions on something that there is nothing wrong with

Expand full comment

It’s well known that badgers are being violated and victims of the farming industry. There is 100% evidence badgers DONT cause TB in cattle. DEFRA is an outdated organisation who realise this but can’t “back down” as those vile twats would ALL LOOSE THEIR JOBS…. Well not only should they be unemployed they should be in bloody prison!!!!

When will we realise it’s humans that cause and spread diseases …. Maybe we should start culling humans.

Expand full comment

I completely agree with you!

Expand full comment

This goes to show that defra and others have just been using bovine tb as an excuse to cull the badgers, they and everyone else know it’s something within the herds of cattle. It’s got more to do with the way the poor cattle are raised, as farmers are only interested in the end product, money.

Expand full comment

Time after time the poor badgers have been made scapegoats for the inadequacies of Deathra. How much more evidence do they need to prove badgers innocence?? It's overwhelming now but the government still need their innocent scapegoat to save them money. They listen to the wrong people, if they listen at all, ever!

Expand full comment

I dont claim to know much about cattle. But the basic care and hygiene is obvious. So many farmers inherit some land , stick a few animals in and fatten them up and beyound that , they haven't got clue. Do they ever get a vet to a sick animal, i doubt it.

.They should stick their day job of being builder or a game show host. Maybe defra would be better to get to the basics and educate the farmer. If i rolled around in shit all day i would pick up some horrible disgusting decease. Defra is a jobs worth? so as long as they are seen to be doing something ( i.e killing Badgers) they keep there jobs intact

What they havant done is their homework.

Expand full comment

The badger cull was introduced by this Government to show farmers that they were on their side! It is all too easy and makes no sense to blame one species for the spread of tB. Many scientists in the past have said it is not badgers that are to blame but modern intensive farming where the cattles immune system is weak. Every time I see a badger dead in the road I am saddened and wonder how this beautiful iconic species has been killed. No doubt inhumanely and just dumped in the road. This cull is a disgrace.

Expand full comment

SICKENING!!!!

Expand full comment

It becomes ever more clear that Deathra and Aphid are solely interested in keeping their overpaid jobs

What I have never been able to understand is WHY we don't vaccinated the cattle . I did discs this a number of years ago with a vet and there was some obscure reason about vaccinating the cattle would lose" their tb free status".Since our cattle appear to be riddled with it , this does not make an ounce of sense to me . For the love of God give our precious badgers a break before they become extinct !

Expand full comment

i james o riordan am a cattle farmer but the information that this vet told is a bare faced lie but unfortunately its vets that are running this show the c attle have no tb what so ever in roi and gb but it is costing five hundred million a year and increasing annually it is a waste of time talking about this scandal and fraud ,, what needs TO BE DONE is to inform the EU and and the law reform it intervene for starters plus the gardia and the police and get this propaganda and conspiracy exposed , as a cattle farmer expert myself on this corruption and wrong doing what is happening is . its like trying to repair something that is not broken where can i get help to get this carry on ended it is the very same as the children abuse.. by the powers of the religion orgs

Expand full comment

Is it at all possible to get the vital information from DEFRA, that they are declining to reveal, through the Freedom of Information route?? Surely they can't be above this process?? It may be that this route has been tried but I would appreciate it if anyone could confirm this.

Thank you again for all your comments. t is gratifying to know that many think alike.

Expand full comment

Political that’s what this is. Always has been. Keep Farmers aboard their ship. Tories don’t care about cows or Badgers. Just keeping their voters approval….whatever the cost to anything anyone anywhere.

Expand full comment

Again I say NO HUMAN IS ABOVE NATURE!! I don’t care who you are but it’s impossible,you should work with nature and learn from it , don’t think you know more because you don’t and you can’t !!

Expand full comment

It is absolutely heartbreaking and disgusting how DEFRA is still blaming innocent badgers when it is the cattle themselves that are spreading Tb , especially by moving cattle around and not doing more refined testing

Expand full comment

Other countries vaccinate their cattle. Is it cheaper to kill badgers? Do all other countries with TB all have badgers?

Expand full comment

leave our wild lifo

Expand full comment

CATTLE PASS THE TB ONTO OTHER CATTLE AND TO BADGERS. KILL BADGERS THEN THE ONES STILL ALIVE MOVE TO OTHER AREAS TO BE SAFE(I SAY THIS LOOSLY) AS NO ANIMAL IS SAFE WHERE HUMANS ARE CONCERNED

Expand full comment

Thanks for that excellent insight into the complexities and practical - and operational - challenges of dealing with BTB via Defra. And the uncertainty surrounding its pathology and modes of infection. So, just ‘vaccinating the lot’ ain’t the ‘magic bullet’ I had hoped.

I would have liked to have known what other European countries do and how well their measures work. Is BTB being well-handles anywhere and if so, how?

As for Defra and their running of the TB Partnership in particular it sounds like ‘autocracy’ is the watchword here. Clearly either major interests are pulling the strings somewhere higher up or Tory party ‘entitlement’ has established itself as the key value in its mentality. This always happens when one party has been in power too long as the Tories have.

Expand full comment

Just remember that the badger cull started when Tony Bliar was in power . None of these power crazy politicians have clean hands .

Expand full comment