After over 10 years of killing innocent badgers, the evidence is in that it was completely unnecessary. All experts say that bovine TB (an awful disease for cattle) is mostly caused by cattle-to-cattle transmission. Yet over 250,000 badgers have been culled (nearly half the population) since the cull began in 2013.
Although the cull is now officially coming to an end, that won’t be until 2029, and all badger welfare charities are calling for an immediate end, as it has no scientific basis whatsoever.
A vaccination for cattle (the best solution) is imminent. Meanwhile volunteers perform badger vaccinations as an alternative to culls (marking each creature, to ensure they are not double-vaccinated – trapping them causes stress).
Farming unions must now give scientifically-correct advice to their members. TB Hub is the best online source of information.
Also visit Homeopathy at Wellie Level which offers vet-endorsed advice and courses, to prevent many diseases in cattle (including mastitis) along with other useful information to help all farm animals.
There are no badger culls in Wales and Scotland, yet these countries have less bovine TB.
What is Bovine TB?
Bovine TB is a zoonotic disease, so it can spread to other species. Yet less than 5% of culled badgers have been found to carry TB serious enough, to infect cattle or other badgers.
Many believe the reason for badgers culls is simply political stubbornness. The previous government’s links with the hunting industry led many farmers to be misled, into thinking that badgers were the main cause of bovine BV.
It’s now proven that around 94% of cases are due to cattle-to-cattle transmission.
A cattle vaccination is the obvious answer, but it’s only in August 2024 that field tests are beginning. People are asking the new Labour government why it won’t fund this (and stop badger culls) immediately. This would protect cattle, badgers and farmers.
For now, the best prevention methods are:
Better Cattle Testing
The bovine skin test is not reliable, so many cows are missed. At present, vets are not automatically notified of results (if they were, they could inform nearby farms to take actions like movement controls, and avoidance of shared grazing and vehicles).
Controls on Cattle Movement
Buying one infected cow at a market, could infect the rest of the herd. The Badger Trust wants cattle not to be sent to low-risk areas if purchased, unless tested to be TB-free.
Effective Slurry Management
As slurry contain TB for up to 6 months (and also live in hay, silage and water), more careful cleansing methods are needed on farms (at gates especially). And also for footwear and vehicles.
Additional Biosecurity Measures
Farmers should prove they have taken additional measures, before being compensated. This includes doing all of the above, plus taking measures to humanely prevent wildlife from living in farm buildings, using methods like sheeted gates.
Although farmers do undoubtedly suffer, they need to take some responsibility for ensuring that infected badgers are not near farms. And prove they are following stringent advice, to prevent cattle-to-cattle transmission of TB.
England has a particular problem with bovine TB, due to higher rates of intensive farming than most other countries. When cattle are housed indoors during winter, this increases the chance of infections spreading (and stress, which lowers immunity).
If cattle are taken indoors for bad weather, organic farmers ensure comfort and happiness, over intensive farms.
A few years ago, one organic farmer in the Cotswolds fed local badgers a molasses mineral block, with high selenium. He never had one cow in his herd with TB, believing that keeping the immunity high of local wildlife could be the answer.
He contacted DEFRA to ask if blood profiles of badgers had mineral deficiencies. And was amazed to learn that despite tens of millions of pounds spent on culling badgers, nobody had bothered to investigate what he thinks may be the preventive answer.
Many farmers have had entire herds slaughtered, due to TB infection (because there are not enough farm sanctuaries to find homes for remaining healthy animals, if farms cannot be sold).
Badger Culls are Cruel (and don’t work)
Researchers at Oxford University say that badger culls ma have increased bovine TB in neighbouring herds, by almost a third.
Queen guitarist (and astrophysicist) Brian May (who has campaigned against the badger cull of years) says that farmers are being let down by DEFRA, by being fed incorrect advice, on how to protect their herds.
Sign the End the Cull Petition (created after publication of The Badger Trust’s publication Tackling Bovine TB Together), calls for an end to culls. To help not just badgers and cattle, but also farmers.
