“BASC Member, Gloucester, there is as much evidence supporting the theory that badgers are catching TB from cattle as the other way around.
Try putting down mineral licks that contain selenium and keeping cattle in less stressful environments and see what happens. The evidence suggests you will eradicate TB in your herd.
I do think it's entirely fair and just that the NFU has appointed as it's TB spokesperson a farmer that has lost 170 cattle to TB.....totally unbiased then!!”

“If farmers kept their cattle in cleaner and less crowded conditions they would not get TB so easily. As TB can be carried and spread by a variety of creatures, would they then propose killing off the entire countryside's wildlife and also any wandering domestic pets? I think not. Why pick on the poor badgers then? Leave them alone, or vaccinate the badgers!”

“I don't think farmers or their workers need worry too much about being attacked. It's only a small minority of idiots that are threatening this kind of action.

However, if the cull does go ahead they should be worried about the state of British dairy farming as a whole as people begin to boycott their goods in protest and start to buy imported goods and change to soya milk.

Has anyone looked on Youtube lately? There's a video circulating of Welsh cattle markets and the farmers ignoring the bio-security measures in place. If the farmers care so little about the spread of the disease, then why should the British public care if the farmers go bankrupt?”

“Speaking as a responsible shooter and farm woker I welcome a controlled cull. Many UK species need to be managed which does in my opinion include the Badger population. I have to agree that the evidence provided to the wider public is not concrete as to the transmition of TB from badgers to cattle, but a best guess...which at the end all science is. A nieghbouring farmer of mine has lost many cattle over the past years due to TB. The bill for this is picked up by the taxpayer, but never fully compensates.

After eliminating all other factors that are reasonably practicable there seems only one likely candidate left as to the re-infection rate...the Badger. A few trial culls in hot spots may add supportive evidence to the argument for/against.

As to the identity of the farmers invloved I would agree that they should be kept secret, the actions and threats of extremist animal rights supporters are too alarming to ignore. No animal, ever, is worth a human life.”

“Actually, SG, that is not such a daft idea. The Germans seems well able to cope with wolves in the Black Forest and there are still areas of Europe where the Brown Bear and the Lynx are allowed to roam free.

Sleep easy though - it will never happen in a nation where near hysteria is whipped up by reports of foxes and wild boar and even the mere sighting of the odd passive adder . Far better to eradicate any native species that poses us even a minor nuisance or inconvenience eh?”

“Mary - Biology isn't your strong point is it? Cows are Bovine creatures if you google it, you will find many breeds untouched by man for example wild buffalo etc.
Last I noticed the great treks accross africa by the wildebeest didn't have farmers and sheeps dogs herding them.

How do you propose the control the badger popluation, as it has no preditor. I you want the correct eco structure then we will need to reintroduce wolves to create the balence.

Oh and vaccinating badgers is a non starter, have you tried herding cats?”

“The evidence that badgers spread TB is still only anecdotal and not definite enough to justify a cull, despite the many efforts of researchers. And when they say "cull" do they mean "cull" -that is, reducing numbers - or "eradicate" - wiping them out?
Allow a farmer, particularly an anonymous one, with a gun anywhere near a badger's sett and it will inevitably be the latter. It's our beloved Brock, a native species, not an invasive foreign species such as the coypu, the mink or the grey squirrel. Wiping it out would be like wiping out the red squirrel or the brown hare.
I have another fear, too; allowing this so-called "cull" will lead to a revival in the vicious and very illegal sport of badger-digging and baiting, because the semi-urban yobs (you know 'em - they own pit bulls) who do this will see the "cull" as a handy excuse.
As to the anonymity: I would hope that rather than threaten farmers the animal rights activists would mount guards on setts. Then the farmers would have to attack them...”

“Cows are Domesticated Herd Animals not Manmade. They walk among us. I'm talking about you,Gaga. Lol.”

“SG, you are correct I beleive. At present (or last I heard anyway) vaccinated cattle could not enter the food chain due to EU regulations because the vaccinations use a live attenuated strain of the bacterium causing the illness. Therefore vaccinated animals test positive for the actual condition. Any animals testing positive are not allowed to enter the human food chain, hence the problem. I believe that there are vaccination programmes for the badgers though although the results of these may take many years to be seen. It is worth noting that it isn't only badgers that can carry the disease - deer, foxes, dogs etc can do so too.”

“SG, lord gaga is right, however silly the name is. Cows are bred by man, they are not part of the natural ecosystem.

What gives us the right to slaughter an entire species for our on convenience? We are supposed to be the ones with brains, we should find a way round the problem, not take the easiest way out.

Perfecting a vaccine, for the badgers and/or cattle, would seem a sensible solution.”