Badger Population

Kidds

Member
Horticulture
Ridiculous that we are even discussing this. Licences to kill badgers should be freely available where it is necessity to do so and hunting during an open season should be allowed, same as the rest of Europe. They are all laughing at us!
I have said many times that all that is needed is to put them on the general licence. The problem will be sorted instantly and for free and the badger population will be better for it too (healthier).
 

som farmer

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
somerset
l really cannot see who could complain about taking out infected setts, it would in fact, be cruel to leave them to a slow lingering death. Such a solution would solve the TB issue, and take all the wind, out of the zealots, that love them, l mean, how could they be against euthanising them, to save them from a cruel death. To my knowledge, nobody has claimed they recover from it.
 
l really cannot see who could complain about taking out infected setts, it would in fact, be cruel to leave them to a slow lingering death. Such a solution would solve the TB issue, and take all the wind, out of the zealots, that love them, l mean, how could they be against euthanising them, to save them from a cruel death. To my knowledge, nobody has claimed they recover from it.

Ten years ago, we sent the SofS up to Warwick uni to investigate using PCR technology to identify infected setts, after using APHA maps of restricted farms. Liz Wellington's department trousered £740K for that, and a further chunk to compare with other tests.
Then she completely floored us by announcing that she didn't want 'her' test used to kill badgers.

and

and in this post, we mention a 77 per cent increase in badger population over a decade.


and Prof. Wellington's work with PCR at Woodchester.

 

Clive

Staff Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lichfield
when I was a kid I could have taken you to a single spot on the farm where if you sat patiently and quietly you might have seen a badger

Today I could take my kids to any field we farm and guarantee they would see a badger at dawn / dusk

My children have never seen a hedgehog (a common sight when I was their age)

I have no agenda as we have no livestock but 4 decades of observation tell me the population is MIUCH higher here than ever
 
Last edited:

Longlowdog

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Aberdeenshire
By The Mammal Society's figures there are more badgers than foxes. It is high time landowners were given the choice to cull or indeed not to cull just the same as foxes. Foxes may be shot to preserve human interests and to preserve ecological interests, badgers should be treated likewise.
I regularly walk around my 40 acres of trees with mown rides all through them. at dawn and dusk, I see countless slugs and snails yet have never seen a hedgehog in 16 years. I see destroyed bumblebee nests everywhere.
A law abiding friend nearby lost at least 140 lambs from a crop of 800 to badgers 3 years ago. After an accident befell the resident sett he had a bumper year last year and this year.
 

Ffermer Bach

Member
Livestock Farmer
One ran out in front of wife's car at 50 mph,did £600 of damage and just kept running. They're tough little sods. Makes you wonder how many roadside casualties have other injuries 🤫
I heard a comment, somewhere, that Badgers that get killed by cars usually have TB, so are crook anyway and more likely to be hit. I found a dead Badger on the farm here, and reported it, the Welsh Assembly came and picked it up to test it for TB. I wonder how many they test have TB?
 
I heard a comment, somewhere, that Badgers that get killed by cars usually have TB, so are crook anyway and more likely to be hit. I found a dead Badger on the farm here, and reported it, the Welsh Assembly came and picked it up to test it for TB. I wonder how many they test have TB?
Our vet was at a meeting with ministry vets and someone jokingly asked why so many roadside badgers had shotgun wounds and the head bloke said it's every country man's duty to put an animal out of its misery if it's suffering 🤣🤣
 
I have said many times that all that is needed is to put them on the general licence. The problem will be sorted instantly and for free and the badger population will be better for it too (healthier).

This would be a win/win for everyone, cheapest option for the taxpayer, flexibility for farmers and a healthier badger population.

We could even have some sort of tagging system like America to monitor populations; apply for some tags each year, then send them back with location and health/age/gender status of each Brock.
 
This would be a win/win for everyone, cheapest option for the taxpayer, flexibility for farmers and a healthier badger population.

We could even have some sort of tagging system like America to monitor populations; apply for some tags each year, then send them back with location and health/age/gender status of each Brock.
Old neighbour used to catch them in snares and put sheep eartags in them. Caught dozens over the years but never the same one twice
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 79 42.5%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 65 34.9%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 30 16.1%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 75-100%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 6 3.2%

Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

  • 1,287
  • 1
As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
Top