My grandfather farmed in the USA having emigrated in the late 1800's. His wife Mary Loton died there and he returned to GB with his young son. Being unable to cope on his own. He settled down and farmed in Derbyshire from where the family farmed for many decades. Through both world wars as I was informed farming was very hard work. I'll repeat what my late aunt Lucy (or her sister Lily/both typical yankee names) once said on his return to farming in Great Britain. He had said at the time, " This country is the best country in the world to farm, being the best for farming methods and the love of animals" I once talked to a retired farmer in a city park as the mention of the then cruelty to animals and he mentioned the railcar boxing by cowboys of cattle, as many as they could then get into a wagon. Without any regard to animal welfare. USA history shows the course that massive extinction did to native species, wiping out mass of herds such as the Buffalo. He added he would have loved animals and the British love for them then. That was a century ago. The USA made laws to stop such cruelty. World News Animal cruelty tales from UK.... Have we forgotten something? My earliest childhood memory of (my dads side) the families last being called Manor farm in Heage, Derbyshire is being told to keep away from a massive Black Bull. Thankfully the lovely beast was over a stone wall. What muscles! I came away at some childhood stage with pet Banty hen......

I felt sick when I head the first time about culling the badgers. Today, in 2012, no culling should be rectified. Badgers can be vaccinated, so can be the cattle. We are not talking about thousands of pounds. It is very cheep. We are priviledge to live in a country with badgers. I dont understand that not every country man/woman shouts out to stop the nonsense. I give with pleasure a pound of my wage for vaccination to protect the badger.

Ticked off that badgers are always the victims. They are a native animal living in their native country. They should be on a protected species list, not persecuted for the sake of humans. Badgers and cattle should be vaccinated. Yes this will come at a cost, but so will the option of culling and the first option comes at a lower enviromental cost than the culling option.

The cull is a terrible idea, I will shop from supermarkets boycotting farms that cull, or give up dairy products full stop

badgers have lived along side cattle for hundreds of years with no problems the problem has come since foot&mouth when cattle was brought from imports from europe and the south of england it was common knowledge that it was in devon defra has a lot to answer for

The notion that badgers give cows bovine TB is preposterous.

There needs to be stricter controls over the movement of cattle and the vehicles/trailers used to transport them should be cleaned and disinfected after every use.

Cows are being infected by other cows that are bought anbd brought into the herd, not by a badger in a field!

Culling badgers is stupid and inhumane - vaccination is the proper route to take.

To suggest that killing badgers will stop the spread of bovine TB is akin to sitting in a throne on the beach and telling the tide not to come in - Canute tried it!

The NFU are making themselves look like idiots if they support this cull and do nothing about the spread of TB through dirty cattle transports and infected cows being bought and sold.

it's heartbreaking. DEFRA, the scientists and many farmers agree - the best way to control bTB is better biosecurity on farms, properly enforced controls on cattle identification and movement and cattle vaccination.

So instead of getting on with the work necessary to introduce these changes, DEFRA agrees to killing off badgers! Remember the government and DEFRA knew before they got started on this that the voters opposed the policy. You the voters have been told your government doesn't care what you think, it prefers to placate a few individuals in the NFU!

if you cull badgers,and your cows get the desease can all the badger friends cull you cattle mr farmers,a life for a life,the badger as as much right in the countryside than a cow.long live the badgers.

as a wild animal they will only bread to the area they live in and TB is spread by them coming into the fields the cattle are feeding in why carnt farmers fence of there land so they carnt get in this will also limit there area of breading leading to a natural cull

Mc it was also quoted on tv newspaper review that the IOW had levels of TB despite the island having NO BADGERS. My grandparents farmed in the USA and Derbyshire England with my grandad once saying with his love of farm stock that GB was best country in the world to farm.... The British had a long tradition of the love for animals which will do much dreadful harm to other struggling worldly animal populations if given a licence to kill wild animals.

I can kill that Tiger. The British kill their wild animals amass so .... I believe Waitrose and Coop have banned products from culled areas. I asked a rep at Sainsbury's open day in Crown & Mitre and they did'nt know yet.