Think Badger

I thought that it might be useful to look at tuberculosis from the badger’s point of view. Badgers have rights over their territories in a similar way to how people have rights to the land that they own. A badger’s territory may overlap several farms and may include woodland and gardens and their associated buildings. They establish their setts usually at the edge of a field where they can readily dig but where the ground is firm enough for their excavations and where they are protected from their tunnels collapsing or flooding. Badgers like to build close to a reliable food source. For preference they search out short grass with a good supply of cattle dropping that they can turn over to hunt for worms and slugs. If there is an added food supply when calves and growing cattle are fed concentrates on the field this would suit them as well.

Limits to Population

Badgers make a big investment in their sett and if it is successful numbers will gradually increase and they will start to forage over a wider area. From time to time they may establish smaller satellite setts that are occupied for short periods that some of them may use occasionally to give them access to distant sources of food and allow time for their regular fields to recover. Badger numbers are limited by their food source. When numbers rise in a defined territory bolder animals will be tempted to visit cattle sheds and silage pits to get an easy meal. As you know badgers have no natural predators and can deal well with most situations apart from the motor car and bovine tuberculosis. If numbers continue to increase the thought is that a new colony of badgers will become established as a new sett is developed. This can only happen if there is vacant land to occupy that is not controlled by another badger community.

Border Conflict

It can be assumed that in our part of the world all of the available territories are taken and that there is no scope for further expansion. In this situation it is inevitable that there will be conflict on the edge of their range as the population is limited by the available food supply. Badgers thrive particularly on dairy farms where there is little crop rotation. They prefer permanent pastures and appreciate it when maize is sown in the same fields year after year. There will be less conflict between different badger groups when they have a reliable food supply.

Time for a Move

Unlike us badgers have little control over the world in which they live, if there are changes that they cannot deal with the only thing that they can do is to move to a more favourable location within their established territory. Should this not be possible they will come into contact with neighbouring badgers and conflict will ensue. Things that they do not like are changes to their food supply. Growing arable crops in their familiar fields, replacing dairy cows with beef animals or cattle with sheep can all disrupt their nightly foraging. If you have a stable badger colony on your farm it is better to try and maintain it as they will defend their territory and stop unknown individuals getting established in your locality.

Spotting the Diseased Badger

Some scientists working in Devon have observed the modified behaviour of diseased badgers. They feel that a healthy colony has a strategy for survival that leads them to eject unhealthy individuals from established setts. It is not known whether they are identified by their changed behaviour or an unfamiliar smell, but something triggers the rejection and individuals involved are often seen to have bite and claw wounds. Diseased animals survive on the edges of their familiar territory, finding food and shelter where they can they are reluctant to venture onto ground controlled by their respected neighbours. It is these individuals that pose the greatest threat to your herd and it might well be that if you can identify them and find out what they are up to you might be able to encourage them to move on elsewhere. It would seem to me that as there is a reluctance to cull possibly healthy badgers we need to do more to identify and deal with the ones that are spreading tuberculosis to your cattle.

Dry Cow Mastitis

This is the summer mastitis season and the chances are that if you have cows that are dry at this time of the year or in calf heifers you will see at least one case before the end of the summer. It should be remembered that some older beef cows will stop producing milk before their calves are fully weaned and they too must be watched to spot the early signs of this disease. At least three different kinds of bacteria are known to cause infections in the non lactating udder, often several can be cultured from the same quarter. The infections are transmitted by a fly called Hydrotea irritans which lives in trees and bushes and can only fly in damp humid conditions. They are not good fliers and do not cope well in windy conditions. Summer mastitis can be a field problem that is more likely next to woods and high hedges.

Early Treatments

This is a busy time of the year and often you will not have time to have a close look at all of your cattle each day. The things to look out for are swelling and elongation of one or more teats. It may take up to a week before the cow stops grazing, but it is far better to start treatments at the earliest possible stage as the bacteria grow in the cells that produce milk and the damage they do cannot be repaired. Affected teats may be covered in flies which irritate the cow and encourage the spread of infection to others in the group. It can be difficult to treat dry cow mastitis particularly in beef animals as they will resent handling at the best of times. The plan will be to strip as much from the quarter as possible twice daily and inject antibiotics and a non steroidal anti inflammatory drug daily for at least three days.

Avoiding the Danger Areas

There can be a tendency to rely too much on dry cow tubes to prevent summer mastitis, these are important but much can be done to help by keeping susceptible animals on exposed fields away from woodland and damp places. Avoid using the dry cow tubes on wet days as there is a risk of taking infection into the udder if you cannot keep the teat ends clean. Control flies with spot on treatments or sprays but remember they will need to be repeated after wet weather as they get diluted and the challenge from the flies increases. Once you start to get cases a physical barrier to stop the flies will help. Micropore tape can be fiddly to use but is effective when you get it to stick. Internal teat sealants have a role to play but take great care to clean the end of the teats before they are used.

Remember the dry cow tubes are active for a limited time and may need to be replaced to protect the cow fully before she comes into the milking herd.

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