Fact - Fiction - Folklore?

Saffy · Post by **Saffy** » Mon Sep 13, 2010 12:55 pm

There is so much in farming but sometimes there is a grain of truth in it somewhere, usually I know whether there is or not because it is usually something I have heard years ago but this is new to me so perhaps someone here knows the answer.

A farmer told me yesterday that if you keep pigs you won't get TB with your cattle because the badgers don't like the smell of the pigs and keep away.

So I wondered - is there a grain of truth in it, are badgers afraid of pigs?

Stephanie

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Mon Sep 13, 2010 1:10 pm

I bet badgers would be scared stiff of pigs, so it makes some sounds to me. Doubt if it's a guarantee though! If there is any truth in it, all you would need is some pig dung in various places around the farm.

Edited By Broomcroft on 1284379885

Saffy · Post by **Saffy** » Mon Sep 13, 2010 1:42 pm

Well Clive - when I thought about what the man said, I thought that badgers could well be afraid of pigs. We have kept them in the past and have a patch that I wouldn't mind fencing off for a few pigs , especially if it helps keep badgers away.

Hopefully someone can tell us some more about it.

Stephanie

Artemisia · Post by **Artemisia** » Tue Sep 14, 2010 7:50 pm

Hi Saffy,I was speaking to my Vet yesterday morning as I lost all of my cows to TB last year and I had seen some of the local wild boar wandering very near land I graze my new Moos on. He said that pigs can get TB too and a local road casualty was found to have TB lesions on testing for other things. So that is badgers, deer and wild boar being a potential threat here.
Until last year I regularly used a homeopathic nosode but had lapsed a few months before the test with devastating results. Until then I had never had a problem though obviously I can't say the nosode definately worked, it was a nasty coincidence though.
I am in the Forest of Dean so not a million miles from you.

monica waltho · Post by **monica waltho** » Tue Sep 14, 2010 8:33 pm

we have 2 kune kune pigs who have the run of a paddock and I have seen badgers on the field at night they might not keep the badgers away but are great at eating acorns!

Saffy · Post by **Saffy** » Sat Sep 18, 2010 9:03 am

Oh well - it sounded too good to be true! :;): Thank you all for the replies.

Stephanie

Edited By Saffy on 1284797113

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Sat Sep 18, 2010 2:58 pm

Well pigs are useful for keeping certain things at bay Stephanie, like unwanted livery customers. Had one once with 5 horses with us, but we didn't get on and payment was always a touchy subject. 5 expensive dressage horses but no money....mmmmm!!! Asking them to move on was difficult because mom would burst into tears at the slightest thing etc etc, so we told him that we were going into pigs in a big way but not to worry because the horses would eventually get used to them........they were gone in a week :D :D :D

monica waltho · Post by **monica waltho** » Sun Sep 19, 2010 9:05 pm

Im sure there used to be something about said about keeping a billy goat with your cows to keep Tb away probably their smell !

Artemisia · Post by **Artemisia** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 8:39 pm

Yes I have heard that one too, a friend used to farm cattle in Ireland and twice had their herd taken with TB (I understood the whole herd was slaughtered but well compensated for?). Then some people in the local watering hole said that they needed a goat and the following day a big male goat turned up amongst their cattle. They never got TB again.
However.
A year or so ago, there was an outbreak amongst some rare breed goats who were very difficult to track down as the original owner had sold up due to retirement, then moved and left all her furniture in storage for a couple of months, including her computer.
As TB testing in goats is not only not compulsory but difficult to say the least and slaughter of positive stock was at the owners discretion there was a huge moral maze at large. The small genepool was a minefield
Similar situation to camelids but in their case the sheer value does not help.

Duncan MacIntyre · Post by **Duncan MacIntyre** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 10:09 pm

My understanding of the elderly spouse's (old wives) tale was that goats kept Brucellosis away, not TB. Either way it is not remotely likely to be true.

Duncan

An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Much more difficult to keep vets away.