Protect Your Herd: How to Reduce Bovine TB Risk on Your Farm

Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) remains a major threat to UK cattle farming. One of the most effective ways to limit the risk is by reducing contact between badgers and cattle, not just through vaccination or culling, but by improving your farm’s biosecurity. At Farm Forestry, we offer proven products that help you do exactly that:

• TB Busters mineral bucket stand
• Tornado badger fencing
• Badger gates

Here’s how they work and why they’re critical for long-term TB control on farm.

Why TB Risk on Farms Often Involves Badgers

Badgers are a known wildlife reservoir for the Mycobacterium bovis bacteria, which causes bTB in cattle. Transmission can happen through direct contact (nose-to-nose), or indirectly via contaminated feed, water, or mineral licks.

Government biosecurity guidance emphasises the importance of restricting badger access to feed and water sources, as well as sealing or fencing buildings and yards.

Key Products That Help Reduce TB Risk

1. TB Busters – Mineral Lick Stand

The TB Buster mineral bucket stand is a badger‑proof solution for lick or mineral buckets, which are often high-risk points for transmission.

• Designed to fit mineral buckets from 15–35 kg
• Screws into the ground so badgers or cattle can’t topple it
• Easily portable, you can move it as needed
• Proven to reduce mineral bucket costs by up to 20%, by preventing badger theft or spoilage
• Field-tested and scientifically validated by the Royal Agricultural University

Using a stand like this helps prevent badgers from sharing lick resources with cattle, reducing the opportunity for disease transmission.

2. Tornado Badger Fencing

To stop badgers from entering areas where cattle feed, graze, or rest, Tornado Force 12 badger fencing offers a permanent and robust exclusion measure.

Key features:

• Made from high-tensile wire with 8 cm vertical spacing: strong enough to resist badger pressure.
• Designed to be buried 600 mm into the ground and folded outwards to prevent badgers digging under.
• Flexible, hinged knot construction allows it to follow ground contours.
• Can be topped with barbed or electrified wire to deter climbing.

Well-installed fencing provides a physical barrier that helps limit badger-cattle interaction, a key step recommended by TB biosecurity experts.

3. Badger Gate

Even with fencing, badgers often need to move across their territory, and that’s where a badger gate becomes useful. The Farm Forestry Badger Gate (galvanised steel) allows badgers to pass through fences without damaging them.

• Sized at 300 mm high x 200 mm wide: big enough for badgers, but small enough to prevent livestock.
• Can be locked uni-directionally, so you can control whether badgers can leave but not return (or vice versa).
• Easy to retrofit into existing fencing, meaning you don’t need to rebuild your borders to maintain badger access routes.

By using a gate like this, you preserve badger movement corridors (reducing disruption), while preventing them from compromising the fence integrity or making direct contact with cattle.

How These Measures Fit into Broader TB Biosecurity

• According to TB Hub guidance, reducing badger-cattle contact is a proven method of mitigating bTB risk.
• Exclusion measures that fully block or limit badger access to feed, water, and housing can be 100% effective when properly maintained.
• Good biosecurity practice also includes limiting gaps at ground level, securing gates, and avoiding shared water sources.
  

Recommended Installation Tips for Farmers

1. Survey your farm to identify badger runs, latrines, and setts.
2. Position your TB Busters stand close to lick locations but away from known badger paths if possible.
3. Install the badger fence by burying it properly and tensioning well- consider turning the base outward to prevent burrowing.
4. Add badger gates at strategic points where badger movement is inevitable- this avoids fencing damage and maintains badger territory use.
5. Carry out regular inspections- check posts, wires, and gates for wear, sagging or damage, particularly in the first year.
6. Combine with other biosecurity measures, such as secure feed storage, double-fencing, and water point protection.
   

The Long-Term Benefits of Taking Action

• Reducing contact between wildlife and livestock helps lower the risk of bTB transmission.
• By preventing badger access to mineral licks and feed, farmers can protect their investment and reduce waste.
• Durable fencing and gates are long-term solutions: once installed, they require minimal maintenance but deliver ongoing protection.
• These measures align with government- and industry-recommended biosecurity practices and could improve your farm’s resilience to TB breakdowns.

Final Thought

Addressing the risk of bovine TB means more than testing cattle, it means building smart, practical barriers against wildlife. By incorporating TB Busters, Tornado badger fencing, and badger gates into your farm’s biosecurity plan, you’re taking proven, proactive steps to safeguard your herd, your farm’s value, and your future.

If you’d like help choosing the right products or designing your badger-exclusion strategy, just contact the Farm Forestry team on 01588650496, we’re here to help.