[TV] Clarkson's Farm 3

[Thunder Bolt]

No they don’t. They are, however, the only predator that can kill a hedgehog when in its in its defensive ball. Making badgers a protected species and the subsequent population explosion (Badgers have no predators bar man) has all but wiped out the hedgehog.

I thought the decline in the hedgehog population was due to gardens being paved over for parking, and using chemicals to kill slugs, their main foodstuf?

PS I’ve never seen Clarkson’s farm but I love Yorkshire Vet, and Canon Hall Farm. Kelvin Fletcher, and Kate Humble are interesting too.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

I thought the decline in the hedgehog population was due to gardens being paved over for parking, and using chemicals to kill slugs, their main foodstuf?

That is also true. In an urban habitat humans are a hedgehog's worst threat. In rural areas it's badgers.

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

There's a lot people can do in their gardens to help hedgehogs, making access through fencing being one of the important ones.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

That is also true. In an urban habitat humans are a hedgehog's worst threat. In rural areas it's badgers.

According to this, that’s a myth.

Badgers and Hedgehogs: Separating fact from fiction in British native wildlife

How moving beyond predation reveals the leading causes of hedgehog decline.

www.badgertrust.org.uk

 

[abc]

The major increase in TB in cattle correlates with relaxing controls on the movement of cattle and the increase in densities of herds , 95%+ of TB infections are caught cow to cow often from cows from other herds. The checking for TB in cows is reliant on a test which is not very good so is ineffective. In addition independent reviews indicate that poor handling of slurry waste is also a major issue.

Vaccinating badgers is only one of the answers , you could vaccinate the cows which are a captive audience the problem here though is little money has gone into this area rather than the millions spent on killing cows and badgers. All you end up doing is having an ever increasing pile of dead animals with angry farmers wanting to kill more badgers after seeing their cattle killed.

Regards foxes killing lambs ,I have seen the figure bounced around a few sites not sure if it comes from a single source. Maybe if all lambs were born inside then the problem would disappear. Unfortunately the only figure reducing is the numbers of foxes in the countryside(as opposed to urban areas) and that ironically is partly due to land owners just killing them as they can't hunt them but farmers play a large part during lambing season.

Around Woodingdean where I live the farms are tenanted but that has not stopped the shooting of foxes, including in the cemetery area which is not farmland.

The thing with foxes is if you kill them others move into the territory so the clever thing to do is to protect your lambs and chickens in proper secure areas. Regards the chicken in the hen house scenario, yes they will kill and if left to it they will then stash each chicken away so it has food going forward. Agree they don't have a natural predator ( men wiped out the wolves) but a lot are killed on roads and there is a natural tendency for numbers to remain in balance - they have fewer cub in hard times when food is less abundant.

I don't think we as a nation can be critical of countries in Africa and South America which are pushing animals to extinction when we look to try to drive down our food production costs by killing our wildlife. As I said i am quit happy to pay more for food which is produced in an ethical manner i.e. on that respects our wildlife.

According to this, that’s a myth.

Badgers and Hedgehogs: Separating fact from fiction in British native wildlife

How moving beyond predation reveals the leading causes of hedgehog decline.

www.badgertrust.org.uk

Funnily enough another untruth by the badger trust who have zero interest in any other living creature apart from the badger. Where we humans have interfered with nature (no wolves left as mentioned by someone on here) then we have to take responsibility for maintaining a balance. That means controlling (not wiping out) badgers for the sake of hedgehogs (and badgers themselves ironically. if you have seen a badger with TB, it is horrible way for them to die), controlling foxes for the benefit of ground nesting bits and so on.
We need balance and the Badgervtrust sadly offers none

 

[WATFORD zero]

Funnily enough another untruth by the badger trust who have zero interest in any other living creature apart from the badger. Where we humans have interfered with nature (no wolves left as mentioned by someone on here) then we have to take responsibility for maintaining a balance. That means controlling (not wiping out) badgers for the sake of hedgehogs (and badgers themselves ironically. if you have seen a badger with TB, it is horrible way for them to die), controlling foxes for the benefit of ground nesting bits and so on.
We need balance and the Badgervtrust sadly offers none

Well how about this pro-hedgehog one ?

Nationally, the hedgehog population in Britain has declined over the last thirty years. While badgers may play a role locally, hedgehogs are absent in many areas where there are no badgers and, in areas where nesting and feeding sites are plentiful, the two species co-exist. Identifying badgers as the primary reason for the fall in hedgehog numbers isn’t backed by the science.

https://ptes.org/campaigns/hedgehogs/hedgehogsandbadgers/

 

[Loadicus Trux]

Getting back to the subject of Clarkson's Farm, why on earth did he go to all that effort, and expense, to erect a fallen Willow tree that will most likely come down again in the next storm. He must've needed something to fill out that episode.

 

[SeagullinExile]

The first two series were much better. This one seems heavily scripted, similar to Top Gear in that respect.

It’s all a bit meh tbh.

 

[NorthstandRacoon]

NFU which represents farmers supports the cull.

There are regular reports of multiple foxes shot around Woodingdean (plus what I have seen) . Maybe where you live it is better ,maybe crops so farmers aren't so fussed about wild animals. Gratifying that they secure their lambs in line with my view.

You are correct the problem with generalisation is that is that there are always exceptions, though there is plenty of evidence that fox hunts are supported by farms and farm workers.

So what mindset is that ? I said farmers should be paid enough for their produce so that they don't have cut corners which impacts wildlife. Not your cup of tea , do you think it's ok to destroy our wildlife.

No, I agree with your point re cutting costs and its impact in wildlife.

The farmers where we are are lamb and beef farmers who don’t feel the need to action those practices you so detest.

 

[Peteinblack]

I'm, not a fan of Clarkson, either as a buffoonish TV presenter, or his reactionary Right-wing Woke-goading, Sunday Times column, but I must confess that having read a couple of glowing TV reviews of episode 2 of his latest series, and in particular his farcical attempts at getting his pigs to breed, I did watch last week's episode.

It is hilarious; his exasperated comments when the boar initially fails to mate with the sow, the reason why, and his 'delicately' explaining the problem to Lisa, are Comedy Gold, as are Clarkson's jubilant comments when the boar is eventually successful.

 

[abc]

Well how about this pro-hedgehog one ?

Nationally, the hedgehog population in Britain has declined over the last thirty years. While badgers may play a role locally, hedgehogs are absent in many areas where there are no badgers and, in areas where nesting and feeding sites are plentiful, the two species co-exist. Identifying badgers as the primary reason for the fall in hedgehog numbers isn’t backed by the science.

https://ptes.org/campaigns/hedgehogs/hedgehogsandbadgers/

Are you suggesting the badger has been framed?!

 

[Pevenseagull]

Are you suggesting the badger has been framed?!

It might be a plot to get them back for embarrassing the government by moving the goalposts a few years ago.

Badgers 'moved goalposts' says minister Owen Paterson

A government minister claims "the badgers moved the goalposts" when asked why marksmen failed to kill enough to reach their cull target.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

Just having a short 2-day break in the Cotswolds [Broadway] with Mrs SS and realised Diddly Squat Farm was only 25 mins down the road.
So we took a trundle over there this morning.
CLOSED for filming ...

Tut! Meh! etc.

 

[Chicken Run]

Just having a short 2-day break in the Cotswolds [Broadway] with Mrs SS and realised Diddly Squat Farm was only 25 mins down the road.
So we took a trundle over there this morning.
CLOSED for filming ...

Tut! Meh! etc.

Season 4 ?

 

[Wardy's twin]

Funnily enough another untruth by the badger trust who have zero interest in any other living creature apart from the badger. Where we humans have interfered with nature (no wolves left as mentioned by someone on here) then we have to take responsibility for maintaining a balance. That means controlling (not wiping out) badgers for the sake of hedgehogs (and badgers themselves ironically. if you have seen a badger with TB, it is horrible way for them to die), controlling foxes for the benefit of ground nesting bits and so on.
We need balance and the Badgervtrust sadly offers none

But the issue that was in discussion (raised by me) is that we are killing badgers because of the TB myth not to protect hedgehogs. Totally agree there needs to be balance but let's step back a bit - badgers and hedgehogs have cohabited on this island for thousands of years and yet only recently (last 50 years) that hedgehog numbers have declined and its only more recently the decline has rapidly increased when badger numbers have fallen greatly in some areas. . Maybe badger numbers had increased (prior to culling) and maybe they are part of the problem (hedgehog groups seem to blame them) but they are unlikely to be the biggest single cause of the decline that again is man destroying their environments.

The problem as I see it is there is a very strong lobby formed by the NFU & the Countryside Alliance who favour the culling of badgers , the elimination of foxes and the protection of 'shoots' . They are driven by a mixture of 'tradition' and money (you earn a lot if you run a shoot) on the other side are a number of organisations which are driven by emotion and some 'science'. What we don't have is a plan as how do we recover a proper balance in nature in the UK and unfortunately we don't have a government that deals with it honestly or transparently.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Getting back to the subject of Clarkson's Farm, why on earth did he go to all that effort, and expense, to erect a fallen Willow tree that will most likely come down again in the next storm. He must've needed something to fill out that episode.

Is it because.....he's a ****?

Yes. That must be it.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

I'm, not a fan of Clarkson, either as a buffoonish TV presenter, or his reactionary Right-wing Woke-goading, Sunday Times column, but I must confess that having read a couple of glowing TV reviews of episode 2 of his latest series, and in particular his farcical attempts at getting his pigs to breed, I did watch last week's episode.

It is hilarious; his exasperated comments when the boar initially fails to mate with the sow, the reason why, and his 'delicately' explaining the problem to Lisa, are Comedy Gold, as are Clarkson's jubilant comments when the boar is eventually successful.

He can be as funny and as charming as he can muster.

He's still a ****, and dead to me

 

[clapham_gull]

I'm, not a fan of Clarkson, either as a buffoonish TV presenter, or his reactionary Right-wing Woke-goading, Sunday Times column, but I must confess that having read a couple of glowing TV reviews of episode 2 of his latest series, and in particular his farcical attempts at getting his pigs to breed, I did watch last week's episode.

It is hilarious; his exasperated comments when the boar initially fails to mate with the sow, the reason why, and his 'delicately' explaining the problem to Lisa, are Comedy Gold, as are Clarkson's jubilant comments when the boar is eventually successful.

Complex character and let's be fair playing a character a lot of the time.

Campaigned for remain and even made videos, but his darling right wing press ignored them of course. Clarkson is ultra pro EU and would like to see the Euro introduced into the UK.

I used to know the wokest of wokery producer, who would gladly acknowledge his genius as a journalist and writer.

He had one of the most popular television programmes on earth at its peak, not many do that.

I don't have time for most of his views, but blimey he makes some beautiful television. There was a shot in the woods on one of the episodes that was must have been taken very early in the morning at expense that was stunning. Only ran for a few seconds, but one of those clever brush strokes that made Top Gear such a success under him.

It was quite a bit more than three blokes dicking around.

 

[clapham_gull]

Season 4 ?

They are filming now.

 

[clapham_gull]

PS I’ve never seen Clarkson’s farm but I love Yorkshire Vet, and Canon Hall Farm. Kelvin Fletcher, and Kate Humble are interesting too.

I have a strong feeling you would love it.