Paul Brereton along with his son, runs a beef suckler farm in Market Drayton on the Shropshire-Staffordshire border within the High Risk Area (HRA). Initially the land was purchased in 2006, and prior to this it was used to grow cereal crops. In 2010, Paul decided to diversify into beef farming and initially purchased around 12 cattle, all of which were Limousine-cross heifers from a farm based in Audlem in Cheshire. As they were his initial stock, he was especially careful to check their TB history and post-movement TB tested them after they arrived on his farm.
In 2012, the Brereton family then purchased pedigree Blonde d’Aquitaine cattle from a breeder which was a closed herd that had never had an outbreak of TB recorded on the farm. At present, the herd size is 40 comprising of 30 cows and heifers and 10 bulls and steers. Fred, the main stock bull, is bred with the suckler cows. Most of the fattening stock are usually kept for two years and then sold at market. Since the purchase of the last cow 18 months ago, the herd has remained a closed herd. In terms of surroundings, next to the 6.9 hectare farm there is a disused railway line and shrub land where badgers reside. Directly adjacent to Paul’s farm there are several fields of maize crop, a crop which attracts badgers.
To help prevent badgers visiting his farm, Paul has built a fence comprising of two layers of 2m high tensile wire as well as poles treated with creosote to ensure the fence is long lasting. Although treated poles are three times the price of normal posts, they are guaranteed to last up to 25 years, which Paul considers a cost effective investment. It is unlikely that badgers can gain access to the farm by burrowing underneath the fence, as Paul has buried a further single strand of wire underneath the fence as well as planting a hedge to one side.