During my gap year I worked on a farm which took dairy bull calves and reared them for beef. The farm we recieved them from was closed due to TB - they didn't have the room, the facilities or the staff to care for the calves properly and by the time they were re-opened and my boss took a first load they were in an awful state. We had to put them all back onto milk and teach them to feed from scratch.

If the 'animal welfare' brigade had seen the results of a TB closure then perhaps they'd be less keen on avoiding a cull.