CUBICLE DAIRYING STILL LIKELY

The recent withdrawal of the applications to establish cubicle dairy farms housing 18,000 cows is no reason for premature celebration, according to SAFE campaign director Hans Kriek.

The backers of the cubicle farming scheme withdrew their ill-conceived plans after learning that the consent process was going to cost $2.63 million.

"While this has delayed the establishment of these corporate dairy factories for the time being, it is only a matter of time before new applications are lodged," says Hans.

SAFE was gratified to see the huge public opposition to cubicle dairy farming and to see that the concern about the welfare of the cows was deemed just as important as the environmental damage these monster dairies could cause.

Overseas examples show that housing dairy cows indoors can cause a higher incidence of mastitis (a very painful condition of the udder) and increase leg problems and lameness. Dairy cows are already under serious stress producing over 3500 litres of milk per year, vastly more than what they would normally produce to feed their calves. This high level of production can lead to many health problems and recent stories about emaciated dairy cows observed at sale yards are an indication that there is a lot wrong with the dairy industry in New Zealand.

Non-compliance with environmental regulations is also an ongoing problem in the dairy industry. Many farmers still allow animal excrement to pollute waterways and the fact that so many rivers and streams are unsafe for swimming in so-called clean and green New Zealand can be directly attributed to these dirty dairy farms.

So, to balance out all these well-documented problems associated with dairy farming, its end product, milk, surely must be of the utmost importance to human health?

"Well, it's not," says Hans. "We are the only species that drinks milk from another species. Cow's milk is meant to make a baby cow grow fast into a large cattle beast. When humans consume this food they expose themselves to a range of health problems. Dairy is laden with saturated fat and cholesterol and is linked to allergies, constipation, obesity, heart disease and a range of other diseases including insulin-dependent diabetes. That we need dairy for stronger bones is industry propaganda. Studies show that populations with no, or a very low dairy intake have in fact stronger bones than populations that consume large amounts of dairy. It is suggested that dairy products may actually increase the development of osteoporosis, not prevent it, since their high protein content leaches calcium from bones."

As a dairy-producing nation, it may be hard for people to wean themselves off their milk, butter and cheese but if we value our health, the welfare of animals and our natural environment, giving up dairy is the way to go.

COW CUBICLE PLAN DITCHED

LATEST NEWS: SAFE is thrilled to learn the companies involved in the Mackenzie Country cow cubicle plan to call it a day due to escalating costs over the resource consents.

Thousands of cows in Upper Waitaki would have been housed indoors for most of the year as part of the project, however opponents claimed it amounted to factory farming. Over 2500 New Zealanders made submissions with most in opposition to the proposal.

The three companies involved have withdrawn their applications to discharge effluent into the MacKenzie Basin because it would cost too much to have consent applications assessed by the Ministry for the Environment.

The companies still believe stable-style farming is the way of the future if New Zealand is committed to environmentally sustainable farming.

Applications were made to house up to 18,000 cows for 24 hours a day for eight months of the year. The animals would have been stabled for 12 hours a day for the remaining four months.

NEW DAIRY CODE IGNORES ISSUE

SAFE and the Green Party says the new code of welfare for dairy cows completely ignores the issue of factory-style dairy farming and is of serious concern.

The Minister of Agriculture, David Carter, acknowledges that the new Dairy Cattle Code of Welfare 2010 does not cover the proposed factory farming of cows in the Mackenzie Country. The Minister is instead seeking separate advice on the matter from the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee.

"The Minister is completely out of touch with what is going on," says Green Party Co-leader, Dr Russel Norman. "Thousands of New Zealanders expressed their concern about the welfare of cows in proposed factory-style dairy farms in the Mackenzie Country. The public see this as a huge animal welfare issue. Factory farming of cows is cruel and likely to damage our international image."

SAFE and the Green Party strongly oppose the proposed large-scale indoor dairying operations in the MacKenzie Country. SAFE's six-page submission written by Dr Michael Morris writes:

Commercial dairy farming in New Zealand and around the world is responsible for a number of animal welfare issues. These include:

• High levels of distress suffered by cows and calves when they are separated from each other at birth.
• Metabolic stress through continuous high yield milk production.
• Stress produced through artificial induction of labour.
• Lameness through standing on concrete during milking, and selection pressure for top heavy udders.
• Painful mastitis suffered by up to ten per cent of dairy cows in New Zealand.
• Painful mutilations including tail docking, dehorning and castration, without anaesthetic.

The above incidences of poor welfare apply to cows in pasture and in cubicles. However, keeping animals in cramped crowded conditions will exacerbate much of the suffering already experienced by dairy cows. Studies from overseas where cows are routinely kept in stalls has confirmed that lameness has been linked with lack of exercise, lack of access to pasture, and being kept on concrete pads. Keeping cows in cubicles is likely to increase lameness in New Zealand. Overcrowded, unhygienic conditions have also been found to exacerbate the incidence of mastitis.

Keeping cows inside will allow them to be fed high-protein feed instead of grass to improve their milk yield. Increasing milk yield is believed to be a contributing factor to increasing levels of mastitis and lameness. Dairy farms have a commercial imperative to increase production at all costs, and there are no regulations prohibiting this activity, so it is almost certain that this will happen.

"It is extraordinary that the government spent three years developing a welfare code for cattle and excluded one of the most vital areas that is likely to compromise the welfare of dairy cows," says SAFE campaign director Hans Kriek.

"Indoor rearing of cows, albeit for the short-term, has been going on for years. Surely the consideration of long-term use must have been a discussion point over the years. The Minister of Agriculture must have been consulted on this proposal at some stage, so you would have expected this to be factored into the draft code before being released."

The Code of Welfare 2010 notes that this code will be reviewed no later than 19 February 2020.

"The current code has been worked on since 2006, and may not be replaced until 2020. Surely it would have been a good idea to have temporarily delayed putting it out until the biggest single issue facing cows in New Zealand had been dealt with," says Dr Norman.

Just as New Zealand expresses strong opposition to factory farming of pigs and chickens now comes the prospect of dairy cows being reared indoors.

Consent applications have been lodged by three New Zealand corporations to set up 16 new farms in the central South Island's Mackenzie Basin. According to the applications, up to 18,000 cows would be housed in "cubicle stables" 24 hours a day for eight months of the year, and 12 hours a day for the remaining four months.

SAFE has condemned the applications saying if New Zealand wants to follow cruel practices in the United States it will mean a huge increase in serious animal welfare problems for the already over burdened milk-producing cows.

"When you look at the welfare implications for the animals in the United States, it's terrible," says SAFE campaign director Hans Kriek. "These animals really have a rough time, and is this what New Zealand wants to move to? I don't think so."

Green Party co-leader Russel Norman agrees."This is factory farming, pure and simple."

Norman says that the proposals to keep cows in cubicles are a radical departure from New Zealand's tradition of farming stock outside and on pasture, and could do immense harm to the country's clean, green international brand.

"Once word gets out to overseas consumers that New Zealand butter comes from factory farms, there goes our competitive advantage."

It was a "chilling prospect" from an animal welfare and environmental perspective, Norman said. He was concerned about the impact of effluent run-off on the Upper Waitaki River and high country lakes such as Tekapo, Pukaki, and Ohau.

Consent applications before Environment Canterbury include effluent ponds with 414 million litres of storage capacity and plans to put as much as 1.7 million litres of diluted effluent onto the land every day.

Agriculture Minister David Carter said he was concerned about the proliferation of dairying in fragile environments.

"They shouldn't be allowed to proceed unless we can be sure they can mitigate any adverse environment effects."

As for animal welfare, Carter said that as long as acceptable standards were adhered to, he didn't think there were any issues.

Federated Farmers said "so-called factory farming" cut costs, was environmentally friendly, and would not tarnish New Zealand's reputation.The organisation's president Don Nicholson says cubicle farming reduces the possibility of effluent running into waterways.

"New Zealand pig farmers are widely condemned for their cruel farming practices. It is beyond me why the New Zealand dairy industry would bring in similar factory farming practices that will attract widespread criticism and may well lead to a boycott of their products overseas. SAFE urges New Zealanders to speak out against these backward developments and urge our Government to put a stop to the proliferation of these monster dairy farms," says Hans.

IN THE MEDIA

Pundit -  On the horns of a dilemma: housing cows

Daily Mail (UK) - Battery farm for cows

TVNZ - Farming cubicles dump welcomed

NZ Herald - Cows in cubicles plan shelved

Newstalk ZB - Cow cubicle plan ditched

NZ Herald - New dairy cattle welfare code comes under fire

North Shore Times - Questions the cows want answered

NZ Herald - Factory farm plan "called in" by Minister

NZ Herald - Anger rises over 'factory farming'

NZ Herald - MacKenzie factory farm submissions close

Otago Daily Times - Factory farming detrimental to dairying image

NZ Herald - PM watches out for 'free range' brand

NZPA - Key: Government against factory dairy farming

Stuff - Battery cow farming has no place in New Zealand

The Press - Fonterra fears cow cubicles could mar brand

NZ Herald - Factory farm cattle plan angers Greens

TVNZ - Commissioner for Environment on intensive dairying

TV One - Cow cubicles could hurt NZ's image

TV3 News - Cow cubicles a bovine battery farm

TV One - 'Factory' dairy alarms Greens

Nine to Noon - SAFE challenges the proposed new indoor conditions

The Press - Indoor cubicles for cows planned

Morning Report - Debate with Green Party MP Jeanette Fitzsimons and Federated Farmers spokesperson

Radio NZ - Outrage over plans for dairy factory farm

Newstalk ZB - Cows in cubicles cruel

Welfare problems
Dairy cows in New Zealand can produce up to 50 litres of milk each day. This can lead to infections of the udder caused by bacteria and other environmental pathogens entering via the teat canal. This acutely painful condition is known as mastitis. 

Lameness is another serious problem for dairy cows due to the vast size and weight of the modern animal's udder. It is so large and distended that most cows simply cannot stand or walk properly. 

SAFE believes indoor rearing of cows will only add further stress to the animals and increase the likelihood of severe welfare problems.