Comments on: Industrialisation of dairy

By: Dairy farmer speaks out against mega-dairies « A Compassionate World

Dairy farmer speaks out against mega-dairies « A Compassionate World — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 13:37:40 +0000

[...] Reception in London where over 50 MPs heard our concerns over the proposal to build an 8,000 cow industrial dairy farm in Lincolnshire. Neil spoke with such clarity, and from a position of undoubted knowledge, being a [...]

By: Suzi Dimmack

Suzi Dimmack — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 21:22:43 +0000

Great stuff…

By: j.gordon

j.gordon — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 19:49:59 +0000

This kind of intensive dairy farming (ie fed almost constantly and milked thrice daily) was practised in Israel in the early 1970s and was one of the main reasons for my leaving the kibbutz that I worked on. The cows were kept inside 24hours per day. They had to be forced into crushes where food that they were not hungry for, was doled out to them constantly to improve their milk yield. If they ever got out of the sheds, which happened once in a while, they went wild to be outside and just didn't really know what to do. I couldn't bear the effect that this had on the cows; their intelligence and their natural instincts were both being bred out and generally thwarted. In my opinion, cows make milk for their calves and generously overproduce enough for us to have some too but it is NOT their main function to produce milk for human beings. They deserve our respect and they deserve to be looked after with gratitude for the milk and cheese they produce for us.

By: Jane

Jane — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 13:45:10 +0000

You can't make laws about how much time an animal spends outside. It would be impossible to enforce. Surely what is needed is a campaign to force the price of milk up and to pass on that increase to the farmers. I know many farmers who are struggling, waiting desperately for the milk prices to get somewhere realistic so that they are not just breaking even but making a living like any other businessman. Encourage these small farmers and we wouldn't need a super dairy. We are quite capable of being self-sufficient in milk in this country if we would only look after the resources we have. I know I'm preaching to the converted here but I was so disheartened to read about this proposal when the tide seemed to be turning in favour of small, high welfare units like the beef unit we run here in Hampshire. I know that I would be happy to pay double for my milk knowing how hard these producers work and I know that you would too. It's just trying to convince the supermarkets which seems so hard.

By: vicky

vicky — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 11:08:20 +0000

I agree with all this, and have asked my MP to back the campaign, but as a consumer, I want to know which "brands" or supermarkets to avoid. It may not make a huge difference, but at least I'll know I haven't inadvertently supported this inhumane system.

By: deborah

deborah — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 07:34:05 +0000

What is needed is a systematic review of the industrialisation of farming.

What would be the environmental impact of such a large scale proposal?

In addition, with traditional farming dairy cows would lie out in May. Since it is cruel to divorce an animal from its natural environment in season, this point must be enshrined in law. That the dairy cow must be allowed to graze pasture in season 24 hours a day unless ill or due to calve. That calves should be kept on the cow for a minimium set standard of time and not the one day that currently happens in some places. This will reduce the onset of scour in calves and enhance calf welfare practises.

When companies get hold of farms they are divorced from good farming practises. Companies simply look at spreadsheets.
Dairy cows and dairy cow welfare must be the concern of all who drink milk and eat dairy products.

Welfare friendly foods must be labelled.