There's a storm brewing around the practice of inducing dairy cows to abort their calves - a practice that has not, until now, been widely broadcast.
On the blog
Homepaddock, the author has taken the view that animal activists are 'on the warpath' and tries to minimise the issue, in my view. You might like to visit the blog and express your thoughts. I have had grave concerns about this for sometime now and am pleased to see the issue being aired. I will post again as the discussion grows. As always, I welcome your comments.
*TV3 carried
this report, which contained these statements:
- The issue has become an ethical dilemma for New Zealand's $6 billion dairy industry, with approximately 200,000 cows induced in New Zealand each year. Farmers say it's a valuable management tool, but are divided on its use.
- Inductions were introduced 40 years ago. They are legal but the government's code of welfare for dairy cattle says it's best practice not to do them.
The industry originally agreed to end inductions in October but it has since decided to gradually phase them out.
Here are some comments lifted from the TV3 site:
* I didn't know this was happening! This is a sick practice and I think the vets performing this should loose their licence and be charged with animal cruelty. I will now find out which farms are doing this and refuse to buy their milk because I will not encourage animal cruelty.
* I think this practice should be banned, just because farmers have done it for years, does'nt make it right to continue. I've worked on a few dairy farms and most the premature calves I've seen born have been born alive, on cold wet spring mornings. With them being premature they have very little hair and not even the energy to stand up for its first drink, just left laying shivering to death. The only way I've ever seen a calf put down is with a hammer, that can't be too humane.
