Wednesday, 24 July 2019 07:55

Bobby calves now better treated

Written by  Peter Burke
Bobby calf holding pen. Bobby calf holding pen.

Bobby calves are showing up at processors in much better condition than before 2016 when the new handling rules took effect.

MPI’s director of animal welfare, Dr Chris Rodwell, says the new regulations prompted farmers to a sudden improvement in bobby calf care, pre works. 

He says farmers have told him they are positive about the new regulations and the clarity these give on animal handling. 

Before the new rules, videos released by animal rights groups showed bobby calves had been badly treated.

With the calving season now starting, Rodwell says farmers should ensure their facilities for handling bobby calves are in order.

“Check loading ramps and make sure they are compliant and undamaged and don’t have loose nails. 

“MPI will have veterinarians at processing plants looking at the state of bobby calves coming through. If we detect calves that are unacceptable this triggers a process to issue an infringement notice. Last year we issued 148 notices -- not huge.”

Rodwell says MPI will also spot check loading ramps then “follow the tracks”. An MPI staffer will go with a trucker checking facilities on farm and spreading the message about compliance.

 “We stress the main thing: calves must be kept warm and dry until aged four days. They need good timely feeding including colostrum and they must be fit for transport. If not they should stay on farm.”

A farmer who doubts an animal is fit to transport should err on the side of caution and keep the animal on farm.

More like this

PETA wants web cams in shearing sheds

Animal rights protest group PETA is calling for Agriculture Minister Todd McClay to introduce legislation which would make it mandatory to have live-streaming web cameras in all New Zealand shearing shed.

Featured

Australia develops first local mRNA FMD vaccine

Foot and Mouth Disease outbreaks could have a detrimental impact on any country's rural sector, as seen in the United Kingdom's 2000 outbreak that saw the compulsory slaughter of over six million animals.

NZ household food waste falls again

Kiwis are wasting less of their food than they were two years ago, and this has been enough to push New Zealand’s total household food waste bill lower, the 2025 Rabobank KiwiHarvest Food Waste survey has found.

Editorial: No joking matter

OPINION: Sir Lockwood Smith has clearly and succinctly defined what academic freedom is all about, the boundaries around it and the responsibility that goes with this privilege.

DairyNZ plantain trials cut nitrate leaching by 26%

DairyNZ says its plantain programme continues to deliver promising results, with new data confirming that modest levels of plantain in pastures reduce nitrogen leaching, offering farmers a practical, science-backed tool to meet environmental goals.

National

All eyes on NZ milk supply

All eyes are on milk production in New Zealand and its impact on global dairy prices in the coming months.

Machinery & Products

Leader balers arrive in NZ

Officially launched at the National Fieldays event in June, the Leader in-line conventional PRO 1900 balers are imported and distributed…

JDLink Boost for NZ farms

Connectivity is widely recognised as one of the biggest challenges facing farmers, but it is now being overcome through the…

New generation Defender HD11

The all-new 2026 Can-Am Defender HD11 looks likely to raise the bar in the highly competitive side-by-side category.

» Latest Print Issues Online

Milking It

Full cabinet

OPINION: Legislation being drafted to bring back the controversial trade of live animal exports by sea is getting stuck in the…

» Connect with Dairy News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter