Wednesday, 01 November 2023 07:55

Mistreating cows 'not the norm' among sharemilkers

Written by  Sudesh Kissun
Waikato Federated Farmers dairy chair Matthew Zonderop says most sharemilkers are passionate about animal welfare. Waikato Federated Farmers dairy chair Matthew Zonderop says most sharemilkers are passionate about animal welfare.

The prosecution of a former Waikato sharemilker for injuring 84 cows is by no means the norm within the industry, says Waikato Federated Farmers dairy section chair Matthew Zonderop.

"I cannot stress enough how disappointed I am to see this occurring," Zonderop told Dairy News.

"The vast majority of sharemilkers are extremely passionate about the animal welfare on farm, and they go to extreme lengths to ensure that their animals lead a happy, fruitful and productive life.

"I cannot emphasise enough that they are our investments to our future and to see them being harmed in this way is not acceptable," he says.

Last week, Mark Donald Richardson, 48, was sentenced in the Hamilton District Court on two charges under the Animal Welfare Act that he had earlier pleaded guilty to.

Richardson was found responsible for causing tail injuries to 84 cows, leading to some tails being amputated. He was placed on home detention for seven months and banned from being in sole charge of animals for two years. This followed a successful prosecution by the Ministry for Primary Industries.

MPI acting regional manager, animal welfare and NAIT compliance, Richard Knight says it takes animal welfare very seriously.

"Most people in charge of animals treat their animals well. One of the disturbing aspects in this case was that four of these animals had to have their tails amputated because their injuries were so severe," says Knight.

A 50:50 sharemilker, Richardson was in sole charge of a herd of about 165 cows at Te Awamutu between November 2015 and 1 February 2020. He sold the herd and because the new owner noticed lumps in many of the cows' tails, a veterinarian examined all the cows and found evidence of tail breaks.

"Richardson admitted that he may have broken some tails accidentally, but 84 cows had injuries and would have suffered prolonged and significant pain, along with distress and the loss or damage to a body part. When we find evidence of animal neglect or deliberate abuse, we take action," says Knight.

MPI encourages anyone with information about potential animal welfare offending to use its confidential hotline number 0800 00 83 33.

Zonderop points out that farming can be a stressful environment.

"Farmers face feed shortages, weather conditions and staffing along with cash flow but there are plenty of avenues available for farmers to seek professional help and I would suggest that if you are feeling overwhelmed seek professional help immediately," Zonderop says.

More like this

Repeat $10 milk price forecast

With a record $10-plus/kgMS milk price almost locked in for this season, next season isn’t looking too shabby either.

Featured

Rural contractors call for overhaul of ag vehicle rules

Following a recent overweight incursion that saw a Mid-Canterbury contractor cop a $12,150 fine, the rural contracting industry is calling time on what they consider to be outdated and unworkable regulations regarding weight and dimensions that they say are impeding their businesses.

NZ seeks certainty on US tariff, says McClay

Trade Minister Todd McClay says his officials plan to meet their US counterparts every month from now on to better understand how the 15% tariff issue there will play out, and try and get some certainty there for our exporters about the future.

National

Machinery & Products

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

Buttery prize

OPINION: Westland Milk may have won the contract to supply butter to Costco NZ but Open Country Dairy is having…

Gene Bill rumours

OPINION: The Gene Technology Bill has divided the farming community with strong arguments on both the pros and cons of…

» Connect with Dairy News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter