Cows live in a sea of mud

A retired Manawatu dairy farmer says it distresses him seeing dairy cattle standing in mud.

Murray Williamson said dairy animals near him were standing in a ‘sea of mud’ and he had no idea where they would be able to sit down.

‘‘This winter has been mild, but it has also been very wet and pugging [trampled soils by cows] is a big problem in this heavier soil,’’ said Williamson, who has been milking cows for 50 years and is at a farm near Ashhurst.

He said stock could be found in muddy paddocks near Ashhurst.

‘‘Where the cattle sleep at night I don’t know. They have been in this paddock for far too long. We have had this wet winter, and with this heavy soil, and intensive grazing, pugging is a major problem.’’

Williamson said pugged soils took years to recover to produce pasture as it had previously

He said customers in some markets would be disgusted and not buy products if they saw how cows were treated by some farmers.

‘‘Get them off mud on to some grass in the hills. And grow pasture on your dairy platform. That’s what I’d do if I had my time over again.’’

Williamson said feed pads and dairy homes helped, but were expensive options.

‘‘If dairy cattle stand in mud, it is really hard on them. A hill country run-off is somewhere that cattle can go to during winter offfarm, or a feed pad - that’s a necessity.

‘‘You owe it to your stock to look after them.

Williamson said some farmers had only making money as a priority and their animals often suffered.

‘‘Talk about how animals stand in mud and it’s not alright. That might jog some people’s memory to move them. But some people are sheer ignorant.

‘‘I am a great believer in the saying, look after your stock, and they’ll look after you.’’ Cattle on a property near Bulls in Rangitikei navigate a swollen river after Manawatu, and most of the country, gets battered by strong winds and heavy rain.