Farmers follow bobby calf rules
Ministry inspections of bobby calf facilities on dairy farms have revealed farmers are complying with new rules protecting the welfare of calves.
So far Ministry for Primary Industries staff have carried out 248 on-farm inspections across the country. A MPI spokeswoman said compliance rates were high for loading facilities and shelter requirements for calves.
Most of the non-compliance found was relatively minor and dealt with during inspections at farms, she said.
Two farms were found to have inadequate loading facilities. Compliance notices were issued to the farmers to stop them transporting bobby calves for slaughter until a loading facility or other means of getting calves to walk onto trucks unaided was developed. The compliance notices were lifted when improvements were made. Inspections took place over the calving season during August and September with checks to continue into October.
The new rules required farmers from August 1 to provide shelter for young calves before and during transportation and at points of sale or slaughter. The shelter had to keep calves warm and dry and loading facilities were needed for animals to walk onto trucks.
Loading and unloading facilities must also be provided and used when young calves are transported.
The level of compliance showed the good job farmers were doing caring for their calves, Dairynz’s animal behaviour and welfare specialist Dr Jenny Jago said.
‘‘These results are also a reflection of the way the farming sector has worked together to support farmers to achieve good outcomes for animals.’’
Federated Farmers dairy chairman Chris Lewis said he was pleasantly surprised by the data showing farmers had adhered to the new rules.
‘‘I could drive to Hamilton down the backroads ... and from the roads you can see all of the bobby calf shelters.
‘‘It’s pretty obvious that farmers have put them in. There’s no hiding that farmers have complied, you can just drive along the road and see it.’’
Feedback from transport operators had also revealed a high level of compliance.
‘‘On August 1 there were some farms that were not 100 per cent up to speed, but soon after they got their act together.’’
Lewis said the result showed that the industry had responded quickly to concerns around the treatment of bobby calves.