All M&S dairy farms probed for calf cruelty THE BATTERY FARM CALVES
ALL 40 dairy farms supplying Marks & Spencer will be inspected by the RSPCA following allegations of cruelty to calves.
Large calves, older than eight weeks, were being kept in cramped hutches on one farm, in breach of animal welfare regulations.
M&S says the farmer responsible made a mistake – but will not cut ties with the dairy.
It vowed to oversee improvements at the farm and asked the RSPCA to carry out independent inspections of all its dairies. The retailer also said the country’s dairy farmers are facing a tough time and it is important to support them.
Law states cows should only be reared in solitary hutches until they are up to eight weeks old. But older calves were seen in such pens at Grange Dairy in East Chaldon, Dorset.
Pictures and video footage taken by the group Animal Equality UK, and revealed by the Daily Mail this week, showed many calves were too large for the units and struggled to bend to get inside. This left some of them with grazes.
M& S food director Andy Adcock wrote a blog saying: ‘We hold our hands up. Keeping calves over eight weeks in such pens is unacceptable.
‘One of our farmers made a mistake. However, we are not going to sever our ties with this farm. It is not in our nature to cut and run at the first sign of a problem.’ He said M&S takes animal welfare ‘extremely seriously’ but believes the problems at the farm, owned by JF Cobb & Sons, were a ‘one-off.
Dr Toni Shephard, of Animal Equality UK, said: ‘ M&S’s refusal to cut ties with Grange Dairy, despite admitting calves were kept in solitary hutches well beyond the legal age limit, makes these audits pointless.’
But Mr Adcock insisted M&S must support the dairy indus- try, saying: ‘British farming is in a precarious position. The number of dairy producers has fallen dramatically. Severing links with suppliers can devastate communities. That is not the way we do business.’
Trading standards experts confirmed the calves at Grange Farm were older than eight weeks, in breach of regulations. But they are taking no further action as they did not detect any welfare concerns.
The RSPCA said: ‘ We are pleased that dairy cow welfare is a priority for M&S.’
The RSPCA inspections will take place in April. The charity will also sign the farms up to regular animal welfare screening under its membership scheme RSPCA Assured.