Sour milk? Cows have feelings moo

Cows enjoy wide open space, something super dairies may be unable to provide. Photo: Samantha Viner

The proposal for a super dairy to be built on the out-skirts of Nocton, a small Lincolnshire village, sparked wide opposition throughout the country let alone the county.

The site is planned to house 8,000 cows and would be the first mega dairy in Europe.

There are surrounding issues with farming on this scale including environmental concerns, impacts on small local dairy farmers and the welfare of the cows.

Unfortunately, the concern over the cows welfare has received minimal attention.  People have been voicing opinions over the smell that comes from farming 8,000 cows, the attraction of flies, pollution of ground water with nitrates and the downfall of the local economy.  With all this in mind people have seemingly forgotten that living animals are in the middle of this debate.

Nocton Dairies told the BBC that the cows would be free to roam in open-sided sheds when they were being milked, and would otherwise be out to graze in dry weather, some are sceptical after observing some of America’s mega dairies.

Local butcher Kenny Roberts prides himself on free range produce, but when it comes to the super dairy proposed for Lincolnshire he surprisingly blasts claims about the cows welfare suffering. He said: “They’ve been done in America for long enough, nothing wrong with them cows, they’ve got the pastures, got fresh air, got grass, they got good food and they deliver good milk.  Not plastic milk what you buy in supermarkets, I believe it should happen, but that’s Lincolnshire for you”.

Animal welfare groups have slammed mega dairies over cows being kept inside for most of their lives whilst being pumped full of growth hormones and excessive feeding. They’ve basically become cow robots machined for milk production. They have also warned that the system of intensive farming would produce cows suffering from lameness, poor body condition and infertility.

Can 8,000 cows all on one farm receive the same care and attention that small dairy farms give to their cattle? Small farmers hand-rear calves, know each cow individually and can tell immediately if one falls ill. How long would it take for someone to notice such behaviour at Nocton Dairy?

How many cows does it take for a farm to turn into a factory?