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Dairy cows - Source: ONE News -
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A practice that's been undertaken for generations by New Zealand's dairy farmers threatens to tarnish our international reputation and could threaten our exports.
Dairy farmers deliberately birth thousands of calves prematurely each year in a practice known as "inducing". The vet gives the cows two injections, so their calves will be born 8-12 weeks premature. It's done to get all cows in a herd to calve at the same time, and produce milk earlier. It means many calves are born dead, but some are born still alive and have to be euthanised.
But many vets, including Bernice Mangnall from Canterbury, are against the practice.
"Times have changed, public perception has changed and the requirements on the overseas market have changed," she said. "So this is just moving it on .... and phasing it out."
Hans Kriek from SAFE is among the critics calling for the practice to be banned.
"No one actually realises what we do in this industry and how cruel it actually is," he told ONE News. "New Zealand could seriously pay a price over this, so it's really in the dairy industry's own interests to stop this practice."
The issue has become an ethical dilemma for New Zealand's $6 billion dairy industry, with approximately 200,000 cows induced in New Zealand each year. Farmers say it's a valuable management tool, but are divided on its use.
Canterbury farmer Graham Wells induces about 70 of his cows each year and says there small financial benefits but the main reason is "to get those cows calving at the right time of year".
With bigger herds in the South Island, more cows are induced. The average size of a herd in Canterbury is approximately 700, so some farmers will induce up to 100 cows.
Inductions were introduced 40 years ago. They are legal but the government's code of welfare for dairy cattle says it's best practice not to do them.
The industry originally agreed to end inductions in October but it has since decided to gradually phase them out.
Fonterra does not support the practice, but still collects milk from farmers who induce. There is no strict auditing of the induction practice.
If inductions were banned, it's claimed New Zealand's milk production could fall.
What do you think of the farming practice of inducing calves early? Have your say on the message board below
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Add a Comment:
Post new commentSam mac said on 2010-09-28 @ 10:22 NZDT: Report abusive post
Another cheap shot at a soft target for TVNZ, if you are so worried about abortion why don't you show pictures of aborted babies on the six o'clock news. Or is it just dairy farmers you hate. If I was anything to do with dairy farming I would be pulling advertising etc from TVNZ. PS you can't call it inhuman as we do the same thing to millions of babies a year.
yeti said on 2010-09-28 @ 07:57 NZDT: Report abusive post
Neither inducing or human abortion is the problem, the problem lies with peoples pathetic use of superficial medical treatment just to feel 10 years younger and look 20 times more plastic and fake, as fake as mccas cheese. down with botox, put more funding into finding a cure for cancer or some such.
yeti said on 2010-09-28 @ 07:57 NZDT: Report abusive post
Neither inducing or human abortion is the problem, the problem lies with peoples pathetic use of superficial medical treatment just to feel 10 years younger and look 20 times more plastic and fake, as fake as mccas cheese. down with botox, put more funding into finding a cure for cancer or some such.
Dr Philosophical said on 2010-09-28 @ 00:26 NZDT: Report abusive post
This is the most hideous thing I have heard, in relation to farming in NZ. Mr van der Heyden should be removed from his position and charged with this offense against nature. Is there no limit to the cruelty these 'farmers' will go to - putting hens in cages, pigs in crates and now this. A crime against nature and completely offensive. Shame on the farming sector!!
marymolloy said on 2010-09-27 @ 22:49 NZDT: Report abusive post
calving can be more compact if farmers work harder to identify fertile cows and keep stock in good order - I am a farmer with 40 years experience and do not induce, have a compact calving and happy cows. Sound impossible - it is not - induction is the same as abortion in my book, it horrifies me to see calves that are induced, what do our children look like at the same stage of pregnancy when it is still possible to induce/abort them. Think about it, I do.