BCVA has the following response to the publication of a report on ‘Mega Farms’ by the BBC on August 14th 2024.
Members of the British Cattle Veterinary Association work on farms of all sizes, and it is important to note that cow welfare is not dictated by the number of cows in a herd, but by the standard of the environment in which they live, the quality of stockmanship, and how the health of these animals is monitored and managed. One of the many roles that farm vets fulfil is to assist the farmers in ensuring adherence to UK welfare codes and high UK standards, so that consumers can have confidence in the products they buy.
In many ways cow welfare is less about the farm system in place, and more about the management of that system. By understanding an animal’s needs, as determined by the 5 Freedoms, we can ensure they are met.
We should recognise good practice where it exists and the dedicated and passionate farmers who commit to this level of excellence every day to feed the nation; and this good practice is evident across all systems.
Larger farms, for instance, can often use their size to have staff dedicated to specific aspects of animal health, like maternity or calf rearing. Also, it is often the larger systems that can invest in innovative technology, such as automated methods to assess cows' mobility, rumination and lying behaviour, a bit like a human ‘Fitbit’ for cows. This, alongside the observations of the farmers, ensures that the health of each cow is monitored on an individual level every day. With staffing shortages common across all industries, these innovations in technology have helped to ensure cow welfare is not impacted.
No system is perfect, but all systems can, and should achieve excellence in cow welfare, embrace the focus on sustainability and continue and improve on the good work already being done, with cow replacement rates kept at a minimum and genomics utilised to promote longevity.
As a veterinary profession we will work with clients across the range of farm systems and we will always advocate for the animals in our care – whether housed or grazed, large or small– and support our farmers with moves toward improved sustainability and the highest possible welfare standards.
BBC article - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy4ldkpz1klo
