Not so Kingkev
Five key welfare issues in intensive dairy systems
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Friday, 24 April 2015, 4:20 pm
Dairy production in Australia is mostly pasture-based, enabling cows to have access to open ranges, to naturally feed on grass and the ability to exhibit their natural behaviours.
Constant pressure to produce more milk means Australian dairy cows are increasingly being factory farmed on Chinese and US-style dairy feedlot systems. This process moves dairy cows from pasture to sheds where they live on hard floors and are fed unnatural, grain-based diets.
In 2010, it was estimated that 2% of Australian dairies are total mixed ration (TMR) or feedlot-style systems.1 Since that time, there has been significant growth in the intensive dairy industry with new proposals for large intensive systems across Australian dairy regions.
While conventional dairy farming poses serious welfare concerns for cows, intensification and larger herd sizes are set to make the life of Australian dairy cows even worse.
