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Original poster

Please sign the petition to stop US style cow factory farms in the UK.

77 replies

Lotster · 17/12/2010 16:43

Big agricultural companies plan to build US-style 'mega dairies' in Lincolnshire. Cows in these huge factory farms never see a blade of grass and remain in an industrial shed their whole lives. Experts warn that these cow factories would be bad for climate change, bad for cows, and bad for other farmers.

Lincolnshire councils have the power to stop these farms being built, and stop this US-style farming spreading to the UK. Help build the pressure - add your name to the petition now.

sign here

and give it a bump!

OP posts:
MyPrettyFloralBonnet · 17/12/2010 16:55

Done.

Been following this on news. Horrible plan.

ilovemyfestivehens · 17/12/2010 17:33

Done.

Pixel · 17/12/2010 18:27

Done.

Unwind · 17/12/2010 18:54

there is already a thread on this

what makes you think it would be worse for cows' welfare than standard commercial dairy farms?

begonyabampot · 17/12/2010 19:44

I lived for a while on a farming settlement with this type of dairy. It was really bleak for the cows - they spent every day just standing or lying in mud in between milkings.

Original poster
Lotster · 17/12/2010 20:12

"there is already a thread on this"
Great, more exposure then Smile

"what makes you think it would be worse for cows' welfare than standard commercial dairy farms?"
I think Begonyabampot has answered that question nicely.

OP posts:
RoseMortmain · 17/12/2010 20:22

There's talk of one of these being built in Cheshire too.

We're surrounded by dairy farms here and all the cows spend time between milkings outdoors, in the fields eating grass.

It's ironic that as the campaign to get rid of battery chicken farming is becoming more successful they are now introducing it for cows.

Winetimeisfinetime · 17/12/2010 20:32

Done

ShiningWit · 17/12/2010 20:35

will do. surely if we allow these massive developments to go ahead, it will put even more small dairy farmers out of business?

The3Bears · 17/12/2010 20:41

done :)

arentfanny · 17/12/2010 20:51

done and posted on FB so hopefully more exposure

Fuchzia · 17/12/2010 21:40

Done and bump

Megletitsnow · 17/12/2010 21:45

done

GoodnightNobody · 17/12/2010 21:55

done. thanks for link.

Ormirian · 17/12/2010 21:57

All done!

Original poster
Lotster · 17/12/2010 22:41

Cheers all, good idea to add to Facebook.

OP posts:
PigeonPie · 17/12/2010 22:44

Done! One of the reasons I try to buy organic milk.

Prinnie · 17/12/2010 22:47

Done and bumped :)

musicmadness · 18/12/2010 04:01

done.

kreecherlivesupstairs · 18/12/2010 06:59

Done (but with a made up postcode, wouldn't accept our Belgian one)

bamboobutton · 18/12/2010 07:10

done and posted on my facebook page.

if this goes ahead how would we know if we were buying this milk? would it have to labeled? would free range milk come into existance so people can choose or will we be buying it in ignorance?

Original poster
Lotster · 18/12/2010 09:47

From the Compassion in World Farming site:

The cows will be virtual indoor milking machines, rarely allowed out to graze

Bred for very high milk yields, these cows are at higher risk of lameness, loss of body condition and infertility

Traditional dairy farmers are likely to go out of business, unable to compete

The countryside will be devastated with huge sheds and daily HGV intrusions

Pig and chicken factory farms already spell disaster for animals, people and the planet. Widescale factory farming of dairy cows would be a further step in the wrong direction.

You can read about it in full here and see photos and footage, blogs etc at the bottom of the page.

My husband grew up on a beef farm (which is now just arable as his father always refused the potential extra earnings to "pump up" his cows artificially or farm intensively which I respect so much) - he feels however things are labelled in the first instance, if this is allowed it will be the thin end of the wedge and become the norm. I shudder at the thought.

The arrogance of man is amazing. Who are we to imprison a beautiful animal like this and force her to give us 22litres + of milk when her calf only needs 4? Oh, and to shoot that calf if it's a boy or send it off to low welfare veal farms.

I'll continue to buy my meat and milk free range or organic, and hope to god the low prices for super-farm milk aren't enough to sway those struggling to feed their families. Which of course it will be. Which is why it cannot be allowed to happen!

OP posts:
izzybiz · 18/12/2010 09:53

Have signed and shared on my FB page.

Callisto · 18/12/2010 20:32

Actually, I think the conditions that the cows are kept in will be very good. It is factory farming, but milk yields fall in cows that are in pain or distressed so it is in the interests of the farmer to keep his cows happy. Compassion in World Farming can be a bit hysterical tbh.

Traditional dairy farmers are a dying breed and have been for ages. If you want to support British farmers stop buying meat and dairy products from Tesco/Asda/Lidl etc and start paying a decent price for a decent product in local shops and farm shops. This petition will do bugger all to stop factory milk production in this country.

Callisto · 18/12/2010 20:39

And where I live (deepest Cotswolds), there are already huge silos, barns and HGVs 'intruding' on the countryside and I would rather have a viable working countryside than something mothballed and cleansed for the urban masses to visit at the weekend. It is also illegal to feed growth horomones to beef cattle in the UK and the vast majority of UK beef production is extensive rather than intensive. It is prefectly possible to have a small, extensively-farmed suckler herd and make money from it.