Published on 24/04/2024
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/131856646/canterbury-farmer-sentenced-to-home-detention-for-hundreds-of-calf-deaths
A Canterbury farmer found responsible for the death of 610 calves has been sentenced to seven months’ home detention.
Rakaia calf-rearer Lisa-Jane Claire Miller was sentenced in the Ashburton District Court on five charges under the Animal Welfare Act following a prosecution by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI).
Miller was also disqualified from owning or being responsible for calves or cattle for five years, and ordered to pay costs of $3975.48.
MPI team leader for investigations south, Mark Sanders said that between August 2020 and October 2020 Miller bought 687 calves to rear at her farm.
An MPI investigation found the animals started to die within three weeks of arriving at her farm and by the middle of September between 15 and 30 calves died daily, Sanders said.
“Welfare problems with the calves began early with a scours outbreak and while Miller did initially seek help, including gaining antibiotics from a veterinarian, the problems multiplied and hundreds of calves that she was in charge of eventually died,” he said.
Miller did not take the necessary action to prevent the deaths, and declined an offer from a vet to look into the cause of the outbreak, Sanders said.
In December the MPI received a complaint from a member of the public and sent inspectors and a vet to visit the farm, he said.
“They found more than 100 dead calves scattered around the farm that had died from starvation, another 100 calves in extremely poor condition because of a lack of food, with four having to be euthanised to end their suffering, along with a lack of good grass for grazing and a lack of water for the animals,” Sanders said.
An inspector issued a notice of direction that required all remaining calves to be examined by vet, he said.
An animal health management plan was also produced for Miller and a search warrant for the property was obtained and carried out.
“If Miller had not neglected these calves and had them examined by a veterinarian when advised to in those early stages the situation might have been very different.
“As an experienced calf-rearer, she knew what her responsibility was to these young animals but failed them,” Sanders said.