A Northland beef cattle farmer has been ordered to pay $30,000 for failing to feed nearly 400 cows properly.
Jeffrey Allan Wood, 69, pleaded guilty to charges after an investigation by the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) found 387 cattle in “poor physical health because of a chronic lack of grass and a lack of supplementary feed”.
MPI prosecutors were first made aware of the situation in July 2020 after a veterinarian complained about the condition of the animals.
They sent animal welfare inspectors to Wood’s Ruawai farm – to evaluate the animals across a number of visits.
Of the 840 animals inspected, nearly half were found to be in poor health, suffering from diarrhoea and “emaciated”.
An MPI spokesperson said Wood was asked to euthanise a “severely lame” bull to stop it from suffering. He failed to do so after a week, saying it was because he “could not find the animal”.
“These animals were suffering, and Mr Wood’s delayed action prolonged their suffering,” MPI manager of animal welfare Brendon Mikkelsen said.
“He failed to meet the physical, health and behavioural needs of these animals. When we find evidence that animal welfare has been neglected, if appropriate – we will place the matter before the Court.”
Mikkelsen said Woods is an experienced farmer who should have known how to better care for the animals.
“Most farmers do the right thing, and Mr Wood is an experienced farmer and knew what he needed to do to feed and provide for the welfare of his animals.”
“These animals were thin and fell well below meeting the standard of the Sheep and Beef Cattle Code of Welfare.”
He was fined $30,000, as well as being ordered to pay $2834.80 in vet expenses and $6057.97 in farming consultant fees.
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