From Marion Bleney, Grafton Flyford, Worcestershire, UK
Graham Lawton is rightly concerned about the welfare of dairy cows (16 February, p 30). As an organic dairy farmer who, like most dairy farmers, is fond of my cows and has great compassion for them, I don’t think we should be tarred with the same brush as those in other countries. In the UK, it is illegal to dock the tails of cattle except where there is trauma or infection. It is illegal to dehorn cattle without anaesthetic. It is illegal for a sick or lame cow to be transported except in exceptional circumstances.
Dairy cows are bred for milk, and some make poor mothers. We don’t like doing it, but taking the calves early and raising them ourselves ensures they survive and are healthy. The male calves aren’t slaughtered at birth, which would be a terrible waste, but are sold on to be reared for beef.
Holstein cows do appear thin, because they carry their fat around their internal organs, not under the skin. They aren’t starving. If they were hungry, their milk production would drop and they would be uneconomical to keep. The UK does import liquid milk, but not from North America. British milk is welfare-friendly milk. The answer is for Lawton to buy British cheese, preferably organic, and waste none of it.
