learn from USA?
Although Nocton Dairies’ plans for an 8100 cow unit in Lincolnshire may not go ahead this year, there is no doubt large scale dairy units, with thousands rather than hundreds of cows, will be developed at some point in the future – it’s more a question of when, rather than if.
But how can we address fears over ‘factory farming’ and reduced animal welfare? There is no doubt a lot can be learnt from countries such as the United States where herds of 1000–5000 cows are common, with some farms milking 15,000.
Over the next week, Farmers Weekly’s Aly Balsom will be visiting a number of large scale units in Idaho and asking what the British dairy industry can learn from our American counterparts.
How do they manage waste? What is the lameness incidence of herds of that size? And do producers perceive themselves as ‘factory farmers’?
We’ll also be getting reaction from UK and international dairy farmers as to their views on how such a system can work.