Organic Milk and Animal Welfare

Comfortable, contented cows that live longer, healthier lives is the aim of the organic dairy farmer.

Feeding

Organic cows are not fed and managed in ways that attempt to push them into production levels beyond their natural capacity. Organic farmers believe that the stress imposed on animals by unnatural and intensive regimes such as feeding high levels of inappropriate protein to stimulate rapid growth or milk production, intensive housing or the routine use of antibiotics and other drugs can all cause health problems. No GM, urea, solvent or animal derived foods are permitted. BSE is thought to have resulted from the feeding of animal products. There has never been a case of BSE in an organic born and raised dairy cow.

Housing

Organic cows are outside in the natural light as much as possible but most dairy herds are brought in during the winter when the grass stops growing and the weather becomes cold and wet. Organic cows are housed in covered yards or cubicles and must be given adequate clean, comfortable bedding. This is not a requirement for non-organic cows.

Calves naturally seek to groom one another so on organic farms calves must be kept together in social groups. On non-organic farms calves may be kept in single pens which is unnatural and restricts their development.

Managing Disease

Unlike non-organic farmers, organic farmers use homeopathic and herbal medicines successfully in the treatment of disease, only resorting to vaccines and antibiotics when the situation demands and not as a matter of course. Growth hormones, used in some countries (but illegal in the UK), to make animals grow faster, are not given to organically-reared animals.

On many non-organic farms, mastitis (an udder infection) is prevented by the routine use of antibiotics. Organic farmers prevent this disease more naturally by using measures such as cutting down feed to encourage the milk supply to dry up naturally and removing visual stimulants by keeping the cow out of sight of the milking parlour.