ANIMALS’ ANGELS observe cattle and calves for sale at this yard which is accredited as ‘quality assured.’ There is matting on the floor on which the bulls stand whilst penned in tight stalls. The stalls do not allow any room for the bulls to move. A few other pens have soft floor whereas it seems the majority of the rest of the yard is hard floor. The water troughs appeared dirty, a slat is loose exposing a bolt in a pen holding cattle, and a cow with a broken and bleeding horn is sold for slaughter. The calves have no straw bedding or water and some appear exhausted. Although the handling of the cattle is acceptable- those moving the animals used paddles, the handling of calves by a few buyers/drivers is unacceptable.
Although we observe a man cradle his calves as he takes them to his ute, he roughly dumps them onto the tray of the vehicle. There iss a sign saying “No sticks or prodders used on calves“yet a man uses a paddle to strike the small calves around their head or backs. Given the bones of many calves protrudes beneath their skin, when the paddle comes into contact it does so directly with the bones. Another man uses a length of poly-pipe to strike the calves on their backs.
We note the DPI who are the regulating authority are not present.
