Animals‘ Angels visits Warrnambool saleyards where mostly cattle and occasionally small numbers of sheep are traded. Today, about 1.100 cattle and calves are for sale. The walkways for the traders are roofed, but the pens for the animals are exposed to the weather.
The many ‘worn-out milk cows’ being offered for sale immediately catch our attention. All of them are skinny and some even emaciated. We consult the manager who withdraws some of the cows from sale. They are brought taken to bigger pens and fed immediately. Most of the cows are still lactating and were transported to the market last night. As there are no facilities to milk them, most of them have full and dripping udders. Moreover, the transport to the slaughterhouse still lies ahead of them. According to the Australian Land Transport Standards, lactating cows should not be transported to the saleyard. The animals should be sent from the farm direct to slaughter.
Separated from their mothers, some young bobby calves have been brought to the market for sale. They are less than 6 days old. They are placed in a separate and roofed area with rubber flooring.
Animals’ Angels will report its findings regarding the ‘milk’ cows to the DEDJTR in Victoria and the Chief Veterinary Officer.
