RAT IRAT Animal husbandry FT

When housing cattle indoors they are generally well taken care of fed and kept clean, there are a few things to provide mental stimulation to the cattle such as scratch posts so generally they are protected from the elements and happy. The only concern being that they are unable to display natural behaviours due to being in a confined space and not being able to roam free and graze as they normally would.

After rearing calves, and working on both sheep, beef and dairy farms I can see both pros and cons with indoor housing. The rate of infection spread would be higher with the herd being in a small space. In the herd there is a hierarchy, with a confined space being indoors could pose the issue of injury too. Positives with indoor is that the animals are away from New Zealand’s harsh variable weather. I personally haven’t done indoor housing as of yet so would like to experience it first hand before I make a final conclusion.

Beef cattle grazing hill farm country would most likely have enough pasture and streams and water troughs. If the farm is very steep this may cause undue stress for the large animals. Climbing up and down can cause pressure on their joints. The conture of hill country can provide shade and shelter by trees, banks and valleys. Daily visual checks would need to be completed to ensure no injury or illness. Internal and external parasite drenching, vaccinating and supplement vitamins and minerals would need to be administered as required. Handling is normally very limited for beef stock so putting them through the yards frequently as young stock will desensitize them to being yarded for drenching, vaccinating and any treatments needed. If using dogs for mustering the stock, this needs to be started as young stock so the are desensitized to this also so it is less stressfull. Checking fences and the environment daily to ensure it is safe before and after moving stock.

Kaimanawa horses:

The horses would be able to exhibit normal behavior in this environment, galloping and jumping and forming herds.

Discomfort in this environment would be low as they can take shelter under trees and in gullys in hot and cold weather since they are free to roam and able move to different areas with more feed.

Pain, injury ad disease for these animals would be higher as they aren't being observed, so higher chance of external and internal parasites and lameness.

Fear and distress would be low as they aren't being handled by people but could be affected by lack of feed in drought or snow conditions as there is no farmer to supplement in feed deficits.

Having reared calves in the pits of hell I would much prefer they were in a barn, in a warm clean dry environment BUT can a cow be afforded its freedoms in there. Advocates would say yes especially robotic farmers who have converted from traditional milking.

Barns arent uncommon globally. Nz is just slow to learn the lessons of bigger dairy countries. Like anything there is good and bad. Ideally cows would be jumping around happily with no sign of mud in green fields with shelter and plenty to eat. That isnt the case because they serve a purpose.

Barn living means food and water is on tap 24/7. No foraging though, its all supplied. That freedom is accounted for. Its not perfect but the cows want for nothing.

Fear and distress come into it. with regards to the hierarchy. Every cow in a herd has its place and in a smaller space i am sure there is some bullying and timid cows could get pushed around but I assume that they steer clear of each other and mostly use the same bays every day.

It doesnt feel normal for cows to be housed 'in their natural environment' (which we created because they are bred for a reason) but even within the barn they can lick and play with each other. They can lie down and move around as they wish. They can touch and avoid the bullies (mostly).

Barns are not what we see ideal but for so many reasons they have their place. Down here in southland with so much dairy and fairly intensive too barns are becoming more popular as winters and now spring is fairly wet (unlike summer). Id rather pick up calves from a barn than from springers who have calved on crop or from out of the snow. much better start for the wee blighters.

Iv worked on a couple of farms in the UK where they do house the cattle and sheep in side over winter.

Beef Cattle: the cattle were housed inside due to the harsh conditions outside e.g. rain and snow. Because of the rainfall the cows had to come inside so the ground wouldn't get ruined for the grass to grown to produce silage for the next season.( Also farmers don't have the same farm space over there as we do here). Cows calved in their own bedded pen. Then depending on the conditions outside, were either turned out on to paddocks or kept inside with the rest of the herd. The sheds were scrapped out daily and straw beds had extra straw added to them daily or even 2nd day. The Animals had adlib of silage and also grain. They would sleep on straw beds or in cow cubicles.

Sheep: one sheep farm I worked on brought his sheep in from the paddocks around Christmas time and they would stay inside on slates until they were ready to lamb then were put on straw bedding to lamb. Once lambs , the ewe and lambs were put into a lambing box to mother up and to make sure the lambs were strong enough to go out in the paddocks. They would would be in a lambing box for a no less than 12 hours. They were feed a mix of grains and silage.

Sheep in the UK are only kept inside depending on a the breed and the climate conditions.

I personally don't like seeing cattle and sheep inside but seeing first hand what the climate is like and how wet and muddy and ground can get , keeping the animals inside for the winter months are the best options.

Post your thoughts below on achieving the five freedoms for:

1. Housed cattle

2. Outdoor cattle

3. Wild horses

4. Race horses

Having beef Cattle on a hill country five meets the 5 freedoms most of the time. As they have sustainable pasture and water (if under wet conditions, pasture wont be met and if source of water eg. trough is broken water can't be met either). They can always display normal behaviour as they are not confined to a small area generally. It may cause some discomfort to cattle that have been moved to the farm that aren't used to hilly conditions but if the cattle are raised on farm or have been there for a while it shouldn't cause any discomfort. Pain, injury and disease can be met if paddocks are big enough for the amount of stock in them and stock are checked up on regularly, and when moving stock either from one break to another or from one paddock to another they aren't rush down hill or up hill as they can't cope well therefore are more likely to be in pain or have an injury. Fear and distress can be met because they are free to do what they want in the space of the paddock, but when moving them to a different area or into yards they cause be stressed because of the dogs and workers in vechiles.

Housing cattle indoors has it's benefits, like protecting them from winter conditions. However it doesn't allow them to show their natural behavior as they are indoors not in a paddock. They are missing out on being able to graze on fresh grass and be out in the sun.

Housing Cattle indoors (barn) all year round may cause fear and distress and limit the cattle's ability to express natural behaviors. The confined space doesn't allow for a space to move away from other animals and or people and doesn't let them run, stretch etc. Being indoors means they are not experiencing pasture, sun (vitamin D) or normal patterns of behavior.

Housing cattle indoors

Indoors provides a space for them to be out of the weather where they are not suffering in the dry or wet conditions causing discomfort which could lower milk production and require additional feed or supplements as well as cause potential sickness or disease occurring which could then effect the entire herd.

To provide comfort for cows housed indoors the facility itself must be safe from causing any injury, be well ventilated with good non-slip flooring, stock rates need to be calculated correctly for the facility being used so that ventilation is not compromised/reduced with enough room to display natural behaviour, sufficient feed and water available, soft dry bedding and a good working effluent system in place . This is a great facility to have but does not provide the 5 freedoms for year round indoor housing.

Grazing beef cattle on hill country farms allows for the other four freedoms to be met significantly. This is through normal behaviour as cattle on large areas of land can graze in different areas and move in their herd with a leader. Discomfort can be prevented due to their ability to roam and find particular areas that suit climate/weather i.e. shelter in from sun using large banks or valleys etc. Pain, injury and disease is monitored through routine drenching, shifting stock to new pasture etc. Cattle sick or in pain can be dealt with immediately at theses points which occur frequently for healthy animals. Fear and distress should be minimal for these beef cattle due to them being left alone majority of the time, therefore there is little stress from the absence of dogs or motorbikes.

Grazing beef cattle on hill country meets all of the five freedoms, they are able to behave normally as they have a large space to roam and have company from other cattle which makes them comfortable because they are in a herd. Because they aren’t brought into the yards a lot it doesn’t cause fear and stress from dogs, motorbikes and humans, this can also mean no injuries.

The wild Kaimanawa horses although are wild unfortunately have a lot of issues surrounding them.

Horses teeth grow constantly and need floating once a year, horses also require regular hoof trims, kaimanawa horses obviously don't have their teeth or hooves done and when they become captive it is obvious at how bad a state they are in requiring extensive hoof and teeth treatments to get their health to meet standard welfare criteria.

Another issue is breeding, they have an annual cull/rehome for a lot of these horses as none of them are castrated, this can lead to inbreeding and over population which is why the round up is necessary.

Not stabling horses during winter:

Horses can adapt to weather conditions and still do during winter (even if they are not bred naturally away from people) by growing thick fur coats to trap their body heat. Horses in the arctic survive with no cover so horses in New Zealand should be able to survive our winter, they can still be fed, have 'unlimited' water source, large paddock to display natural behaviour, should be free from pain, and can have a cover as extra layers. If horses are seen shivering it would be best to stable them during the night when the temperature is usually lowest. People that disagree may be people from the public that do not own horses and should do further research or politely ask an owner how they keep their horses warm. If a horse has been clipped for the winter it should be stabled indoors over night and if in a paddock doubled covered and have good shelter.

We like to think that horses roaming free is ldylic. They get to be in their undomesticated environment to be horses, expressing their body language and vocalisations in a natural way.

The harsh reality is these horses survive if they are the fittest. Human intervention has made a difference to the health and well being of the animals.

Thirst and hunger - 5 freedoms... in winter and on different parts of the plateau these horses are starved and go without water.

Acting naturally- very much so. Living in bands, bachelor stallions etc

Free from pain and injury - absolutely not. A horse with a broken leg cannot access help so dies a painful death. bad feet, navicular, ringbone, laminitis are all conditions these horses cannot get intervention.

Fear, pain and distress - not at roundup time and not when they are firing on the range but otherwise i think they would lead a relative peaceful existence within in the normal bounds of herd live.

free from discomfort - no. They have to seek shelter during winters (harsh on the plateau), sore feet, injuries can all cause discomfort not to mention being pushed out of territory during round ups.

Beef cattle that are kept on hill country are able to express normal behaviour as they have the freedom to move around to forage for grass and roll in the dust. Cows are designed to be able to walk long distances whilst grazing and over ungulating ground. They are able to access higher ground to escape bad weather or as a prey animal look for predators.

As the cattle are on hill country it can cause injuries which can be hard to spot and monitor which can lead to discomfort should they be mustered off the hills.

On a hill the animals are able to spread out which can limit the spread of diseases as they won't be in such a close proximity.

Cattle that are kept in indoor facilities don't meet all of the 4 freedoms as they have limited freedom which restricts their normal behaviour. They are not able to move around to graze, or roll in the dust which helps their skin. The sheds are usually quite congested which limited movement which can cause health issues.

Being kept indoors can also cause distress to the animal as it is not their natural environment and can affect their mental health.

However due to being indoors it is easy to monitor for any illnesses and injuries.

Housing cattle indoors all year round is not suitable and does not meet the 5 freedoms, i can see how in some areas of nz say in winter it would provide good protection from the elements but do not believe they need to be housed all year round as nz has a great climate 99% of the year.

The environment being a smaller closed in area has the ability to get very dirty with urine and faeces, it would also rely massively on humans to maintain this environment and be depended on what is being used on the ground for bedding. Dirty and wet areas can cause foot rot and other diseases to thrive especially being in such a crowded environment, it would also be much easier to pass from one cow to the other.

Cows love being able to roam around, eat grass and enjoy the sunshine, with being housed indoors they would not be able to express these normal behaviours.

I also think it would be damaging on their mental state to not be able to display these normal behaviours and be in a smelly, crowded barn 24/7

Personally I think that housing cattle indoors all year round is not satisfactory in meeting the five freedoms of a cow, although it can prevent some health problems e.g lameness the cow is not able to show normal behaviour and they are outdoor animals and I believe it is unnatural to house them indoors. The standard of husbandry of beef cattle grazing on a hill is satisfactory and I believe it meets the five freedoms as the cow is able to live outdoors and be left alone with having limited human contact, I believe the cows would benefit greatly from this and thrive in the outdoor environment

Beef Cattle on Country hill:

Grazing beef cattle on a country hill is able to provide all of the five freedoms of a animal. Beef cattle are able to express normal behaviour if grazing on a country hill as they have sufficient space and company of other cattle which means they can act like a herd. The cattle will also be free from fear and stress as if paddocked alone as a herd they will be away from other things happening on the farm and away from dogs and machinery etc, they will be generally checked on once a day, and will have minimum distress only when they are moved or mustered to yards but due to being in a paddock they will be able to get away from danger.

Cattle being housed indoors all year round is not meeting the five freedoms. A cow can not show normal behaviour whilst being indoors as cows are used to moving around freely and grazing outdoors whilst being stuck in doors the cow has limited movement and no ability to move away from other more dominant cows.

Housed cattle as much as it is necessary in some places does not meet all of the 5 freedom. This being because they can not carry out their natural behaviour, they have 24/7 access to food and water and shelter. Since the cows are housed in small places they don't have the freedom to roam around and graze on grass like they were naturally designed to do, therefore there becomes more discomfort as they are not designed to be walking on concrete all the time and don't have the movement that they would have out in an open area causing pain and higher risk of injury.

From being in a more closed in space disease rate would be higher due to the amount of fecal matter if not kept clean to a high standard. This would mainly effect lactating and calving cows as it will increase the risk of mastitis and dirty cows.

I feel that not all five freedoms are met with outdoor cattle as most of the time the don't have adequate shelter from the conditions. Which means they lose the freedom from discomfort. But other then that they tend to have the freedom from pain, injury or disease as vet care is regularly done (dairy cattle). They are free to exhibit there natural behaviours with the res of the herd. They are also normally free from fear and distress. And they normally have access to fresh food and water.

Beef Cattle on hill country would be great for their natural behaviors, not too many cases of fear or stress as there aren't too many things in NZ that would cause this apart from bullying within the herd. The two that would be slightly raised for concern in this case would be pain, injury and disease as these animals aren't checked thoroughly or regularly, so something could be missed and an animal could suffer for a little longer.

I think cattle housed indoors all year round cannot meet all 5 freedoms, the main ones being normal behavior and fear/discomfort. Most of the others are met and they do have some benefits - when it comes to calving in the very cold climates and obviously checking for pain/injury/disease as all the animals are there for visual inspection.

I think having beef cows living on a high hill country farm is a great way of meeting the 5 freedoms.

Hunger and thirst - This is something that is the responsibility of the farmer, they need to make sure there is sufficient feed for all cattle And that water is always readily avaliable. This can be achieved by appropriate pasture management.

Shelter - It all depends of the farm - ideally there would be enough trees to help shelter from hot and cold weather. However the hills themselves can also help to shelter out extremely cold and sometimes even super hot weather too.

Express normal behaviours - they will have plenty of room to act as a herd and create their heirarchy.

Pain/injury- This comes down to the farmer. Living on steep countryside means for possibility of injury themselves from running/slipping. Regular checks of all cattle is required.

Fear and stress - once again this all comes down to the farmer and the way he goes about moving these animals. To shift cows requires us to put them into flight mode so it is impossible to completely rule out fear and stress- but appropriate handling can minimize it alot. We are also lucky that we dont have many predators in NZ that would hunt them

Housed Cattle -

Having worked with herd homes I feel as though the smell of pneumonia trapped within the building would be unbearable at times especially during warmer months which would surely cause some discomfort and may also be the perfect breeding ground for parasites and disease which could cause mastitis and parasitic issues. The cattle could also be limited or even deprived of sunlight, fresh pasture and the ability to display their natural behavior with them being placed in a much smaller space compared to a large paddock. However, I think during poor weather and colder temperatures being able to house them and give them shelter inside would definitely benefit their comfort especially during calving. Although not fresh pasture they would still be receiving the appropriate amount of feed and water.

Personally I don't feel as though this method of housing cattle throughout the entire year would provide them with the five freedoms but is half way there

Beef cattle on hills meet the normal freedom behaviour as large outdoor areas and non restricted fencing/enclosures are providing a natural environment for cattle to live, also the fear and distress freedom, I feel is meet here also as in New Zealand there is not many predators that would harm cattle and also very minimal human contact keeping them relaxed and at ease. The downside to this is potential injury and illness that is not picked up on so easily. (Pain injury or disease freedom)Also shelter could cause issues due to harsh environment and elements which could cause them discomfort effecting there condition etc. (Discomfort Freedom)

Natural behaviour: Racing stables don't allow horses to roam outside 24/7 grazing a variety of plants. However most horses are put out for a period of time each day giving them the opportunity to move about freely.

Discomfort: Discomfort could occur from being shut in the stable for extended periods of time. - this can be mitigated by allowing the horses out to stretch their legs, also providing environmental enrichment to prevent boredom.

Fear and distress: Racehorses could be distressed during new experiences, eg. Breaking in. The handlers could lessen this by using low stress handling and taking things slowly, allowing the horses to learn in their own time.

Pain, injury or disease: Racehorses are constantly checked on so anything out of the ordinary is usually picked up very quickly. The trainers and owners are aware of how much they are worth so are generally good and quick at getting the vet out to them if needed. A lot of preventative measures are generally taken to keep racehorses in top condition, ready for racing.

These wild horses were once domesticated and so are susceptible to the same problems as domesticated horses. They have issues with laminitis which can be very painful for a horse. Internal and external parasites are also a big issue for them. The stallions fight and cause injuries that can cause death as they are not treated.

I see the problems with cattle on hills may be the lack of shade from the sun as there would not be many or any trees. Also cattle would not be able to lay down properly. This would cause them discomfort and restrict their normal behaviour. They may be affected by disease as they can not as earlier be checked daily.

If one of the cattle became diseased the infection would spread quickly in a indoor environment and with them being so close together. The flooring would also be a hazard for slipping and falling causing injuries. The moist environment would cause foot rot which would be very painful for the cows.

I think racehorses at a training facility are limited to their freedom of normal behaviour, they are often boxed for the majority of the day. Horses quite often pick up undesirable behaviour like windsucking, pawing, pacing, biting and kicking.

I believe they can often be in discomfort,pain and injured. Due to being broken in and ridden at a young age before they are fully developed. Trainers have been known to use painful devices and tack to increase the performance of the horse. This would inadvertently cause stress and fear on the horses.

racehorses at training facilities

A. normal behaviour: racehorses are turned out in singles or pairs to reduce the risk of injury from other herd mates, though are kept in yards/paddocks close enough to keep them from feel isolated giving them a safe way to have a herd without being able to kick or bite each other. They tend not to be left out at night without proper rugging or shelter as being so fit without a rug can lead to a chill.

B: discomfort: some racehorses can feel uncomfortable when they are worked too hard and tie up (more common in mares). Or from muscle soreness, bone chips, spinal issues and more some show these discomforts by biting, kicking and acting sour when being geared up to work.

C: pain, injury and disease: injury and pain can sometimes be looked over by staff that do not know or just ignore the horse trying to tell them that something is wrong, disease is usually met with treatment but sometimes just not enough. injury tends to lead to the end of the horses career and or life, such as bowed tendons being looked over or just lameness not getting the right treatment

D: Fear and distress: racehorses will come across a lot of fear and distress, such as the first time in the gates or first time being boxed. sometimes this stress isn't handled as it should be. the first time on the track can be very scary for the raising 3 year old. though this must be done to get a level headed racehorse out of it and the make amazing level headed hacks after (with some ware and tare on joints, bone chips and sometimes unsoundness)

Having Kaimanawa horses roam freely would not meet the 5 freedoms, yes they would be able to express normal behavior and run freely but they are prey. If one of these horses get sick there is no way to save it as the groups will run off as they have had to interaction with humans. These horses would have access to food (only grass) in the hills but would have to move at different times in the year and may not be able to eat at all during dry months when all the grass has died and water has dried up. The constant walking would cause discomfort to their legs and hoofs especially since they are not trimmed and will continue to grow if they are not moving from illness. These horses are more prone to disease as they have never been wormed or drenched will pick up some diseases from what is not seen in the grass, they are always on high alert and seem to be very fearful of new things. Transporting these horses to domesticated areas cause lots of stress and cause them to act aggressive causing more injury.

having beef cattle on a country farm would be ideal as they would have access to food and water provided by workers, a large space to behave normally, and not have to go through the stressed of being moved from paddock to paddock. Cattle may be more prone to injury on hills when running or from rabbit holes or natural dips in the ground. Cattle also may be more prone to disease if not brought in for drenching and worming, and may decrease their body condition if their is no natural shelter or they are having to constantly move up hills for food, water, and shelter.

racehorses-

the normal behaviour of horses would be for them to be able to graze in a field freely and to run whenever they want, they are able to rest their bodies when they feel like it, however the racehorse industry they are overworked and sometimes aren't kept in the correct conditions being stabled 24/7, which is not a natural feel for them and does not allow them to have their natural behaviour.

racehorses are almost always in some sort of pain or discomfort in the way that they are constantly being worked and have someone riding them once a day, after being worked they are placed in a stable for the majority of the day, which must cause some sort of discomfort.

racehorses come across many injuries due to the amount of exercise they are put through, many injuries are leg related, although facilities take care of their horses and have professional vets to care for their injuries.

in rare cases some facilities can treat some horses poorly which can cause fear in the horse, this may cause it to lash out or become permanently afraid of human contact.

Housing cattle indoors for the year would not meet the 5 freedom points, they would have access to food, water, and shelter but would not be able to express normal behavior. There would not be room with a large herd for running around and if ever sold onto another farm or made to live outdoors they would find in much harder to survive the elements and diseases. This housing would be good for storms to keep them for harsh climates and prevent sickness, and hot days to protect them from the sun. I think most of the cattle would have lots of discomfort as well with their life being to stand and sit having everything provided for them in a little area, and not having to do any exercise to get to food and shelter.

I think race horses in training facilities meet most freedom points. Horses are feed well to keep their performance up, in a paddock with a group of others and treated for injury almost immediately. However they do get stressed at race meetings from big crowds and lots of noise but are never alone and do not face this in their stables or during exercise. Racers know when to give their horses breaks and allow for recovery, some racehorses are not kept in a large area and are only able to run when ridden or lunged daily, I do not think most horses are ever overworked as daily exercise is usually used to get them moving for the day. Although daily exercise could be enough some are not able to behave normally when stabled all day or in a small paddock to diet them if they have gained weight, this could lead to joint discomfort in the horses legs and hoofs if they are not able to move or run around in their area.

Housing cattle in a barn all year round is not ideal for fear and distress aspect of the five freedoms. Cattle are designed to be roaming free in paddocks and have unlimited space to exercise and interact with other cattle. A huge amount of fear and distress would be put on them in a barn enviornment. Aswell as discomfort of their joints, through not being able to roam freely, arthritis may occur aswell as many more joint issues; causing pain for the cattle.

Housing cattle during the winter months is beneficial for the animal and provides needed shelter from the harsh winter elements especially in Southland, but housing them all year round prevents the cattle from roaming paddocks and foraging for food. This also prevents them from getting plenty of exercise if they are housed in a cramped barn and this also prevents them from exploring and lying in all positions.

Grazing beef cattle on hill country is a great use of space and provides most of the five freedoms.

Normal Behaviour: This can be easily met and a natural hierarchy can form. Higher-ranked animals eat and drink first and low status cattle eat and drink last.

Discomfort: This really depends on the geographical location of the hill country. I know of high country stations in North Canterbury (South Island) which are scorching hot in summer and covered in snow in winter. Valleys can give shelter from the heat but in winter cattle are at the mercy of the elements most of the time and require extra food i.e feeding out.

Pain, injury or disease: Cattle are checked on once a day and shifted into new blocks/paddocks regularly to reduce the risk of internal parasites being picked up. Cattle are mustered and brought into yards for drenching for internal/external parasites.

Fear & distress: For the most part hill country cattle are left alone however it requires a great effort to muster (usually a fair way) to the nearest set of yards. Mustering big mops of cattle is achieved by activating the fright or flight instinct. Normally a team of dogs or a handful of farmers on motorbikes will bring them in.

I find that horse training and racing is just a pleasure sport for humans and the animals welfare isn't thought about much. Having to train all day must be very uncomfortable for them and distressing. They want be allowed to express normal behaviors and be around other horses with out a fence or stall getting in the way. This means the horse may become lonely or agitated and not want to perform for there trainer. Meaning that animal may get harder training. Horses should be allowed to express normal behaviors and not work for the joys of human greed.

The point I am focusing on is cows housed all year round in an indoor barn and animal discomfort.

Indoor barns can both be a good and bad idea depending on various factors, as cows enjoy routine and what's described as a boring life and thrive on minimal changes to their environment, which an indoor barn can provide. As it removes them from the discomfort of the elements and provides a structure for them to feel secure from predators.

However, the comfort of the cow living inside the barn has factors such as bedding, and space. The type of bedding depends on each farmer some use sand, straw or no bedding at all.

Sand is great at keeping an animal cool and is easy to clean and is resistant to bacteria build up, sand is also easy to access depending on your location (e.g. coastal areas have more access than very remote areas) a good example of a farmer using sand is https://www.facebook.com/Iowadairyfarmer/ however, using sand requires more maintenance on machinery and cow hoofs due to the long-term effects of sand wearing down things around it.

The farms I have worked on had 2 different beddings, one farm had straw and was an open layout barn meaning cows had freedom to shift around and go to different areas in the barn which appealed to their grazing nature and allowed them to maintain their hierarchy orders, however the draw backs of this were after a while the bedding became soggy and saturated with urine and feces and required continuous straw to be placed down which led to ammonia build up which is a respiratory hazard for both cows and humans. This can also lead to hoof problems such as foot rot and as such discomfort and distress in cows and discouraged them from lying down.

The second farm I worked on that used an indoor barn system did not use any bedding and relied on concrete stalls for the cows to use, this was easier to clean as they used floor scrapers to keep floors clean and twice a day the stalls were scraped out to remove buildup of feces, this also had a middle lane for feed out using a feed wagon so food was no contaminated. However, the draw backs of using no bedding resulted in very slippery fools and very filthy cows and unfortunately broken legs, hoof rot, mastitis and eczema were a common place due to a lack of dry and clean areas.

 As this was stalls and 2 narrow open lanes, cows were kept in discomfort as they had no clean and dry areas to sleep and their hierarchy was unsettled as less dominant cows had no place to escape from the dominant cows and lead to fighting and violent head butting.

This is a hard one as they are protected from harsh weathers and heat stress to a certain degree, the hygiene is a serious issue as they will often be stood or laying in their own and other feces and urine, this creates a breeding ground for bacteria and mastitis issues as their udders will be in the dirty areas a lot of the time. They are naturally outdoor animals so why do we feel the need to house them in such a restricting way? Calves (yes) as they are highly susceptible to the cold and weather extremes as they are unable to control their body temperature at such a young age, therefore they need to be kept close to water and feed sources, in clean and hygienic environments.

The kaimanawa horses have a large amount of freedom but they have to search for food and water which could become challenging at time which could cause pain or discomfort. With no1 been responsible for them they could become ill or injured and not get treatment straight away or at all even.