Switzerland: Torture at cattle shows in “Swissexpo” in Bulle : the cows still suffer.

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Torture at cattle shows in “Swissexpo” in Bulle : the cows still suffer.

The essentials in brief

The plump udder is at the center of dairy cow exhibitions. Owners extend the milking times and so that no milk drips, they glue the teats. A cow that has not been milked for too long suffers. A recent study shows that 23 percent of the cows that were examined at exhibitions showed udder edema.
To reduce animal suffering, new rules have been in place since January.
The nervousness of the breeders is great. As animal rights activists wanted to check compliance with the rules, it came to the Expo in Bulle to the melee.

A cow exhibition is a folk festival. Everybody wants to bring the most beautiful cow into the ring, polishes it, creams it, brings it to shine with sprays. For the breeders, a show cow is a happy animal: “Most cows here enjoy good care and have a good life,” says Holstein cow breeder Patrick Rüttimann. “Show cows are getting older, have a higher life expectancy and are healthier than the Swiss average.”

A cow with over-abundant udders suffers

But this year there is a sense of nervousness at the Expo Bulle exhibition: “If there are new rules, there will be some unrest,” says Pascal Monteleone, managing director of the Association of Holstein Breeders. “But I’m not worried, that’ll be fine.”

The reason for the nervousness are new rules that have been introduced to protect the cows. The focus is on the bulging udders of the dairy cows. It has been scientifically proven and internationally recognized:

a cow with an over-abundant udder is impaired in its health – it hardly eats anymore and can only laboriously go. If she is not milked, the pressure in the udder increases, and water accumulations, so-called edemas, can form in the udder.

23 percent of the examined cows with edema

 

As part of a study, Adrian Steiner, together with a team from the Vetsuisse Faculty of the University of Bern, examined exhibiting cows for edema.

The result: Whole 23 percent of the cows had a buildup of water in the udder.

This result now has consequences for the cow premieres: Since January, the two cows first placed at each competition must be led to the ultrasound immediately after the demonstration. Veterinarians examine their udders for edema. This method has been internationally recognized for a few days.

“This system of control and sanction is far too lenient” says Julika Fitzi Veterinarian at Swiss Animal Protection

Depending on the severity of the edema found (1 is the lightest, 3 the heaviest), this has consequences for the owner. 1st degree means the cow has to be relieved by four liters of milk. At grade 2 and grade 3 the cow has to be milked completely, she is disqualified from the competition. In addition, it may result in a criminal complaint for the owner.

“The cows are still tormented”

This control and sanction system is far too lenient, criticized Julika Fitzi, veterinarian at Swiss Animal Protection, STS and longtime observer of Milchkuhausstellungen: “The cows are still tormented to the point where they may accidentally because they are one of the two bestklassierten discovered Nothing will change the torment as such. For it is not tragic for a keeper to deduce four liters from a cow after the competition.

This control and sanctioning system is far too lenient, criticized Julika Fitzi, veterinarian at Swiss Animal Welfare, STS and longtime observer of dairy cow exhibitions:

“The cows are still tormented to the point where they happen to be random, because they are one of the two best-ranked, discovered. “The torture as such does not change anything. For it is not tragic for a keeper to deduce four liters from a cow after the competition.

“It is primarily about making it easier for the cow and not about punishing the breeder,” says Kaspar Jörger from the Federal Veterinary Office

The veterinarian does not understand why the owners only have to expect consequences from severity level 2. Kaspar Jörger of the Federal Veterinary Office defends the lack of consequences for severity 1: “At grade 1, the risk is too great that you can not get through in court, we did not want that.” The competent cantonal veterinary service could dispose of additional measures at its discretion. In addition, it is primarily about making the cow easier and not about punishing the breeder.

The new ultrasound method was used this year at the three major dairy cattle exhibitions: at the Animal and technology” in St. Gallen (the findings: 2x grade 1, 1x grade 2), at the “Swissexpo” in Lausanne and at the “Expo Bull” (7x grade 1, 3x higher). The organizers of “Swissexpo” in Bulle did not announce any figures to “Kassensturz” (Newspaper).

Teat with super glue «sealed»

Not to milk the cow for a long time is one method of breeders to fill the cow udder as bulging as possible, the second method is to glue the teats of the udder, so that no milk can flow from the bulging udders and give relief to the cows. The breeders call this “sealing”.

Glueing the teats with 8% collodion, an adhesive that is also used in medicine, is still allowed. Clearly, however, superglue is prohibited. Veterinarian Julika Fitzi says: “Nobody can check on the spot what is actually inside the Collodium containers. We also watched people use super glue. »

Fisticuffs in the exhibition stable

Fitzi and her team were particularly touched by the nervousness of the breeders: “When we were at the” Expo Bull “in the stable, people wanted to drive me away. There was a scuffle and came to blows. Thankfully, there were people around me who protected me and escorted me out. “

The organizers write that the animal rights activists were not accredited and did not report at the entrance. This violates their security principle. The responsible people would have done everything to calm the mood and to accompany the people to the exit.

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