Waikato family fined $23k after dead, emaciated cows found at farm

An underweight calf found at the Matamata farm of Colin, Margaret and Shane Quigley. Photo / Supplied, RNZ, MPI

RNZ

A trio of Waikato farmers have been fined $23,000 after giving their cattle minimal grass and mouldy, rotten food, leading to seven deaths.

Shane Ross Quigley, 49, and his parents Colin Ross Quigley, 75, and Margaret Heather Quigley, 72, were on Tuesday sentenced on four charges under the Animal Welfare Act in Morrinsville District Court.

Shane Quigley was fined $13,000, Colin Quigley was fined $7000 and Margaret Quigley $3000.

The charges were laid after a series of inspections of the Quigleys’ 26ha Matamata farm in July and August 2022.

The family was found to be raising about 158 mixed-breed and 21 Limousin cattle, which was too many for the feed available at their farm, Ministry for Primary Industries acting regional manager of animal welfare Bianca Upton said.

“Seven dead cows were discovered on the property, and the grass cover for grazing animals was minimal. They were also providing low-quality supplementary feed - some of it mouldy and rotten,” she said.

“Most farmers do the right thing for their animals, but the Quigleys were not living up to their welfare obligations and more of these animals were at a high risk of dying from starvation.”

Colin and Margaret Quigley own the farm and cattle, but their son Shane was in charge of the animals between March 1 and July 7, 2022.

Because of an injury, his parents took over responsibility for the animals for the next month.

During the first inspection, 39 cattle were assessed as being emaciated, Upton said.

The Quigleys were issued a legal notice to immediately address the issue.

A second inspection found a young bull, a Limousin cow and a young heifer were in senior need of vet care because of worms and emaciation.

All three animals had to be euthanised.

“Our veterinarian assessed that it would have taken a number of months for these animals to have built up to the level of worm burden they were suffering from,” Upton said.

“These animal deaths were preventable if the Quigleys had been meeting their animal welfare responsibilities.”

Along with the fines, Shane and Colin Quigley were ordered to pay $4058 in veterinary costs.

They were disqualified from being in charge of more than 100 cattle over the age of six months and 30 cattle under the age of six months.

They were also ordered to employ a farm consultant to carry out visits every four to six weeks.

Upton said the Ministry for Primary Industries encouraged any member of the public who was aware of animal ill-treatment or cruelty to report it to the MPI animal welfare complaints freephone on 0800 00 83 33.

- RNZ