Rotorua Daily Post
  • Rotorua Daily Post home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Residential property listings
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Rural
  • Sport

Locations

  • Tauranga
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales

Weather

  • Rotorua
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Rotorua Daily Post

Calf clubbers 'sully farming'

Mike Watson
Rotorua Daily Post·
6 Feb, 2014 07:51 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
Award-winning Waikato farm manager Zach Ward was shown in film footage clubbing calves on the head to kill them at a Chilean dairy farm. Photo / Warren Buckland

Award-winning Waikato farm manager Zach Ward was shown in film footage clubbing calves on the head to kill them at a Chilean dairy farm. Photo / Warren Buckland

A minority of farmers are giving the dairy industry a bad name by continuing to use outdated practices to euthanise bobby calves, a Rotorua farmer says.

The dairy farmer, who did not wish to be named, said the practice of knocking bobby calves on the head with a hammer to kill them was outdated and was not used by 99.9 per cent of dairy farmers.

"Unfortunately we have a very small minority who still carry on the practice which has not been widely used for the past 10-15 years."

However, he said claims by groups that dairy farmers were only interested in getting rid of bobby calves as soon as possible because they were considered worthless were wrong.

Last week award-winning Waikato farm manager Zach Ward was shown in film footage clubbing calves on the head to kill them at a Chilean dairy farm.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Chilean authorities have launched an investigation into the alleged abuse on a farm managed by New Zealand-owned farming syndicate Manuka. Manuka milks 25,000 of Chile's total herd number of 450,000 cows.

A blunt instrument can legally be used to kill calves but was not common in New Zealand and farmers were encouraged to use a gun instead if the animal was suffering. A lethal injection was the accepted practice to kill calves in Chile.

Federated Farmers had reportedly described Mr Ward's actions as "having no passion towards animals".

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The Rotorua farmer said yesterday the issue was "pretty sensitive" around the farming community.

"Farm practices have changed and I can say this is not the accepted way bobby calves are euthanised these days."

He said comments by groups in the media that farmers "just want to get rid" of bobby calves was "rubbish".

"At $45 a head, when you have around 400 of them that represents quite a bit of money and we want to use the best practice to maximise profit."

Discover more

Farmer kicked by cow is on the mend

09 Jan 08:03 PM

Higher risk of crime aimed at farms

17 Jan 08:00 PM

Fuel efficient cars pull buyers

22 Jan 05:00 PM

Interest set to build in challenge to use land

29 Jan 08:12 PM

He said some calves which were sick have to be euthanised and farmers would use as humane practice as they could, normally with a "bolt" charge type gun.

"Many farmers care about their animals and don't want them suffering. On the whole 99.9 per cent of farmers are doing the right thing, unfortunately a small minority are not and that's pretty sad.

"It is important farmers are seen to be doing the right thing as we are selling a product to a number of markets and the public perception is important."

The farmer said he did not know Mr Ward and would not comment directly on the alleged Chilean incident.

The Rotorua Daily Post contacted other local farmers who declined to comment.

Federated Farmers Rotorua Taupo president Alan Wills was unavailable to comment.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save
    Share this article

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua Daily Post

Gang leader guilty: Jury convicts Mongrel Mob president of Taupō motel murder

18 Sep 07:43 AM
Rotorua Daily Post

Police seek woman missing since Tuesday

18 Sep 05:27 AM
Rotorua Daily Post

Details of how 3-year-old was taken from childhood centre

18 Sep 05:15 AM

Sponsored

Kiwi campaign keeps on giving

07 Sep 12:00 PM
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Gang leader guilty: Jury convicts Mongrel Mob president of Taupō motel murder
Rotorua Daily Post

Gang leader guilty: Jury convicts Mongrel Mob president of Taupō motel murder

Ryan Woodford was shot dead in front of his partner and children in Taupō.

18 Sep 07:43 AM
Police seek woman missing since Tuesday
Rotorua Daily Post

Police seek woman missing since Tuesday

18 Sep 05:27 AM
Details of how 3-year-old was taken from childhood centre
Rotorua Daily Post

Details of how 3-year-old was taken from childhood centre

18 Sep 05:15 AM


Kiwi campaign keeps on giving
Sponsored

Kiwi campaign keeps on giving

07 Sep 12:00 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Rotorua Daily Post e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Rotorua Daily Post
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP