The Country
  • The Country home
  • Latest news
  • Audio & podcasts
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life
  • Listen on iHeart radio

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Coast & Country News
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Horticulture
  • Animal health
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life

Media

  • Podcasts
  • Video

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whāngarei
  • Dargaville
  • Auckland
  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Hamilton
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Te Kuiti
  • Taumurunui
  • Taupō
  • Gisborne
  • New Plymouth
  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Whanganui
  • Palmerston North
  • Levin
  • Paraparaumu
  • Masterton
  • Wellington
  • Motueka
  • Nelson
  • Blenheim
  • Westport
  • Reefton
  • Kaikōura
  • Greymouth
  • Hokitika
  • Christchurch
  • Ashburton
  • Timaru
  • Wānaka
  • Oamaru
  • Queenstown
  • Dunedin
  • Gore
  • Invercargill

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 / The Country

Tokoroa farmer fined $17k for neglecting animals

RNZ
7 Jun, 2021 09:30 PM2 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
File photo / RNZ - Carol Stiles

File photo / RNZ - Carol Stiles

RNZ

A Waikato dairy farmer whose neglect led to the death of 11 young cows has been fined $17,500 and been warned to improve his practices.

Rodney Nicol, 61, was sentenced in Tokoroa District Court last Thursday after he previously pleaded guilty to seven charges under the Animal Welfare Act.

He was warned he could be disqualified from farming if he appeared on animal welfare charges again.

The Ministry for Primary Industries said inspections in August last year found the animals died on Nicol's 300-cow dairy farm due to suspected untreated parasite infection, malnourishment and severe weather.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

MPI said during the first visit on August 10, seven cattle were found dead, which Nicol told the inspector he believed had died from parasites. He was then told to drench his yearlings within nine working days.

A second inspection on August 22, prompted by complaints about the yearlings' treatment, found many animals had not received parasite treatment and some calves were suffering from chronic undernutrition.

Two yearlings were then euthanised on recommendation from a vet because of their poor condition and another was found dead. Nicol said one other had died when it was caught in a heavy rainstorm.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

MPI regional manager for animal welfare Brendon Mikkelsen said most farmers did the right thing when caring for animals - but those who did not would be held to account.

"The vet also noted that he had not come across young stock in such a state of malnourishment during his career, as they were less than half the weight they should have been. These animals would have suffered greatly from the neglect Mr Nicol showed them," Mikkelsen said.

Nicol had previously pleaded guilty to an animal welfare charge which involved failure to give reasonable treatment to a dairy cow with a broken leg.

- RNZ

Discover more

Waikato farm boss fined for failing to register animals

04 May 08:00 PM

2021 Primary Industries NZ Awards: Finalists announced

02 Jun 02:00 AM

Now Kiwi dogs can enter the Cobber Challenge

02 Jun 03:30 AM

Study finds farming greener more important than eating less meat and dairy

01 Jun 04:30 AM
Save
    Share this article

Latest from The Country

Premium
The Country

Fire and fury: Deadly bee disease spreads in Dannevirke as rumours swirl

The Country

Morocco turns to seawater as drought deepens farm crisis

The Country

New unseen photos reveal Tom Phillips' campsite conditions


Sponsored

Kiwi campaign keeps on giving

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from The Country

Premium
Premium
Fire and fury: Deadly bee disease spreads in Dannevirke as rumours swirl
The Country

Fire and fury: Deadly bee disease spreads in Dannevirke as rumours swirl

'We don’t care who the culprit is, we just want that hive gone.'

09 Sep 10:13 PM
Morocco turns to seawater as drought deepens farm crisis
The Country

Morocco turns to seawater as drought deepens farm crisis

09 Sep 06:00 PM
New unseen photos reveal Tom Phillips' campsite conditions
The Country

New unseen photos reveal Tom Phillips' campsite conditions

09 Sep 03:04 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
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • 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