Cows kept indoors

Prices are set by supply and demand, over supply causes reduced prices for all producers. Factory farming seems largely responsible for the oversupply of milk and one of the reasons for changes in the health and look of the countryside - loss of pasture, increase in bracken etc. Grazing animals are the best conservators of the countryside so it's best for all concerned. In my view many small family farms are being made uneconomic due to the actions a few money motivated milk production businesses.

You cant turn the clock back. In every sector, size means economy. You have to live with it. No doubt the TATA workers will be treated the same.Again I ask has anyone asked the cows how they feel. Looking at todays wet, windy and cold weather would I prefer to have a roof over my head or standing in the rain?

Well we still have our milk delivered by the milkman. 

It''s more expensive but it keeps his job going and I think it lasts longer.

..Yes we do as well ,its delivered fresh every day,to the coop 200yds from our house ,probably from the same supplyer your milk man gets his from,we are going to try the raw milk as one of the dairy farms 2miles away supplies it

Again I ask has anyone asked the cows how they feel.

Not sure why you think cows can talk . I suppose much like fish, if they could they would prefer to be in the river rather than on the end of a hook.

Personally I feel for the Farmers. I doubt many go into farming as a way to be rich. They toil long hours trying to get by. The 'factory farming' is just a Farmer trying to get ahead & survive. It has been proved over & again(by the Farmers) people scream cruelty, scream better conditions but when the price of milk/beef/pork etc go up in price Joe public by cheap imported goods. It's no good calling the Farmer who fights for survival daily, it's what the public want. If a Farmer fails His Animals will be sold off cheaply-to anyone who will pay. Livestock & Farmer/Family. . . .Gone. I may be an Animal lover but I'm not stupid. The Farmer & Family are more important.

This idea of cows being inside is a modern one. My father was a farmer who milked cows and they were out all year round. Cattle naturally thrive outdoors, they were originally woodland grazers, and penning them up inside is probably the cause of so many diseases as it is an entirely unnatural environment.

Cows are now bred to give unaturally large quantities of milk and suffer from udder problems as a result. These new milking units containing hundreds of cows are appalling bad for animal welfare. This is not a question of humanising animals, it is a question of giving them as natural a life as possible.I have no problem eating meat or any other animal product but I go out of my way to ensure proper welfare standards have been observed in the production

The problem is the majority of the British population are urban dwellers, and have no concept of how their food is produced. Battery hens are a case in point. If people refused to buy anything but free range eggs then there would be no battery houses. But, they just want it cheap and to hell with welfare. 

Unless they are a tough breed most cows are in for the winter. Years ago folk used to sleep with their animals in the winter, byre one end, people the other. No cows out round here yet...maybe down in Cornwall some are coming out?

The problem with livestock farming today, is the fact that farmers have to jump through any number of hoops to abide by EU regulations and welfare accredition schemes, thus raising production costs. Only to have the supermarket chains import cheap produce from from EU and non EU countries that blatantly disregard welfare standards

No dairy cows, "free range" or not, spend all year outside. Grass does not grow all year, and the other main problem is the state of the ground in our climate. Gateways, feeders and any other area used daily by stock soon get poached (turned into a muddy mess). Some hardy breeds (as seen on a couple of the recent This Farming Life series, do stay out all year. But not dairy cows. 

I'm not taking sides on the indoor/outdoor issue, but the building was built for the job, light and airy with good ventilation.  We never saw the winter housing for the Free Range cows.

And in case you're wondering, our cows came in full time on 17th October last year (they had been in at nights for a couple of weeks).  They will go out when there is enough grass, towards the end of April.

Please do not judge all farmers by how they are portrayed on programmes made mainly for non-farmers.

Zero grazing is nothing new.I wasinvolved in it  inDerbyshire 30 years ago.vHave been out most morningsover the last 14 days at 6.15 am, trying to kill foxes which are decimating the new lambs here. Because of the misguided politicians and bunny huggers we cant control the fox numbers now with hounds. At the present rate it wont be long before sheep will have to be kept indoors year round to keep them safe.