Fast-forward to 2016 and it's all different -- and the old imagery might not be good for cows. The animal welfare charity World Animal Protection (WAP) last month claimed the UK has 97 “confirmed intensive indoor dairy farms, and 43 suspected farms permanently housing cows all year round”. The cows are “denied access to pasture,” says WAP. Indoor housing jeopardises cattle welfare, "pushing cows to their physical limits because of the demands placed upon them to produce more milk. Research shows higher risk of cows suffering lameness and udder infections.”
Idyllic scenes of cows grazing on lush grass in patchwork meadows amidst rolling hills recalls British dairy farming in the 1800s.
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