Earlier in the week New Zealanders were outraged when two workers were caught kicking and bludgeoning bobby calves as they loaded them into trucks. In a country that relies so heavily on beef and dairy exports, this sort of behaviour is bizarre, intolerable and thankfully not the norm.
We did a little bit of research and found an article published in 2013 by academic journal Anthrozoos. Scientists from Newcastle University found that by giving a cow a name and treating her as an individual they increased yields by 3.5%.
Today we learnt (TWL) that if we treat our animals with dignity and care, they'll produce better results? Incredible, who would have thought!
So what to do with the disgraced workers? Put them out to pasture? Give them 20 licks?
