54 Section 3
owner did not have nor was able to provide any more feed at the time, and it was
deemed necessary to provide immediate emergency feed for the stock.
The farm had been reduced in size by half when the father died but it still carried
the same number of animals. Some of the land was of poor quality. The farmyard
and handling facilities were inappropriately located and unsuitable. The herd
keeper had a solution for every difficulty identified to him and he had to be per-
suaded that his solutions were not viable.
An intensive programme was put in place to assist the herd owner to immedi-
ately downsize his herd and to provide advice and support to turn around the
situation for the long term. The herd owner was fully co-operative and responded
very well to the support provided.Case 2: Herd Keeper
A single female in her early 50s was living alone in very poor living conditions.
The holding had been known to DAFM for many years, owing primarily to
difficulties in having the required testing programme completed each year. In a
deteriorating situation the welfare of the herd was seriously compromised. No
animals were sold and they were experiencing health difficulties. Her response
was reactionary and obstructive.
Persistence by staff members of DAFM with the aid of the local Garda and the
support of the local County Partnership Board, the HSE (health nurse) and the
county council helped to bring the situation under control, and she continues to
reside in her home. Her herd now comprises three cattle that she looks after with
the aid of a relative.
Issues of poor animal health and welfare might be revealing of physical and mental
pressures or distress in a farmer (FAWC, 2016). These may drive farmers to a state
where they are unable to cope with their farm management for a number of reasons.
This may, for example, lead to a negative relationship which can contribute to animal
stress, and reduce an animal’s ability to produce (Hemsworth and Coleman, 2010).
Where poor farmer well-being leads to livestock welfare issues, support services and
enforcement mechanisms that are able to identify poor states of well-being in farming
communities are encouraged to work together. This can help to remedy the ongoing
human and animal welfare problems, and to prevent future incidents by helping to
establish and foster good farming and human well-being practices. It is, however, im-
portant to recognize that poor animal welfare may not always be connected to poor
farmer well-being and, in those cases, enforcement action may still be necessary.Case Study 13. Continued.