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Exceptional Animal Welfare
Cow comfort is important to us, which is why we insist on free-range, gmo-free grass, clean drinking water, daily monitored cow health, and many more assurances.
Calves feeding on a Southern Pastures NZ dairy farm

It Starts At Day 1

Optimal, good nutrition in the early months gives calves the best start to life to build immunity. A birthing cow’s natural colostrum, the wonder food for immunity and long-term cow health nourishes our calves and keeps then in the best condition. Warm, safe, sanitary and protected, Southern Pastures calves flourish in a protected environment until they are able to free-range in the lush green pastures.

Cows are sentient beings, meaning they feel and sense and have their own personalities, sometimes friendly and curious, definitely intelligent and sometimes keen for that scratch on the head.

A southern pastures dairy cow

Cow Comfort

Cow comfort is important to Southern Pastures and so cows must be able to lie down and rest comfortably for sufficient periods to meet their behaviour needs.

Farm lanes, and milking platforms are constructed so cows can walk comfortably with a minimum of distress or risk of injury. Southern Pastures has built subways under roads to keep the cows and humans safe.

All cows have access to fresh water, even walking to and from the milking shed, and because they free-range they naturally social distance. We know this of late, social distancing reduces sickness so it’s only reasonable to assume that cows free-ranging will experience less health problems than their barn counterparts.

A Southern Pastures dairy cow

Our Cows Have No Need For A Passport!

Southern Pastures has taken a stand right from inception that our cows would never be exported live – and we’ve stuck to it.

Our cows are uniquely free from world diseases like Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) and Mycoplasma Bovis. Feasting on a salad of nature’s greens, open air on pastures all year round keeps them happy and content. Cows are naturally herd animals, enjoying being outside amongst nature.

Through selective breeding cows can strengthen their traits and historical data can naturally encourage their strong traits to come to the forefront. No cows are genetically modified or altered using any deemed genetic engineering technique.

Each cow has an individual health plan covering history, live weight monitoring, a vaccination program as agreed by a veterinary treatment for worms and parasites if and when required, and on the rate occasion life giving antibiotics only prescribed and administered by a veterinary with strict adherence to the Stewardship program.

Free-Range 365

The 10 Star Standard