Animal advocates demand all farmers be required to provide shade for their livestock after photos emerge of cattle crowding under trees – but not everyone is convinced
- Animal advocates calling on QLD gov to make shade for livestock mandatory
- ‘Animals Need Shade’ campaign sparked as photos emerged of cattle in sun
- Others are less convinced, arguing the farm animal photos are ‘out of context’
Animal advocates are calling for all farmers to be required to provide livestock with shade in the summer.
Concerns were raised about farm animals suffering from heat stress this month after photos emerged of cattle crowding under small patches of shade on properties.
The issue led a group of Queenslanders to create the campaign ‘Animals Need Shade’, however, not everyone is convinced by the images.
Concerns were raised about farm animals suffering from heat stress this month after photos emerged of cattle crowding under small patches of shade on properties (pictured)
Animal advocates are calling for all farmers to be required to provide livestock with shade in summer (pictured)
A petition has been lodged with the Queensland government to make changes to the ‘Animal Care and Protection Act 2001’ over what is considered ‘adequate shelter’ for livestock kept outdoors.
The petition is demanding shelter be made mandatory for all farm animals.
Founder of the campaign, Morika Elek, is from the Scenic Rim in South East Queensland and was motivated to take action after seeing farmed animals standing in the blazing summer heat without shade.
‘I remember how hot it was last summer in Canungra, Beaudesert and Boonah and how I couldn’t stand in the sun for more than five minutes without feeling the brunt of this shocking heat,’ Ms Elek said.
‘The sight of farmed animals including horses standing exposed and suffering in open paddocks from the extreme heat of the sun without shade or shelter is unfortunately common throughout Queensland.’
According to Dairy NZ, Fresian cows begin to experience the effects of heat stress when their body temperature reaches 68℉ (21℃) at 75 per cent relative humidity.
The average annual temperature in many parts of Queensland is 29°C.
Dairy NZ says cows can experience headaches and lethargy when they are suffering from heat stroke. Their food intake and milk production can also decrease.
Reactions on social media were mixed, with some people praising the initiative.
One person tweeted: ‘Saw a great petition for making shade mandatory in Australia. Living out in the country I often see animals out in the hot sun with no shade provided.
Others were less convinced, with one person pointing out that ‘not all’ farmers leave their livestock without shade
‘Mind blowing that farmers need to be told to provide shade. Some do, but a lot don’t. Needs to be mandatory.’
Others were less convinced, with one person pointing out that ‘not all’ farmers leave their livestock without shade.
Another argued the photo of sheep crowding in one area was taken ‘out of context’.
‘One photo out of context sheep will go to the closest shade not to most practical shade they aren’t the brightest of animals,’ they wrote on Facebook.