Metal cans in the fields are a big problem for many farmers. The result can be that cows suffer a painful death. For several years, the family at Tufte farm in Våle has been picking up rubbish and tomb boxes along the fields. – It has been pretty good before. This year it is worse than ever, says Harald Lie. So far this spring, they have picked over 200 tomb boxes from the fields. Recently, they went for a three kilometer round and picked up an almost full carrier bag of beer, soft drinks and energy cans. Lie thinks it’s about ignorance. – People have no idea the consequences of just letting it out of the car window and what it causes to animals. In a post on Facebook, which has been shared over 5,000 times, the farmer expresses his frustration: “Now people HAVE to put boxes in the deposit machine. If you can’t do it, at least in the trash. My cows are dying from this!!! » An empty battery box has been thrown onto the land of Tufte farm in Våle. Photo: Harald Lie Animal tragedy The empty boxes are cut up into small pieces when the grass is cut. Which in turn goes out as feed for the cows. – The cow eats it, and is cut open inside and dies of internal bleeding. It is simply an animal tragedy, says Lie. He even had a cow that died from this. When he entered the barn, blood came out of his mouth and nose. Crouched back and cold, explains Lie. Eventually the cow dies. – The worst thing is to see the animals in pain. The farmer says that the empty boxes do not pass through the metal detector because they are aluminium. – We can’t stop it either. Every spring, the Lie family goes round the fields to pick up rubbish. This year, he believes it is worse than ever. Photo: Randi Nørstebø / news Several thousand cows Last year, foreign bodies were reported 1,194 times in cows, according to figures from the Kukontrollen. There are no figures for this year yet. According to Tine’s report “Collection of statistics for the cow and goat inspection 2019”, 1,216 dairy cows were treated after ingesting foreign bodies through the feed in 2019. The previous year there were 1,186. Deaths are registered by the farmer in the Cow inspection, but this has not been arranged as of now to choose a broom as the reason, says Tine’s communications manager, Sindre Ånonsen. – A tragedy This week at Storsteigen high school in Alvdal in Inlandet, they had to euthanize a dairy cow that had eaten a metal can. DEATH: A dairy cow in Alvdal had to be euthanized after ingesting pieces from a tomb box. Photo: Anders Trøan When the cow became ill, they first tried to get the foreign body out with a magnet. But the cow only got worse, and when blood came out of the cow’s nose they realized that it must have been a metal box that cut the animal open inside. – It is a tragedy both for us and for the cow. It’s great suffering for the cow and it’s a direct loss for us, says operations manager at the school Ingar Moldstad to news. The case was first discussed in the local newspaper Alvdal. People must take responsibility Head of Department for the Food Safety Authority in Vestfold, Pernille Hustad, says that the consequences of throwing tombstones away in nature are serious. – Metal in the feed leads to major challenges in the animal welfare of the animals that ingest it, and can unfortunately end up with the animal having to be killed. This is another reason why one should not pick up rubbish in nature, she points out. – Here, most people have to take responsibility themselves, while the farmers have to ensure a safe grazing area as best they can.
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Have picked over 200 tomb boxes from the field this year alone – news Vestfold and Telemark – Local news, TV and radio
