There are 4,000 barns in Norway where the cows are still in stalls. One of these barns is owned by Trond Klausen in Vestvågøy. From the new year, he had to deal with several new rules for grazing animals. Requirement for a separate bin for sick animals. Requirements for 16 weeks of exercise and regular ventilation. As well as requirements for loose operation from 2034. 16 weeks of aeration is a doubling from today’s requirements. – Some years we can do it, but then everything has to work with the weather. This year, conditions were completely hopeless right up to Midsummer’s Eve, explains Klausen, who runs a small dairy farm at Bøstad in Lofoten. He also says that September is often challenging if there is a lot of rainfall. – Isn’t it important to improve animal welfare? Trond Klausen has 18 dairy cows in stalls. Next summer they will graze for 16 weeks and be aired regularly. Photo: Ingrid Gulbrandsen Årdal / news – It is bad animal welfare for the cows with mud up to their knees, Klausen points out. He believes that regular airing of cows all year round is possible for smaller farms, but demanding for those with larger herds. – I can make it happen, but if you have 30-40 cows in a stall, it requires extremely large ventilation areas that have to be fenced off in deep snow and ice. Requests clarification For several months, the Farmers’ Association has been requesting clarification from the Ministry of Agriculture on how the requirements for motion should be understood. – There are different interpretations of what goes into the motion requirement, and we need to clarify that with the ministry, says deputy chairman Bodhild Fjelltveit of the Norwegian Farmers’ Association. Fjelltveit says it can be problematic with four months of airing the cows in some parts of the country. Bodhild Fjelltveit in the Farmers’ Association asks for clarification. I think four months of aeration is demanding for many farmers. Photo: Oddgeir Øystese / news – It is unclear where it will apply and whether it will be the same across the country. It should be appropriate, but we question whether it is appropriate and good animal welfare to be outside for 16 weeks everywhere in the country, says Fjelltveit. – The farmer has already planned for the next grazing season. That we have not gotten clarity on this now is unsustainable. – Can’t farmers apply for exemptions? – We are concerned with a practically feasible set of regulations. It is cumbersome to apply for exemptions from year to year when we know how variable the climate is in this country, especially in Western Norway and Northern Norway. We believe that the requirements for exercise must be divided into different zones, says Fjelltveit. From the new regulation: “Cattle housed in stalls must be ensured the opportunity for free movement and exercise on pasture for a minimum of 16 weeks during the summer half-year. If the natural conditions are not suitable for 16 weeks of grazing, the grazing time can be reduced by up to 4 weeks. The animals must also be ensured the opportunity for regular exercise and free movement for the rest of the year.” (Source: Norwegian Food Safety Authority) Promises answers Agriculture Minister Geir Pollestad (Sp) agrees that the rules for aeration should be more flexible, and now promises a clarification before the summer. Minister of Agriculture Geir Pollestad promises answers (Q) Photo: Irmelin Kulbrandstad / news – These are rules that were decided a long time ago, so I am determined that we look at how we can make the new regulations more flexible. Both to ensure animal welfare and to make it livable for the individual farmer, says Pollestad. Pollestad says the regulations allow the individual farmer to reduce the number of weeks of aeration by up to four weeks if the conditions do not allow 16 weeks. – But there is probably a lot of uncertainty as to how this should be practiced, and we will provide clarifications before the grazing season. Planning a new barn The farmer in Lofoten would have liked these clarifications to come much earlier. Cows in the barn of farmer Trond Klausen Vestvågøy. Photo: Ingrid Gulbrandsen Årdal / news – We would like to have more clarity on what this means for us. Those who made the rules must look more closely at where we live in this country, says Trond Klausen. The 62-year-old is now planning to build a new modern free-range barn, where the cows will have a natural airing yard. But the costs for the new building have increased sharply, he says. – We will make a decision over the New Year when we get the new calculations. In that case, it is the next generation on the farm who will have to take over the further operation, says Klausen. Photo: Ingrid Gulbrandsen Årdal / news
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The farmers’ association reacts to unclear rules about airing cows – news Nordland
