Keighley farmer in court after "worst standards ever seen" found on farm
Repeated visits to Primrose Farm in Riddlesden by animal welfare officers found cows that were so emaciated their spines and hips were showing
A DEAD cow was found submerged in mud on a farm that had “the worst standards ever seen” by one Council officer.
Repeated visits to Primrose Farm in Riddlesden by animal welfare officers found cows that were so emaciated their spine and hips were showing, one that had an ingrowing horn and others that were kept in accommodation with barely any natural light.
A cow was found stuck in frozen mud, bulls was kept in the same barn as female cows, and one cow was found with a injured rump from repeated attempts at mating by a bull.
On Thursday the farmer who owns and lives at the site, Malcom Mosley, appeared at Bradford and Keighley Magistrates Court where he pleaded guilty to multiple charges relating to causing unnecessary suffering of an animal and failing to ensure animal welfare.
Imran Hussain, prosecuting on behalf of Bradford Council, told the court Mosley, 61, had been farming for over 20 years. He had previously been a dairy farmer, but due to concerns over hygiene standards at the farm had switched to beef farming.
Bradford Council’s Environmental Health department carried out an inspection of the farm on Ilkley Road due to “numerous complaints about animal health” at the site.
The charges put to Mosley referred to issues discovered during several visits to the farm between September 2022 and March 2023.
He was issued several improvement notices, and although he complied with some, conditions at the farm failed to improve on a long-term basis.
Mosley pleaded guilty to nine charges relating to conditions found at the farm on the various visits.
These include:
A cow found to be very thin and with a broken leg
A bovine was identified with an ingrowing horn
A cow found dead and submerged in mud inside the barn and one bovine was stuck in frozen mud around the hay feeder outside the entrance to the barn
That no bedding was found in a barn where cows were kept
Bovines found tethered
Water troughs in cowsheds left empty and no hay for cows to feed on.
Mr Hussain said animals were visibly emaciated, with “their spine and hips clearly visible.”
There was dangerous broken equipment in spaces cattle were kept, and floors of barns were covered in faeces.
Despite being told to improve conditions, officers were “dismayed” to see little improvement on follow up visits.
Mr Hussain said: “One officer said they had never seen animals so thin.”
He added: “On one visit cattle were found to have no way to lie down without them laying on their own wet excrement.”
“Two cows had fallen victim to deep mud, one was dead, one was in frozen mud.
“He chose to shoot this cow rather than provide care or veterinary treatment.
“Females were being constantly harassed by bulls to mate. On December 7 2022 the officer and a veterinary surgeon discovered marks on the rump of one cow where a bull had been trying to mate with her. The bull was displaying aggressive behaviour.
“Standards were the worst ever seen by our enforcement officer.
“Actions were only taken when an improvement notice was served and there was the discussion of any enforcement action. Even then the improvements only brought the farm to a temporary, basic standard.”
Mosley was represented by a Mr Birkenshaw from the Farming Community Network. He said: “The network assists farmers who have lost their way. In this case it has clearly got away from Mr Mosley.”
Referring to the claims that some cows had been shot due to their condition, Mr Birkenshaw said: “My client wasn’t going around shooting animals himself. He got a slaughterman to attend.”
He said Mosley would not be resisting the prosecution’s call for a banning order.
The court was told that there had been 33 cows on site, but as they had not had TB tests they couldn’t be moved on or sold.
Mr Birkenshaw said that with the banning order looming and no way of passing the remaining cows on “the stock was euthanised in a single day.
“It is a dramatic decision that had to be made.”
The Court asked the probation service to do a report on Mosley before he is sentenced.
Sentencing is due to take place on April 23.
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