The animal farming industries produce the leather that manufacturing industries use. Animals begin by being bred in intensive, semi-intensive or extensive systems. Even gentle dairy cows who are often admired casually grazing the British countryside during the summer, are housed for 6 months throughout the winter. Some dairy cows are actually housed all year round. However one thing they do have in common is the pain of lameness and mastitis.
Lameness is a major health and welfare problem in all sheep producing countries.
It is generally regarded as the greatest cause of pain and discomfort in sheep. Mastitis Mastitis is a very painful bacterial infection of the udder of the cow which causes inflammation and swelling. The udder becomes hard and hot with an abnormal discharge. In the recently calved cow the milk is thick, creamy and smells foul. The cow is often lame in one or both hind legs with swollen joints.