South Wiltshire farmers found guilty of animal welfare offences
They were found to be breaching a ban on keeping cattle in Shrewton
Two famers in South Wiltshire have been found guilty of animal welfare offences, despite being banned from keeping them.
Cattle being kept by 69 year old Michael Babey of Orcheston, near Salisbury, were found to have insufficient access to water in January 2024, after previously having been found to be living in unsuitable conditions on land at Tanners Lane in Shrewton.
Mr Babey had been barred from keeping cattle and cows for five years in 2019, with his wife Julie Babey becoming the owner of the cattle.
However, Wiltshire Council officers found that despite the ban, Mr Babey was continuing to care and keep the cattle, a breach of the order.
Mrs Babey, 52, had previously pleaded guilty in May 2024 to animal welfare offences and aiding and abetting Mr Babey in breaching his disqualification order.
In November 2023, an animal health officer and a vet from the Animal & Plant Health Agency (APHA) discovered 23 cattle were being kept on the small sate.
11 of them were held in a pen that was heavily soiled, with the feeding area covered in deep mud/slurry. The cattle didn't have enough space to all lay down at the same time, and the water provided was heavily soiled and not suitable for animals to drink.
A follow up visit later that month found conditions hadn't improved much.
In January 2024, officers and the APHA vet visited the famer once more, with 23 cattle found to have no access to water, with one cow seen licking from an empty water container for five minutes.
The site has no water provision and the cows are reliant on it being brought to the farm in a container. In the opinion of the vet, the cattle weren't being given enough water.
Mr and Mrs Babey will be sentenced at Salisbury Magistrates Court on 24th April.
Cllr Dominic Muns, Cabinet Member for Environment said: “I’m proud of the work that our dedicated animal health officers carry out, and this case shows that they will act quickly to ensure that Wiltshire’ farmers and livestock owners take good care of their animals.
“I hope that the court’s decision today sends a strong message that failing to meet animal welfare standards will not be tolerated in Wiltshire.”
Records for the farm showed an overall mortality rate of 31% for cattle kept by Mr and Mrs Babey. Overall mortality rate in England for all cattle in 2023 was 5.03%.