Today we made an unannounced visit to Twiegweerd goat farm in Zalk (NL). In general, most goat farms are open to a visit from Eyes on Animals. However, the farmer of Twiegweerd was suspicious and did not want to give us a tour of his farm.
The farmer was prepared to tell us a little about his farm. He milks 3000 goats. Every year a1000 goat-kids are born. A number of these goat-kids are fattened until 4 weeks or up to a year old. The rest are sent to slaughter at a very young age. He explained that the kids are given colostrum via a stomach-pump, as this is quicker than feeding them by hand.
We asked about a milk goat that was sick and had been separated from the herd by the farmer. The farmer told us that he found her that morning and would euthanize her sometime in the late afternoon, shortly before milking time. We expressed our concerns to the farmer – that leaving her for this length of time would unnecessarily prolong her suffering, but sadly he did not really seem to care.
