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Dublin Zoo 'Family Farm'

  • 07-08-2011 4:47pm
    #1
    Muckit
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,174 ✭✭✭✭


    Was at Dublin Zoo with the OH yesterday. Of course we had to take a quick look at the 'Family Farm'. I was well impressed with this cow they had and the condition she's in, given the limited space they have and the distinct lack of any grass for grazing.

    This and the distinct lack of a 'herd' raised a few ethical issues for me, being from a farming background.

    I'm well aware the limited space and practicality play big parts in the way the zoo has to manage it's animals.

    But what are other people's views?


Comments

  • #2
    pakalasa
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,552 ✭✭✭pakalasa


    I knew a guy in Dublin who had worked in the Zoo. He says he got the job because he was the only one who could milk a cow by hand. He had a few funny stories, Gas man!


  • #3
    whelan1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,786 ✭✭✭✭whelan1


    there used to be a milking parlour type thingy there too but any of the cows i saw there where always well dry....


  • #4
    Kovu
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14,241 ✭✭✭✭Kovu


    Muckit wrote: »
    Was at Dublin Zoo with the OH yesterday. Of course we had to take a quick look at the 'Family Farm'. I was well impressed with this cow they had and the condition she's in, given the limited space they have and the distinct lack of any grass for grazing.

    This and the distinct lack of a 'herd' raised a few ethical issues for me, being from a farming background.

    I'm well aware the limited space and practicality play big parts in the way the zoo has to manage it's animals.

    But what are other people's views?

    Was the heifer calf still with her? Was at the zoo a couple months ago and she had a beaut of a sim heifer at foot.


  • #5
    Birdnuts
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,761 ✭✭✭Birdnuts


    Muckit wrote: »
    Was at Dublin Zoo with the OH yesterday. Of course we had to take a quick look at the 'Family Farm'. I was well impressed with this cow they had and the condition she's in, given the limited space they have and the distinct lack of any grass for grazing.

    This and the distinct lack of a 'herd' raised a few ethical issues for me, being from a farming background.

    I'm well aware the limited space and practicality play big parts in the way the zoo has to manage it's animals.

    But what are other people's views?

    My view is that they should expand the ZOO to make more space for all the animals. They did have an expansion a few years back and it certainly improved welfare standards for many species but I would like to see the grazing animals in pets corner having more room. Maybe the new President will offer up some more land around the ARAS for such a purpose.:)


  • #6
    Muckit
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,174 ✭✭✭✭Muckit


    Ya it's the whole grazing thing that really niggles me. It's part of their natural way of being. Not offering them the opportunity to be able to do what they would normally naturally do for hours eat day can't be right, can it?

    It wasn't just the animals in the farm section, rhinos, zebras etc would all graze naturally but had little green areas in their enclosures, the bit that was there was like a carpet.


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  • #7
    whelan1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,786 ✭✭✭✭whelan1


    i hate the zoo .... total rip off! really hate when its jammers ... the animals do not look happy at all


  • #8
    redzerologhlen
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,329 ✭✭✭redzerologhlen


    Was the heifer calf still with her? Was at the zoo a couple months ago and she had a beaut of a sim heifer at foot.

    She was a beaut alright, Spent a few hours above there last summer and the most of the time spent looking at the cow and calf...typical!!:)


  • #9
    blue5000
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 12,705 Mod ✭✭✭✭blue5000


    whelan1 wrote: »
    i hate the zoo .... total rip off! really hate when its jammers ... the animals do not look happy at all

    Have to agree with you whelan, fota island in cork is far better.

    If the seat's wet, sit on yer hat, a cool head is better than a wet ar5e.



  • #10
    Muckit
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,174 ✭✭✭✭Muckit


    redzerologhlen wrote: »
    Was the heifer calf still with her? Was at the zoo a couple months ago and she had a beaut of a sim heifer at foot.

    She was a beaut alright, Spent a few hours above there last summer and the most of the time spent looking at the cow and calf...typical!!:)

    No sign of any calf. Now it might have been in the shed. Cow seems to have plenty of milk anyway


  • #11
    Bodacious
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,274 ✭✭✭Bodacious


    redzerologhlen wrote: »
    Was the heifer calf still with her? Was at the zoo a couple months ago and she had a beaut of a sim heifer at foot.

    She was a beaut alright, Spent a few hours above there last summer and the most of the time spent looking at the cow and calf...typical!!:)


    Was at zoo with the GF and spotted this heifer calf and have to agree with all previous posts she is a nice one, would she probably be fullbred ... she'd be nice buying!!:D


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  • #12
    Kovu
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14,241 ✭✭✭✭Kovu


    Bodacious wrote: »
    Was at zoo with the GF and spotted this heifer calf and have to agree with all previous posts she is a nice one, would she probably be fullbred ... she'd be nice buying!!:D


    Typical isn't it, we go to the zoo to look at all the exotic animals and the one that excites us the most is a heifer;)


  • #13
    pakalasa
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,552 ✭✭✭pakalasa


    If I ever start a pedigree herd, it will be a Simmental one. I love their temperament. The few cross bred heifers I have are a pleasure to work with.
    simmental_cow.jpg
    (There not mine, btw.)


  • #14
    Username John
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,237 ✭✭✭Username John


    whelan1 wrote: »
    i hate the zoo .... total rip off! really hate when its jammers ... the animals do not look happy at all

    Was at Dublin zoo years ago, when I was a kid. Hated it. Animals looks desperate... I accept things have prob come on a lot, and its prob much better now.
    But would never go back there...


  • #15
    Kovu
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14,241 ✭✭✭✭Kovu


    pakalasa wrote: »
    If I ever start a pedigree herd, it will be a Simmental one. I love their temperament. The few cross bred heifers I have are a pleasure to work with.
    simmental_cow.jpg

    (There not mine, btw.)

    I wouldn't be the biggest fan of them, only have one on the farm at present, but she gave me a lovely white blue bull this year :D
    Maybe it's that I've seen far many badly bred ones over the years (tall, rangey specimens with hanging bags and narrow shoulders) but I can now see why people use them. By far, the best animal we had here was out of a cow that looked like a lump of a wall, weighed the same too. Was a sim x ch and bought as a suck calf when we were in milking. Crossed her with VDC and she bred champions that started me off in showing cattle. Milk +power made her the best! Has made me rethink everything I thought about the sims.


  • #16
    leg wax
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,296 ✭✭✭leg wax


    i was at the zoo yesterday and saw the sim cow and calf,they are some pair, who owns them ,i was going to take down ear tag number and do some reserch.:confused:


  • #17
    Kovu
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14,241 ✭✭✭✭Kovu


    leg wax wrote: »
    i was at the zoo yesterday and saw the sim cow and calf,they are some pair, who owns them ,i was going to take down ear tag number and do some reserch.:confused:

    Was going to do the same myself! Can someone get me the tag number and pm it to me? Would love to see if they're privately owned or if the zoo has a herd number.


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