A 41-year-old farmer who allowed 77 of his cattle die through dehydration and malnutrition was yesterday warned that he will have to continue to reduce his herd numbers and maintain improvements in animal husbandry if he is to avoid going to jail.
Michael Holland, Courtbrack, Blarney, Co Cork, pleaded guilty at Cork District Court yesterday to ill-treating a cow, failing to bury the carcass of a cow, and failing to protect livestock and poultry from specific risk material in line with regulations to limit BSE.
Department of Agriculture veterinary inspector Bob Treacy told how department officials who visited Mr Holland's dairy, beef and sheep farm on April 27th last found that some 35 adult cattle and 42 calves had died mainly from dehydration.
The total value of the dead animals was in the region of €35,000, said Mr Treacy, adding that the department officials also found that the remaining 130 animals on the farm were in poor health due to malnutrition and lack of water.
However, Mr Holland had co-operated fully and had removed the dead animals and provided proper water and nutrition for the remaining animals. With some initial help from his neighbours he had turned the entire operation around.
Mr Holland had drawn up a five-year plan with Teagasc and had also hired a Polish man to help him run the farm. Although he was still overstocked by about 100 animals, he planned to reduce this number and continued to make good progress, said Mr Treacy.
Mr Holland told investigating gardaí that the matter began to get out of control in March when he lost 10 or 12 calves followed by eight cows. He began to suffer depression and could not face up to the problems on the farm.
The court heard that Mr Holland had taken over the family farm from his mother in 1996 but he had run up financial debts.
Judge Con O'Leary said it appeared Mr Holland had expanded too fast and got into debt and his problems started from there. He accepted that he had begun to turn matters around but he was anxious to see how he progressed further and he adjourned the case until March 28th next.
He told Mr Holland that if he continued to improve matters and had reduced his stock by then, he would further adjourn it with a view to ultimately imposing a fine and a suspended sentence. If, however, he failed to do this, he could expect to receive a custodial sentence.