COWS 'NEVER SEEN SO THIN' AS ON WEST YORKSHIRE FARM WITH 'WORST EVER STANDARDS'
In West Yorkshire, a farm was found to have kept cattle in barns where they were forced to sleep amidst their own waste and faced harassment from 'aggressive' bulls.The farm also saw the death of a cow, which was discovered submerged in mud.
Primrose Farm, located in Riddlesden, was described by authorities as having some of the worst conditions ever observed.
Animal welfare officers had inspected the premises several times, finding cows severely undernourished, with their spines and hips clearly visible.
One cow had an ingrowing horn, and others were confined in poorly lit areas.
One animal was trapped in frozen mud inside the barn, while bulls were housed alongside female cows in the same shelter.
Additionally, there was a cow with injuries caused by persistent mating attempts from a bull.
On March 20, the farm’s owner, Malcolm Mosley, appeared before Bradford and Keighley Magistrates Court to admit to multiple charges of neglect and causing unnecessary suffering.
The 61-year-old, who had been involved in farming for over twenty years, transitioned from dairy to beef farming due to hygiene issues at the farm.
Following complaints, Bradford Council’s Environmental Health officers inspected the farm multiple times from September 2022 through March 2023.
Although some improvement notices were issued and partially complied with, the farm’s conditions persisted in severe neglect.
Mosley pleaded guilty to nine offenses, which included a cow in a starving state with a fractured leg, an animal with an ingrowing horn, and a dead cow found in the barn’s mud, as well as another cow stuck in frozen mud outside the hay area.
Conditions of concern also included barns lacking bedding, tethered cattle, empty water troughs, and insufficient feed such as hay.
Prosecutor Imran Hussain described the animals’ appearance as shocking, with prominent bones and signs of starvation.
He also pointed out dangerous machinery and manure-laden floors at the site.
Despite notices requiring improvements, subsequent visits revealed no meaningful change.
Officers expressed their dismay, with one noting they had never seen animals in such poor health, some lying in their own excrement because they had no space to lie down.
Two cows had succumbed in deep mud, one of which was dead while another remained trapped in frozen ground.
Rather than provide veterinary treatment, the owner chose to euthanize the dead cow.
Female cows were continuously harassed by bulls attempting to breed, with marks observed on one cow from such behavior.
The enforcement officers described the farm’s conditions as the worst they had encountered.
Interventions only occurred after the farm received official notices, but the farm’s conditions only improved temporarily.
A representative from the Farming Community Network stated that the situation had gone beyond the owner’s control.
Concerning reports of some cows being shot, the defense clarified that Mosley hired a slaughterman, not that he personally shot animals.
The farm’s 33 cows could not be sold or moved because they lacked appropriate TB testing.
With an imminent banning order, and no alternative places available, all remaining cows were euthanized in a single day—a difficult decision justified as necessary by the defendant’s legal representatives.
The court will wait for a probation report before sentencing, scheduled for April 23.
Mosley has agreed not to dispute the charges or the banning order, which aims to prevent him from owning or caring for animals again.
