
The rows of pens and hutches could not be more removed from the storybook idea of farm life.

This site, effectively a battery farm for calves, is used to rear cows that will go on to supply milk to leading supermarkets including Marks & Spencer.

Welfare law states that cows should only be reared in these solitary hutches for up to eight weeks of age. But the calves captured in these images are significantly older – making this practice potentially illegal.

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Oversized: Row upon row of cramped hutches fill this Dorset field, and these cows look far too big to easily fit through the entrances to their shelters

No room to roam: Calves kept in solitary pens a Grange Dairy in Dorset, which is now being investigated for potentially breaking welfare law

Cramped: The Holstein calves, raised at Grange Dairy in Winfrith Newburgh will be sent to other farms to join a dairy herd

What is clear from the pictures is the calves are too large for the hutches.

They struggle to bend to get inside the cramped shelters when they need protection from the cold and rain. This has left some of them with grazes on their backs.

The Holstein calves, raised at Grange Dairy in Winfrith Newburgh, near Dorchester, Dorset, will be sent to other farms to join a dairy herd.

Once they are old enough to calve, their milk will be supplied to supermarkets across the country.

The farm belongs to J F Cobb & Sons, which has been run by the Cobb family in Dorset since 1928. It is part of a group of farms that supplies 240,000 pints of milk to the high street every day.

Trading standards officers confirmed the calves are older than eight weeks, based on information on their ear tags, and have begun an investigation.

Bosses at M&S have also carried out an audit of the ‘disappointing’ revelations.

Revealed: Cows reared by this farm supply milk to Marks & Spencer

Isolated: A calf can barely move inside the restrictive shelter

The welfare group Animal Equality UK, which captured these pictures, claim some of the calves are up to six months old. This is denied by M&S and the farm, but both refused to give the age.

Animal Equality director, Dr Toni Shephard, said: ‘Seeing row after row of baby calves alone in tiny pens, when they should naturally still be with their mothers, is truly heartbreaking. But realising that some of these young female cows have been confined like this for months on end without exercise or companionship is shocking.

‘UK law recognises how important social interaction is for calves and restricts solitary housing to just eight weeks. Yet on this farm we found calves that were several months old in pens on their own.

Some of the calves have scratches on their backs from scraping against the roof of their hutches

‘We are calling on retailers, including M&S, to break ties with this supplier immediately.’

Marks & Spencer said: ‘We are very disappointed to see these images; any breach of our standards is completely unacceptable.

‘Our experts are on site and working with the farm to take immediate action and all necessary steps to address the situation. We work hard to uphold the highest welfare standards.’

Once they are old enough to calve, their milk will be supplied to supermarkets across the country

The JF Cobb & Sons website, which has an RSPCA endorsement, reads: ‘All our energy is focused on keeping our cows comfortable and healthy.’

Partner Nick Cobb said: ‘We work closely with vets and industry welfare experts to establish the best approach to looking after our animals and our health and welfare performance is industry-leading.

‘There is no suggestion that the health and welfare of our animals has been compromised.