Our Hidden Cameras Reveal: Cows Abused on Swedish Dairy Farm

Cows beaten with tools, poorly nourished animals covered in feces, and calves handled with blatant disregard. A cow unable to stand is repeatedly kicked, beaten, and jumped on. Newly recorded footage from Djurrättsalliansen exposes the brutal everyday reality at a Swedish Arla-affiliated dairy farm.

Djurrättsalliansen can now reveal what happens on a dairy farm on Öland when staff believe no one is watching. The footage—partly recorded with hidden cameras—shows the daily routine inside the dairy industry, as well as how cows are struck with tools on a regular basis. The farm in question supplies milk to the dairy giant Arla.

TV4 Nyheterna highlights Djurrättsalliansen’s documentation in this news segment.

– Most of us have no idea what the animals we eat, and whose milk we drink, are forced to endure in their lifetime. It is, however, not surprising, since much of what animals are subjected to in the food industry happens behind closed doors. Through advertising, the dairy sector has also succeeded in promoting an idealized image of happy cows on green pastures. That is why we choose to install hidden cameras and our documentation shows another reality—a reality where cows spend their days on filthy concrete and are subjected to brutal violence. It is necessary to show their lived experiences in order to achieve the urgent change they need, says Malin Gustafsson, spokesperson for Djurrättsalliansen.

In November 2025, Djurrättsalliansen installed hidden cameras recording the activities on the dairy farm for one week. Footage from one of the documented days shows what happened to a cow who could not stand up. She was beaten, kicked, and jumped on multiple times. After several hours she was moved by staff. Later, members of Djurrättsalliansen found her dead. She lay in a pool of blood among plastic debris outside the barn, her throat having been slit.

– It is difficult to put into words the despair and anger I feel when I see what she went through. Hopefully many others feel the same—and together we can act to stop this horrific and unjust treatment of other animals. What each of us can do is choose plant-based options and get involved in the struggle for the rights of other animals. Animal industries must be shut down entirely, says Malin Gustafsson.

Previously Known Animal Welfare Violations
Some of the violations at this farm have been known to the County Administrative Board of Kalmar for several years. The authority has conducted repeated inspections, noting that the Animal Welfare Act has not been followed—cows were poorly nourished and covered in feces, calves were kept in spaces that were too small, and the barns were dirty. The County Administrative Board issued orders to correct the violations both in 2024 and 2025.

In July 2023, a private individual submitted a complaint with photos showing calves in illegal hutches made from cut-out plastic containers. According to the authority’s notes, the hutches were confirmed to be illegal—they were too small and lacked insulation—but the case was dropped since an inspection was already scheduled. The inspection took place seven months later, in February 2024, and the calves were still being kept in the illegal plastic containers.

In 2024, another complaint reported that the farm owner had driven a load of cattle at high speed. The authority’s notes state: “Two cattle fell out and were run over. One stood up but the other died and was dragged back to the farm with a rope.” The County Administrative Board chose not to conduct an inspection; instead, it sent written information to the owner about proper animal transport.

The County Administrative Board has now also received Djurrättsalliansen’s newly recorded film material, which confirms what their own records have already documented: the animals are neglected and subjected to violent treatment.

– We have filed a report with the County Administrative Board. But many others have reported this farm long before us. Inspectors have repeatedly found serious issues. What does it actually take for the authorities to take decisive action and issue an animal-keeping ban? Naturally, we hope our documentation will result in this place being shut down, but more broadly we are fighting for all dairy factories to be dismantled. For that to happen, we must collectively show that the treatment of animals in today’s dairy industry is unacceptable, says Malin Gustafsson.

Wounds and Lame Cows
In addition to hidden camera recordings, Djurrättsalliansen documented the animals’ living conditions using handheld cameras. This footage shows the same issues previously noted by the County Administrative Board. It also reveals animals with wounds—a cow with an open, bloody wound on her tail, several lame cows, and a calf tied with a noose around the neck.

– We humans can choose to ignore exposés like these and excuse them as exceptions. Or we can acknowledge that the price paid for eating meat and drinking milk is animal suffering. No one wishes more than we do that our work is not needed, but as long as animals are treated this way in our society, we will continue to investigate and expose Swedish animal industries, says Malin Gustafsson.

Previous Exposure of a KRAV-Certified Slaughterhouse
TV4 Nyheterna’s reporting on Djurrättsalliansen’s films also mentions a previous investigation by the organization. In 2021, a KRAV-certified slaughterhouse in Skåne was documented—also with hidden cameras. The footage, which received widespread media attention, showed pigs being kicked and beaten with chains. The slaughterhouse closed following the outrage, but despite this important victory for the animals, Djurrättsalliansen argues that it is not enough.

– Millions of animals continue to be exploited and killed in Swedish animal industries. This must end now. It is incredibly frustrating and heartbreaking that we must keep making these exposés over and over again, year after year. We hope people will begin to understand that the future is plant-based—so that no more animals need to suffer because of human food consumption, says Malin Gustafsson.

Facts about the dairy industry in Sweden
All milk production in Sweden, including organic, relies on calves being separated from their mothers. Cows in the dairy industry are artificially inseminated in order to give birth once a year. Like humans and other mammals, cows produce milk since they have given birth to a child. Within 24 hours of birth, the calf is separated so the milk can be sold for human consumption.

Calves are typically placed in solitary pens or calf hutches of around 1.5 square meters, where they spend the first part of their lives (up to two months). Thereafter, they are grouped with other calves. Heifers are inseminated at around 15 months in order to be exploited for milk production just as their mothers. Although cows can live up to 20–25 years, most cows in the dairy industry are killed at around age five due to udder infections, reduced fertility, and other issues. Bull calves are often sold and slaughtered at around 18 months of age.