The Poor Calf
First Few Days
Once the cow has given birth, her calf is removed, usually after a few hours or days. In nature calves would normally suckle for 6-12 months. There are many different methods of raising calves on the farm but most are weaned at a very early age. There is a mortality rate for calves of around 10% which occurs mostly in the first three weeks of life.[1]
Vunerable
The newborn calf is particularly vulnerable to disease, in particular, pneumonia and diarrhoea (scour), before it has the chance to develop its own immunity. [2]
First Milk
The mother's first milk (colostrum) contains extra nutrients and antibodies to help protect the calf at this time. Though access to colostrum is crucial for the prevention of calf diarrhoea and pneumonia, surveys reveal around 50% of all calves do not get sufficient colostrum to protect them from disease. Calves may find it difficult to locate the udder especially if it is large and pendulous, or if teats are large and badly positioned. Those failing to feed properly in the first several hours of life will never achieve adequate immunity.[3]
Artificially Fed
Cow's milk provides the calf with the correct nutrition as nature intended but does not provide the level required to sustain the very fast growth needed by the farming industry. The calf is therefore fed by artificial teat or bucket with commercial milk replacer plus highly digestible dry feed to stimulate early rumen development so that it can be weaned off any form of milk diet as early as four to five weeks of age. [4]
Surgical Operations
Before weaning, a number of `husbandry' tasks are undertaken Supernumerary teats (over the required four) are removed with surgical scissors. Castration and horn bud removal are carried out on calves reared for beef.[5]
Unwanted Male Calves
The modern dairy cow has been bred to be highly specialised for milk production, rather than meat. So much so that male calves of the pure dairy breed are seen by many farmers as not worth rearing for meat. These pitiful calves are those previously exported from the UK to be reared in cruel veal crates on the European continent. Half a million calves about 2 weeks old were transported over long distances to be reared in a system so cruel it was banned in the UK in 1990.
The live export trade in tiny calves was stopped in the 1990's, due to BSE fears and the worldwide ban on British beef and calf exports. Instead, a Government scheme, the Calf Processing Aid Scheme, paid farmers to have these calves killed when just days old. This scheme was terminated in 1999.[6] Male calves - the unwanted by-products of the dairy industry - continue to be treated like disposable waste rather than as sentient beings. All too often, they are likely to face an early death. UK Government advice for killing calves on farm is that "a free bullet or shotgun are preferred methods".[7]
Veal Calves
Intensive veal units were developed in the 1950s to deal with the dairy industry's surplus male calves and skimmed milk. Narrow veal crates were banned in the UK in 1990. However, they continue to be operated on a massive scale in Europe and the UK still imports the resulting meat. A typical veal production unit in Europe deny calves of dry feed thus preventing normal rumen development and predisposing to chronic indigestion. The intake of dietary iron is withheld and some calves become anaemic. They are solitary confined to wooden crates and may not be able turn round, groom themselves or adopt a normal sleeping position. The incidence of infectious diseases are very high and kept under control only by the liberal and repeated use of antibiotics. Calves develop stereotypical behaviour patterns such as tongue rolling, crate-licking or mutual tongue sucking.[8]
UK Still Producing Veal
Even though veal crates are banned in this country, farms in the UK still produce veal. However, certain requirements must now be met which are suppose to improve the life of calves. Indeed, the Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2000 prohibit a person from keeping a calf in a single pen unless certain requirements are met e.g. the width of the pen or stall is not less than the height of the calf at the withers; the calf is free to turn around without difficulty; the calf is fed a daily diet containing sufficient iron to maintain it in good health and to promote a positive state of well being.
However, producing so-called welfare friendly veal has its problems. Raising the iron content of the milk substitute fed on ADAS Rosemaund's welfare-friendly veal unit created marketing problems.The RSPCA's general calf rearing iron recommendation was adopted for the unit's fourth intake of calves but resulted in dark meat, a discounted sale price, and net losses of £25 a head on Limousin heifers and £35 a head on Friesian bulls. [9]
European Veal Crate Ban
Farm ministers in Brussels have ruled existing crates for veal calves over eight weeks old must be banned in Europe by the end of the year 2006. The ban came into force on new or rebuilt holdings at the beginning of 1998. Calves under eight weeks can still be housed individually but they must be given enough space to let them turn around. Minimum space requirements will also be introduced for calves in groups. Calf feed must contain a minimum iron content and fibre must be given to all calves over two weeks.[10]
Transportation
As a result of BSE, the European Union banned the export of calves from the UK towards the end of March 1996. Previously around 450,000 unwanted calves from the dairy industry were destined for European veal crates.
Live exports always cause suffering to animals, especially young and vunerable ones. Peter Gilder and Sons of Gloucester were convicted on a charge of aiding and abetting the falsifying of transport documents for the export of livestock. The case was one of the first to be heard under new laws brought in 1996 to protect British animals on the continental leg of long journeys.
During a 36 hour journey across Europe to a veal crate unit in Southern France the animals were given no food, water or rest contravening laws which say animals must have a break after 15 hours. The Meat Trades Journal reported in November 1996 that the haulage firm was fined a paltry £5000.[11]
Cruel Castration on Baby Bull Calves
Bull calves, which are raised for beef, often come from dairy cows (to make extra profit for the dairy farmer), undergo a multitude of invasive and often very painful procedures. They are usually castrated before twelve weeks of age. [12]
Thousands of calves are being castrated illegally.
Methods of Castration for Calves
- A tight rubber ring used to constrict the flow of blood to the scrotum, the testicles then fall off.
- Surgical castration where the scrotum is cut open with a sharp knife and the testicles are removed by cutting or tearing the spermatic cord.
- Burdizzo where the spermatic cord is cut without breaking the skin.
Scientific research shows that all three methods cause acute pain.
No Anaesthetic
The Veterinary Record suggests that each year around 100,000 calves aged over two months are illegally castrated by farmers (instead of by vets) and around 150,000 are illegally castrated without an anaesthetic. Where calves are castrated, the law should be strengthened to require castration, even in the case of calves aged less than 2 months, to be carried out by a vet using an anaesthetic and post-operative analgesia (pain-killing drugs).
Research published in the Veterinary Record has found that many farmers are breaking the laws on castration. Under the law, surgical and Burdizzo castration of calves aged over 2 months must be carried out by a vet and an anaesthetic must be used. The new research found that 31% of farmers castrate calves when they are over 2 months old. Only 21% of farmers used a vet and only 15% used an anaesthetic. This means that thousands of calves are being castrated illegally. The survey also found that 28% of farmers using the Burdizzo method applied the second crush above the first not realising that this could inflict even more pain. Only a small number of farmers apply the Burdizzo for long enough.
By law an anaesthetic must be used when calves older than one week are castrated by the rubber ring method. But of 23% of farmers using the rubber ring on calves aged over 7 days, only 4% used an anaesthetic.[13]
De-Horning
Surgical manipulations on animals are invasive and cruel. The British Cattle Breeders' Club says that in Britain virtually all animals are dehorned. It is carried out to avoid animals damaging people and other stock and allows indoor cattle to be stocked more densely. It is achieved by breeding or by hot iron (anaesthetic should be used). It can be performed without veterinary assistance or anaesthetic in the first week of life by chemical cauterization or hot air.
Thurso-based veterinary investigation officer Dr Sandy Clark told Farmers Weekly magazine in October 1996 that "Over half winter disease outbreaks occur within one to two months of housing. And current weather conditions, with very variable humidity and temperature are ideal for encouraging disease." He says that weaning, dehorning and castrating when calves are housed lowers their ability to fight disease and that it is important that cattle are grouped according to weight and size so that all animals can compete for feed on equal terms. "Housing should not be carried out on warm, wet days because animals come in wet and immediately make buildings humid which increases the risk of pneumonia infection," adds Dr Clark.[14]
Ringing
At ten months of age bulls are rung by punching a hole in the septum of the nose large enough to allow a copper ring of 51- 63mm in diameter to be inserted. A young bull may be used for mating from ten months until sexually mature - at about two years.
Health Problems for the Calf
Scouring
Scouring or diarrhoea is caused by local infection of the intestine. Dehydration results and, if the calf is not treated, death can occur.
Pneumonia
Following weaning, the major problem in housed calves is pneumonia caused initially by viruses, but often with secondary bacterial infections.
Colostrum
The immunoglobulins play an important role in preventing E.coli infections in the first few weeks of life and also prevent the onset of other diseases. Where colostrum is not available from any source, as a last resort, farmers may make a substitute of egg, milk, water, cod liver oil and castor oil.
Septicaemia
Septicaemia usually arises soon after birth in calves who do not receive enough colostrum. It is caused by the E.coli bacteria being absorbed into the bloodstream and often causes death.
Parasitic Diseases
In summer, two nematode parasites common to calves in their first grazing season are lungworm causing parasitic bronchitis or husk, and stomach worms causing parasitic gastroenteritis.[15]
Two Views on Welfare
Vets and farmers have sharply different priorities over animal welfare concerns, according to a survey carried out at the Brooksby College Dairy conference, Leicestershire at the beginning of 1996. Nearly twice as many farmers pinpointed lameness as the major welfare concern, then mastitis, transport, housing and handling. Vets at the Royal Veterinary College, however, argued that poor calving was the single most important dairy welfare factor. They also singled out calf weaning and mortality, bullying and introduction of heifers to the herd as important welfare concerns, along with lameness and mastitis.
Tony Andrews of the Royal Veterinary College, argued that too many calves were dying shortly after birth. "Only 90 calves are reared successfully for every 100 cows pregnant over seven months. We should be getting 96 calves for every 100 cows, and only 1% of deaths after the first day." Dr Andrews argued that dairy farmers did not take calf losses seriously enough. "Most disease costs are seen as profit not made, rather than as a direct cost. [16]