Veal is a by-product of the dairy industry. Dairy cows need to be constantly pregnant in order to produce milk for human consumption, resulting in many offspring. Some of the female calves replace their mothers on dairy farms and a small portion of the male calves are kept as breeding stock. The remaining calves are taken from their mothers when they are as young as one or two days old to be shipped and raised for veal. Without human intervention, calves would suckle from their mother for nearly a year (1). A cow and her calf can develop a strong maternal bond in as little as five minutes (2) and a lifelong relationship of social contact and companionship (3). The removal of calves from their mothers causes cows and calves great stress. Cows have been known to escape enclosures and travel for miles to reunite with their young. There are three types of housing systems used for veal calves: hutches, stalls and group pens. Group pens allow the calves to live among other calves, but they are housed inside, very often under artificial light, and may never see the light of day. In fact, Canada’s Recommended Code of Practice for veal states that light for a sufficient intensity for the calves to observe one another is recommended for a minimum of 8 hours within a 24 hour period. This means that producers following the code might have their veal calves in darkness two-thirds of the day. Because calves often live in poorly lit, crowded and stressful environments, bullying can occur. In veal stalls, calves are confined to small wooden crates with barely enough room to move. The cannot take more than one step forward or one step back, stretch, or turn around. As they grow, the space becomes smaller. The normally social calves have no contact with other calves. While they may be able to see their companions, they cannot reach them. They spend their entire lives severely confined so that their meat will be tender, and are slaughtered without ever having felt the sun on their backs or the grass under their feet. Hutches are not as restrictive as stalls or crates, but do not come close to meeting the natural needs of a calf. Here the calves are chained to tiny igloo-like structures. Though their leader are long enough to allow them access to the outdoors, they are not quite long enough to allow them to socialize with the calves on either side of them. The lack of stimulation and social activity must cause extreme loneliness and frustration. All of these managements systems frustrate the natural instincts inherent in calves; to suckle, frolic in the fresh air and be close to their mothers. WHAT YOU CAN DO! Veal is a by-product of the dairy industry. Do not drink or eat dairy. There are many delicious alternatives, such as soy, rice or almond milk, soy or rice ice-cream, dairy-free gelatos, vegan margarines and butters.
References: (1) Joseph M. Stookey and Derek B. Haley, The Latest in Alternate Weaning Strategies, Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Western College Veterinary medicine, 2002. (2) Frances C. Flower and Daniel M. Weary, Effects of Early Separation on the Dairy Cow and Calf, Separation at 1 day and 2 weeks after birth, Applied Animal Behavior Science 70 (2001): 275-84. (3) Stookey and Haley. |
|