Saddest photo of calves

albertajune · Post by **albertajune** » 25 Nov 2013, 10:41

I've just been sorting through photo's and found this one. It was taken on a farm that we were staying on and is of baby calves that have recently been taken from their mothers.
They are actually licking the milk that is running down the side of the drums, via holes that have been drilled into it.
They do look healthy, but I find it so sad that these baby animals who should, in normal circumstances still be feeding from their mothers, be licking milk from an old metal drum.
When I buy milk, I don't even think about this side of dairy farming. {cry}

Post by Mo » 25 Nov 2013, 11:45

I buy organic milk with a Soil Association logo. They have standards for animal welfare. The ones for calves are on p168. It does say that calves should ideally be reared by their mothers, but that is in green type which just means that they should be working towards it. Even Soil Ass farmers are allowed to use artificial teats as long as the milk is the right temperature.
But the welfare of non-Soil Ass cows leaves much to be desired, very often. The pressure is for bigger yields of cheaper milk.

Post by **Benny&Co** » 25 Nov 2013, 14:00

poor little calves {cry}

Post by **Benny&Co** » 25 Nov 2013, 14:01

Mo wrote:I buy organic milk with a Soil Association logo. They have standards for animal welfare. The ones for calves are on p168. It does say that calves should ideally be reared by their mothers, but that is in green type which just means that they should be working towards it. Even Soil Ass farmers are allowed to use artificial teats as long as the milk is the right temperature.
But the welfare of non-Soil Ass cows leaves much to be desired, very often. The pressure is for bigger yields of cheaper milk.

We've been buying organic milk for a while now. Most of the time it's Yeo Valley )t'

bluebell · Post by **bluebell** » 25 Nov 2013, 14:39

I agree and think the calves look healthy. The drinker in the middle doesn't just have holes but have rubber teats from which the calves suckle. After that they may be given milk in stainless steel buckets which they can drink from normally, or if weaned and at a certain age, not at all.

Milk which is sold as goats, cows or from sheep comes from a lactating female, to lactate she has had to produce a baby (I cannot remember lactating periods afterwards). Organic milk has to be proven to come from cattle which are fed organic feed and be allowed out on organic pasture, it does state calves SHOULD be kept with their mothers until 12 weeks of age, but does not say MUST.

The alternative is to drink soya 'milk'. Its easy to have a go at the farmers, they only get a few pence per pint of milk - to increase welfare standards in this country, we need to look at putting the price of milk up quite a bit.