Bobby Calves – a ‘Waste Product’ of the Dairy Industry
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Cows produce milk for the same reason that humans do – to feed their babies. Cows on dairy farms are impregnated each year, only to have their calves taken away from them within a few hours of birth. Almost all male calves and about three-quarters of female calves are slaughtered within days. These calves are known as “bobby calves”, and their short lives are filled with misery.
Approximately 700,000 bobby calves are slaughtered every year in Australia. Considered “surplus” by dairy farmers, a bobby calf will be taken from his or her distraught mother and housed with other helpless newborns while they await slaughter. Cows form strong maternal bonds with their calves, and mothers can be heard frantically crying out for days after their calves have been taken away.
Worth little to the dairy farmer, bobby calves often do not receive even basic care. Because they are not intended to live long, they usually receive only one meal a day. They are also fed milk replacer instead of their own mother’s milk since humans want that for themselves. After about five days, the youngsters are crammed onto trucks and transported for up to 10 hours to face a terrifying and painful slaughter.
As with all animals killed for food in Australia, bobby calves have few legal protections. The dairy industry has pushed through new guidelines which allow them to be starved for up to 30 hours before slaughter – despite the fact that the industry’s own research found that this cruelty is harmful to the calves.
We can all stop cruelty to bobby calves and other horrors of the dairy industry by avoiding cows’ milk and other dairy products and by choosing milk and cheese made of soy, almond and rice instead.
Don’t wait another day to take action for animals – visit our “Issues” page to find out how a vegan lifestyle is better for your health, the environment and, of course, animals.
Posted by Claire Fryer
Val commented: 1-31-2013 at 11:35 PM
Stop Killing Bobby calves. I only drink or make cakes with almond milk or any milk not taken from animals. Stop this senseless slaughter now.
Steven commented: 2-5-2013 at 4:32 PM
As a dairy farm hand I’ll relate the process as I’ve experienced it:
-Calves are removed from their mothers 48hrs after birth and placed in a communal pen with other calves
-They are fed twice daily with powder milk, ~5-7L
-Calves that develop sight or physical issues are shot in the head with a .22 (maybe 10-15% of the herd, usually within 5 days of being born)
-About 50% of the remainder are sent to the stockyards
Cruelty is not a word I would use, but rather, Necessity. A farmer cannot avoid this process under current arrangements as allowing these cows to exist would put exponentially increasing strain on the farm, its finances and the environment. And by avoiding milk entirely, then EVERY cow will be shot as demand shrinks. Try and aim for the middle ground perhaps…
Val commented: 2-17-2013 at 7:25 PM
It’s kinder to animals to have milk in my beverages like Almond Milk or Rice and soy milk. I like Almond Milk the best.
Val commented: 2-17-2013 at 7:30 PM
Stop breeding too many cows for milk. I would rather pay more than see bobby calves killed or drink Almond or Rice milk. I have not drank milk since I heard about the bobby calves. I only have small amounts of almond or other vegan milk in my tea if possible.
Boyd Hore commented: 2-28-2013 at 10:21 AM
There must be better ways , the way it is it’s just to cruel for anybody to want a glass of MILK .
Anita Dunhill commented: 2-28-2013 at 10:28 AM
This tragedy has to end now in the name of humanity!
Jill Bough commented: 2-28-2013 at 10:54 AM
I agree use dairy free products wherever possible – also better for your health but if you really have to use dairy I have found 2 dairy companies “B-D Paris Farm ” in South Australia, and Barambah Organics in Queensland – both these dairy farmers operate on different principles and do not artificially inseminate their cows so have no excess calves and have no need to send their excess Bobby calves to market. At least this way you can rest easy when you consume dairy products. Available from may health food shops
Kristy Mason commented: 2-28-2013 at 12:36 PM
Summary:
1) There are really GREAT dairy substitutes out there
2) GREAT non0dairy protein powders available from health shops
3) Super markets need to get with the growing demand for cruelty free products
4) No demand does not mean MORE shooting, it means less breeding, hence less shooting and cruelty.
5) The entire industry is a disgrace.
6) Milk probably cost $1 or less per 1litre, whereas quinoa is $8 kg or hazelnut millk $5-10 a litre!! Do the maths farmers and invest in a new industry.
I drink Hazelnut milk as it tastes AMAZING and the one I have is organic, but can be hard to find in your average supermarket, so I also have almond milk when I can’t get it. Go to health food shops to get this stuff. Super markets need to be responsible and start socking this stuff, as demand is only going to grow. People are becoming more aware of the impact their food choices and they want to do the right thing. My local fruit & veg guy is vegan, so he stocks all kinds of yummy substitutes (e.g. mango & coconut vegan ice-cream – mmmmm). So in not consuming dairy, I also don’t consume any animal products (eggs, etc and I have to watch things like soy sauce as some has fish products in it and even most lollies have gelatine in them, which is ground up fat and bones etc – YUCK). So I keep my protein up with quinoa and chia seeds and vegan pea protein powder (choc flavour – yum) & vegan Hemp protein powder. They are actually far more effective that that whey protein crap all the beef cakes consume and are far healthier – bet they didn’t know that little fact. Whey is the crap stuff left over from milk that no one wants – gorse. So you see, there is no need for dairy. We are the only living creature on this earth to continue to consume milk when we don’t need it anymore. Milk is for BABIES. To the Farmer Steven. Thank you for your balanced views. I do understand it’s an issue on both sides and I think (hope) famers don’t want to be cruel, it’s just a part of the industry. However, I think if people stopped drinking milk it would not mean more cows were shot, it would mean they would stop being breed unnecessarily. The cows are only bread because of the demand for dairy, so… no if demand…. then there’s NO MORE:
1) artificial insemination for breeding purposes;
2) broken family bonds;
3) general neglect by being cooped up in overcrowded sheds with no sun light or vetinary care;
4) murdering of babies via shooting etc;
5) painful mastitis – overused teats and wombs;
6) horrific injuries while being transported (like broken pelvis) only to be being subjected it idiotic and sadistic abattoir workers with electric prods to make them move to their final destination where they can hear the other cows dying bellows and smell the death, the fear and the blood; and finally
7) No more final destination which is a bolt in their head (which, if lucky), kills them, otherwise they are hung upside-down with their throats slip and bleed to death while STILL conscious going around the conveyer belt.
These are just some of the components of meat production and dairy industry and it is well documented but a very well hidden secret by the bit industry heavy-weights who bribe our politicians, etc. I won’t even start on live export industry where much, much worse occurs = (
Keep up there good fight and we can make a difference. It’s consumers who hold all there power, not the farmers or big industry. Let them know with your dollars!! If the famers saw what was coming, they’d start farming quinoa, etc and be rich beyond their wildest dreams!! Milk probably cost $1 or less per 1lt whereas quinoa is $8 kg!! Do the maths farmers and make the right choices consumers!!
Pauline commented: 2-28-2013 at 5:08 PM
That makes it difficult as soy is NOT at all good for humans in spite of current beliefs, and almond and rice milk are not readily available and if found are too expensive.
What to do?