Housing Conditions for Young Cattle

People say keeping the calves in small pens is unethical. Like a young child, calves can get easily sick when they are young and vulnerable. This is the same in children, you wouldn't take a month old baby to your work place and let everyone touch it. This can be the same principle applied to young calves on a large farm. Many farms will separate the cows and calves in order to minimize diseases and illness as well as to keep a closer eye on the young calves.

PC: nyfarmgirls

A friend of mine once said. “You wouldn't leave a kid in a field unattended.” Like any young child or animal, calves are very curious and without direct observation by a parental figure they can easily get in trouble. They love to stick their heads in places they shouldn't, and sometimes even figure out how to jump out of their pens. It is the farmer's responsibility to keep their calves safe.

On farms that buy bottle calves, it is very important to keep them alone to make sure they are okay and won't get sick. Having calves in smaller pens is very important especially when buying calves from multiple farms or auction houses. It is easy for any young creature to get sick and have a hidden virus or issue that can’t be seen by just a glance. By having each baby in their own area you can know for a fact exactly with is going in and out of them.

PC: nyfarmgirls

“Cattle are herd animals, so it is important to keep them near other animals. But calves of this age are really susceptible to bacterial and viral diseases, especially when they are kept in large groups. Keeping them just a little bit separated like this helps to decrease the incidence of disease. It is easier to monitor each individual calf, so if one starts to show signs of illness, she can be temporarily moved to a different part of the farm so she doesn’t get the rest of the calves sick. (Sort of like keeping your child home from school when he has the chickenpox!)” (Marybeth Feutz)

People think that calves in small pens are being raised for veal. This is not true at all. Yes, veal is an animals that is harvested at a young age, but calves in small pens are normally being raised to be a part of the herd after they become big enough. Farmers do this out of care for their animals. Keeping calves in smaller pens helps them monitor their every move in order to assure they live to be healthy and strong.

PC: nyfarmgirls

What do you think of calves kept in smaller pens in order to be monitored?

-Jaksen Curtin

Resources:

F. (2016, September 16). Dairy calf housing. Retrieved October 05, 2017, from https://www.myfearlesskitchen.com/dairy-calf-housing/