Facts about calves

• Calves and their mothers experience strong emotional bonds that form rapidly after birth
• The natural weaning process can take many months
• Calves, as well as adult cows, show learned fear responses to humans who have previously handled them roughly
• Play-fighting, social licking, and other play behaviours start around the second week of life and peak at the age of four months
• 3 to 5 week-old calves recognise their mothers using vocal cues
• Release from confinement increases the frequency of playful galloping and bucking in calves
• Very young Holstein calves exhibited a negative judgement bias for at least 22 hrs after hot-iron disbudding
• Young calves actively seek companion animals, suggesting they derive social support benefits from the presence of other youngsters

Live exports

The live export of animals has historically been controversial in the UK.

In 2019, the UK exported around 17,000 calves to Spain, the majority coming from Northern Ireland. Unweaned calves — sometimes on trucks with around 300 others on three levels — were exported from the port and travelled on journeys of up to 50 hours. On these trucks, not all calves can access the milk dispensers, so many weeks-old calves are going 24-30 hours with no feed.

In 2022, the Animals Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill is set to ban the live export of calves from the UK; however, exports can still take place if the purpose of the journey is for breeding. In 2020, it was documented that UK calves exported to Spain with ‘breeding’ papers were being reared and then re-exported from Spain to the Middle East for slaughter.

In contrast to the UK, unweaned calf exports from Ireland have grown in recent years, largely as a result of the uncontrolled expansion of the dairy industry that is producing an increasing number of male calves for which the sector has no outlet. Thousands of calves, at just 15 to 21 days, continue to be sent on long journeys from Ireland to veal farms in Europe, where they are slaughtered at a few months old. Animal NGOs have documented calves held on trucks at ports for four to five hours, and then on ferries for a further 18 hours. Journey documents have revealed that calves may be on trucks for around 30 hours before being unloaded and fed at a resting stop at Cherbourg in France.

Inside the calf trade

There are an estimated 8,380 dairy farms in Great Britain, exploiting 1.9 million dairy cows every day.

After a nine month pregnancy, the same as humans, and giving birth, mother cows are separated from their calves. The emotional impacts are great and long-lasting. Male calves in particular are historically viewed as ‘waste products’ by the dairy industry, since they are unable to produce milk. Around 95,000 male calves were killed on farms — a waste product of the dairy industry. In recent years, the dairy and beef industries have begun to merge; instead of killing calves a day or two after birth on farms, the ‘bull’ calves are taken off of farms to be reared for beef, often via markets, collection centres or dealers.

Animal Justice Project went undercover for five months at a notorious calf dealer that kills hundreds of calves each week.

Tiny male calves, unwanted for dairy or beef, were taken to the abattoir and brutally slaughtered. Their bodies are destined for cheap kebabs and their skins for leather.

There are at least 50 markets trading calves in the UK. Over a million calves will be sold into the beef industry each year, with 50-60% of the British beef herd being made up of dairy calves.

The rearing of beef is a relatively new concept, and it is increasingly commonplace due to public outrage at the shooting of male calves on-farm, and the subsequent pressure from retailers implementing no-shoot policies.

Watch the UK’s only footage of a beef ‘mega-farm’ where calves are reared and then sent to their deaths at just a year or two old. Filmed by our team of incredible investigators — thanks to supporters like yourself.

ISSUES FACING CALVES

Young male calves are often reared in isolation pens or ‘hutches’ on farms, from birth until they can be moved off to slaughter, market, dealer or rearing farm for beef.

Yet for calves, sociality is important — for increased coping abilities, higher capacities for coping with change, and general well-being. Cow mothers who are separated from their calves show clear signs of distress and frustration. This shouldn’t be surprising. Cows form strong maternal bonds with their calves after just minutes of contact following birth. They recognise their own calves long after separation.

Young calves are subjected to painful mutilations such as disbudding procedures which produce behavioural and physiological pain responses. Dairy has many victims. For many consumers, drinking milk or eating cheese appears harmless. This is why the work of Animal Justice Project is so important. Our investigations and campaigns reveal the truth behind the labels and industry marketing. But we can’t do this without your support and action for animals. Eating plant-based alleviates the suffering, and means you can take action simply by choosing to put compassion on your plate.

Order our Expired campaign leaflets and help us educate about why dairy = beef.

Sign our petition to help calves.