The Treatment of Bobby Calves

Hypothesis

To investigate the conditions and circumstances in relation to bobby calves in dairies, related abattoirs’ and assorted slaughter and holding places. The essay will also examine the laws, policies and regulations currently in place regarding this topic, and whether or not the laws in place are doing everything possible to prevent the abuse of young bobby calves born to dairy livestock.

Introduction

This report will endeavour to create an extensively detailed inquiry regarding the abuse of calves in the Australian dairy industry. This report will also take a deeper look into the background of the dairy industry, in both Australia and other countries. This will also include a study of the involved stakeholders, as well as featuring references from various articles and sources. The different laws, policies and regulations involved are also examined, and so allowing assessment, commendation, and suggestions to be assembled in relation to the dairy industry.

This topic was chosen, as it is an important part of Australian society, as many people make their living from the Industry, thus causing an impassioned subject.

The Dairy Industry in Australia

Since European settlement in 1788, the dairy industry has been one of Australia's most important vocations. Part of the first ships that founded Farm Cove, Port Jackson, was one bull, four cows and one calf. (ABS Year Book No.1). These beasts were to meant supply milk and dairy products to the new colony and to serve as foundation stock for future herds.

As more lands were explored and exposed, the expansion continued south into Tasmania and Victoria. In 1834, Edward Henty settled the area of Portland in southwestern Victoria to become one of Victoria's foremost farmers, producing butter and cheese and eventually exporting a cask of cheese to Tasmania; it was Victoria's first export. By 1836 the district of Port Phillip in Victoria had 155 head of cattle with a considerable number of those being used to yield milk, butter and cheese. By 1861, then number had risen to 116,000. South Australia and Tasmania's dairy development roughly paralleled Victoria's during the latter half of the 19th century, while the industry in Queensland prior to 1900 was confined mainly to the Darling Downs and Moreton districts.
(Appendix 1)

After World War 1, dairying remained a local industry until refrigeration was invented. This meant that dairy exports to Britain were successful; when on previous attempts the products were usually used as axle grease on arrival. That was the first innovation. The second was the successful imports of grasses such as paspalum, English ryegrass, and clover, which allowed dairy farmers to greatly improve their pastures, and with it, the herd’s ability to produce plentiful good quality milk.

Once the hand operated cream separator was invented in 1881, the dairy business really took off. By the 1890s, 40% of the butter manufactured in New South Wales was being produced in factories, with the remainder still being produced on farms. Ten years later, nearly all-dairy products were made in factories, and a high proportion of these new factories were built, owned and operated by farmers, who produced butter, cheese and bacon. Pasteurisation of milk also contributed to greater hygiene in the distribution of milk, allowing expansion of the domestic milk market.
(Appendix 1)

A Brief History of the World’s Dairy Industry

People have domesticated milk producing animals for thousands of years, dating back to the nomadic tribes who would moved small herds with them about the country. Protection and a food supply was a large part of the symbiotic relationship between man and beast.
In the latter centuries, people situated in small village communities based around agricultural living owned herds that were milked for sole consumption and for sales around the community’s, a benefit of living in a tight knit district were refrigeration was non existent. The beasts served other purposes than purely for milking; they were used as draught animals for ploughing, usually at the cusp of adulthood, when the meat would no longer make good eating. A young woman milked the milkers, known as a Dairymaid. The word harkens back to Middle English dayerie, deyerie, from deye (female servant or dairymaid) and further back to Old English dæge (kneader of bread).
With industrialisation and urbanisation, the supply of milk became a commercial industry, with specialised breeds of cattle being developed for dairy, as distinct from beef or draught animals. Initially, more people were employed as milkers, but it soon turned to mechanisation with machines designed to do the milking.

Historically, the milking and the processing took place close together in space and time: on a dairy farm. Dairymaids and farmers milked the animals by hand; on farms where only small numbers are kept, hand milking may still be found. This unique method creates a fast, double handed movement in which milk is emptied into a bucket between the milker’s legs.
Traditionally the cow would stand in the paddock while being milked. Heifers, would have to be trained to remain still to be milked. In many countries, the cows were tethered to a post and milked. The problem with this method is that it relies on quiet, tractable beasts, because the hind end of the cow is not restrained, and could result in a injury to the milker.
(Appendix 2)

Stakeholders in the Industry

The following is an example of stakeholders taken from the dairy industry situated in Australia. These stakeholders are typical of stakeholders from across the country, and can essentially be applied to any country.

These stakeholders are all involved for various reasons.

* Dairy Australia - The Dairy Industry Association of Australia (DIAA).
The DIAA is a non-profit industry association for producers and traders of dairy products.
The DIAA was formed on the 24th March 1986, following the amalgamation of the Australian Dairy Institute and the Australian Society of Dairy Technology.
The DIAA's mission is to promote excellence in the Australian dairy industry by providing a forum for communication, continuing education, professional growth, recognition and fellowship for all members, sectors and participant organisations involved with the dairy industry. (Wikipedia)

* Woolworths
Woolworths Limited is a major Australian company with extensive retail interest throughout Australia and New Zealand. It is the largest retail company in Australia and New Zealand by market capitalisation and sales, and the largest food retailer in Australia, and the second largest in New Zealand. In addition, Woolworths Limited is the largest takeaway liquor retailer in Australia, the largest hotel and gaming poker machine operator in Australia, and was the 19th largest retailer in the world in 2008. Woolworths is a major investor in the dairy industry, utilizing both dairy and beef cattle for products in the chain.

* Dairy industry processing and manufacturing companies.
These are essentially the everyday businesses that work in the dairy industry, and whom provide dairy farmers with a range of skill development programs focussed on improving the quality and continuity of milk supply.

* Coles
Coles Supermarkets is an Australian supermarket chain owned by Wesfarmers. It has 741 stores nationally, including 45 BI-LO Supermarkets that also stock Coles private label brands, and more than 100,000 employees. Like its largest competitor, Woolworths, Coles is one of the largest buyers of dairy products in Australia.
(Appendix 5)
Laws

Due to rising protests from animal welfare agencies such as Getup! and the RSPCA, Australia has to take a look at the current laws in place in relation to the treatment of bobby calves born to diary cows. The definition of a bobby calf is a young calf of either sex, raised specially for slaughter, to obtain veal. The calf must not be under 15kg, under the age of 5 days and be completely healthy in order to be accepted as vealers. (Appendix 6)
Due to their young age and rapidly approaching slaughter, many cattle transporters and holders treat the calves roughly, causing great distress and occasionally harm to the frightened young calves.
While either sex can be classified as a bobby calf, it is usually the male calves born to dairy calves who are sold as veal, as the cow has one calf a year to keep milk production flowing, and while young heifers can be raised into milkers, the dairy farmers have no use for the young male calves, and so, at the age of 5 days at the bare minimum, can be slaughtered.
(Appendix 7)

According to the Department of Primary Industries – Bobby Calf Transport Standard and Guidelines, The selection, preparation and transport of dairy bobby calves are paramount to ensure calf welfare. The Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines - Land Transport of Livestock, commonly referred to as the Land Transport Standards has specific requirements for bobby calves.
The Land Transport Standards (LTS), based on the revision of the existing Model Codes of Practice for the welfare of animals apply to the transport of cattle and the other commercial livestock species and include standards and guidelines specifically for bobby calves.
The LTS have now been adopted into regulations. Failure to comply with one or more standards is an offence and non-compliance may lead to an infringement or court penalty.
SB 4.4 The standard for bobby calf transportation is:
If under 5 days old: * Be fed a liquid feed within six hours before loading. * 
Be provided with thick bedding and room to lie down. * Be protected from cold and heat. * Not be consigned through sale yards. * Not be transported for longer than six hours.
SB 4.5 Between 5 and 30 days old: * Be protected from cold and heat * Be in good health, alert and able to rise from a lying position * Have been adequately fed milk or milk replacer on the farm within six hours of transport * Be prepared and transported to ensure delivery in less than 18 hours from last feed with no more than 12 hours spent on transport * Have an auditable and accessible record system that identifies that calves were fed within six hours of transport unless the journey is between rearing properties and is less than six hours duration * Are slaughtered or fed within (TBA) hours from last feed.

SB 4.6 - Bobby calves must not be consigned across the Bass Strait.

SB 4.7 - Bobby calves born earlier than a normal pregnancy (including induced calves) must be at an equivalent stage of fitness when transported, compared with normal full-term calves.

SB 4.8 - Bobby calves must all have sufficient space in the livestock crate to lie down on their sternums.

SB 4.9 - Dogs must not be used to move bobby calves.

SA 5.8 - Electric prodders must not be used on livestock under three months old.

Key Messages
The welfare of young bobby calves is a shared responsibility. Farmers, calf buyers, agents, saleyards, transporters and meat processors all play a key role in ensuring the welfare of bobby calves along the supply chain.

Dairy farmers must ensure bobby calves being transported for sale or slaughter are:

* At least five days old (unless consigned direct to a calf rearing farm) * Fit and healthy * Have been adequately fed within six hours of transport Transporters must ensure bobby calves are:

* Fit for the journey. * Protected from cold and heat. * Handled appropriately during loading and unloading. * Transported for the minimum time possible with no more than 12 hours spent on transport. * Have a record of when calves were picked up. Meat processors (receivers) must ensure calves are:

* Slaughtered as soon as possible upon arrival or fed within (TBA) hours since last feed (which ever comes first). * Protected from cold and heat and taken care of in cases of delay or emergency.
(Appendix 8)
Analysis

Public awareness in Australia has been limited regarding the welfare and treatment of bobby calves, as Australia is a meat-dominated country, in both food sources and income. However, animal rights groups such as the RSPCA are pushing for a change in legislation, meaning that the minimal travelling age for Bobby calves will be ten days.
According to the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, each State is responsible for its own animal protection legislation. The Australian government has no major piece of legislation in place regarding animal protection, and instead encourages the individual states to confer and create their own legislation. This potentially means that the calves born in one state are sold earlier than another.

Bobby calf regulations have really come into effect in the last 50 years, with the era before seeing many bushies not really caring about the welfare of the calves, partly because either animal welfare groups had not been formed or had not gained enough interest from the general public. Despite this surge in popularity in animal rights, bobby calves are still removed from their mothers at one or two days old, and because it is quite hard to tell the specific age of these calves at such a young age.

On the 1st of February 2013, an Echuca Abattoir was formally warned for the mistreatment of bobby calves being led to slaughter. This case came to light after anonymous footage of extremely young, weak calves being thrown and dragged, and prodded in the face with electric prodders was given to Animals Australia, and later aired on Lateline.

Animals Australia has issued statements showing their disgust at the fact the abattoir was not charged, getting off with only a warning for the severe abuse of less than a week old calves. This is part of a series of shocking exposés hitting the Australian media, the most severe being the treatment of live trade cattle in abattoirs over seas, the resulting backlash from society resulting in the closing of several abattoirs and a temporary ban on live trade out of the country.

According to PrimeSafe chief executive Brain Casey, the abattoir in question, Riverside Meats, was told to take ‘‘immediate corrective action’’ and a recent unannounced visit by PrimeSafe officials showed that these actions where being followed.

Mr Casey was quoted as saying ‘‘this is an isolated case and it has been managed accordingly.’’ However, Animals Australia has expressed concerns in the past about cases like this going unseen for years, and it is possible that other Australian abattoirs are similarly mistreating their bobby calves, and will continue to do so unpunished unless similar footage finds its way to a major media organisation.
(Appendix 9)

Recommendations

In accordance to the views of Animals Australia and other animal welfare groups with similar views, abattoirs, holding stations and dairy farmers get off far too lightly when they are caught abusing the calves in their care. A light slap on the wrist, verbal warnings are too light a punishment, and ensure that the abuse may start up soon once more. No animal deserves this kind of treatment, let alone a scared, hungry young calf.

Rather than extend the number of hours a bobby calf can be transported to 30 hours, like they are currently trying to do, the Australian government should be more concerned with the welfare of these animals. They want to be able to transport the calves for longer distances? Don’t transport them live.

Increase the age of transport, for such young calves are often quite unsteady, and combined with a truck where there is not room to lie or sit, multiple calves may fall and bruise, reducing the value of the meat.

Similarly, cold or overheated calves, underfed or sick calves end up as discarded meat, and do not bring in as much profit as cared for, slightly older calves.

However, the callous treatment of bobby calves so us that many Australians operate under the notion that animals do not feel the same pain as humans, or are simply not interested in the welfare of these calves. It is urged for these people to put themselves in the calf’s hooves. If they were to imagine being cold and hungry, packed onto a crowded truck, noisy from the bellows of other calves who cannot understand what is going on, who cannot understand where their mother is. If a simple seminar was created and made to emphasise the pain and distress these tiny creature suffer through before they are killed, and shown to abattoirs and handlers, it may slow cruelty rates marginally.
(Appendix 10)

But despite all this, despite animal activists and welfare groups, it is evident that many people have developed a thick hide, and block out the facts of suffering, preferring to follow in what they know, and of course, what gives them the most profit, sooner.

Conclusion

In this essay, the aim was to inform and educate on the laws and legislation available regarding bobby calves, and their unfortunate treatment at the hands of cruel humans.
The disgusting treatment bobby calves receive are slowly gaining ground in the media spotlight, and through animal rights groups, such as the RSPCA, and this essay is one step further to inform people just how much they don’t know about things that are relevant to their everyday lives.