Welfare issues for veal calves

Narrow veal crates cause tremendous suffering to calves. The situation has improved in recent years - they are now illegal in the UK and the EU, but are still in use in other parts of the world, including the US. There is also concern about the production of ‘white veal’ and the welfare of calves reared in groups in barren sheds.

Housing

Fully slatted floors can make standing and lying down extremely uncomfortable for the calves. They can cause foot injuries and lameness. UK law requires the provision of dry, clean straw bedding making the floor cleaner, more comfortable and better insulated. However, many UK calves are sent to the Netherlands to be reared where fully slatted floors are common.

Calves reared in Europe are given considerably less space than required in the UK for calves over 150kg. The European Food Safety Authority’s Animal Health and Welfare Panel is concerned that intensively reared calves in Europe are not given enough space. Exported UK calves are therefore reared in welfare conditions that would not be permitted in the UK.

Diet

The legal minimum level of iron in the blood of calves may still be too low to prevent anaemia and damage to health. Anaemia damages the immune system and causes calves to be weak, lethargic and unwell. Additionally, the level of iron in calves’ blood is usually not monitored closely enough to prevent some individual calves falling well below the minimum healthy level.

Transport

Evidence has shown that young calves are particularly vulnerable to the stresses of handling and transport. They are unable to regulate their body temperature to cope with the extremes of heat and cold during long journeys. They often suffer bruising and weight loss as a result of the discomfort of transportation and lack of space and comfortable bedding. The longer the distance the greater the stress, which can result in a high mortality rate during and after transport.

Studies have shown that the one hour rest break does not benefit the calves significantly. A better solution would be to limit journey times to a maximum of eight hours travel.

There are alternatives that provide better welfare for veal calves.