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Representative, Louise van derMerwe, that he would welcome theintroduction of standards for the dairyindustrys bull calves.Like all living creatures, calves areextremely vulnerable after birth, the

Thousands of baby dairy calvesare starving and dehydrating

to death in South Africa

January 2009Special report by Compassion in World Farming (South Africa)

Tens of thousands of them are off-loaded at auctions (see our videoSaving Baby Ubuntu) where they aresold for next to nothing, or are givenaway to poor people who do not knowhow to feed them. Deprived of thenourishment of mothers milk, they areexpected to eat grass, pellets orwatery mieliemeal porridge, all ofwhich they are too young to digest.Some die of starvation. Others de-velop diarrhea and die of dehydrationor become stunted.

Wine farmer appeals forstandards for bull calves

The plight of dairy calves came underthe spotlight again recently when awine farmer in Paarl started a newproject, apart from winemaking, raisingbull calves that face slaughter orneglect. Saddened that he was unableto save the lives of some of his res-cued calves, he told Compassions SA

Compassion in World Farming

- South African Office:

PO Box 825, Somerset West 7129

Tel. 021 852 8160

email: avoice@yebo.co.za

Websites: www.animal-voice.org

www.ciwf.org

Independent Ani-

mal Welfare In-spector, JennyCopley, who has asanctuary forfarmed animalsnear Grahams-town, said:I would estimatethat there are tens

of thousands, and possibly hundredsof thousands of little bull calves in des-perate circumstances at any giventime.

Marina Evans(right), who runs anadventure and language school on afarm near Greyton, recently rescued athree-day-old bull calf that was due tobe slaughtered. As a result of theexperience, she hopes to set up a

Considered a waste product because they will never producemilk, newborn bull calves are often slaughtered at birth or aresold to other farmers or small holders to rear for meat.

sanctuary for farmed animals togetherwith a Cape Town businessman.

Despite the best round-the-clockcare, we nearly lost the little calf onseveral occasions, she said.

Dairy farmers often sell them to

other farmers to raise them for meatbut there is no follow-up to see whathappens to them once they leave thedairy farm and the new owners wontlet us on to their farms to inspect thedairy calves without a court warrant.

We want full access to the rearingfarms without any warrant at all. Myphotographs of what happens to thesecalves once they leave the dairy farm,have caused some dairy farmers toweep in disbelief.

Colette Teale, Chairmanof the Karoo AnimalProtection Society(KAPS), commented: "Inthe Swellendam/

Barrydale/Suurbraak area, we continueto fight a losing battle. The farmers con-tinue to dish these baby calves out. You

see them tied up and starving behindthe labourers cottages everywhereyou go." (See video clip:www.animal-voice.org and click on news).

KarooAnimalProtectionSociety

farmer said. It is imperative, for atleast the first day that the dairyfarmers allow the calves the colostrumof the mothers. After that, they mustbe fed either milk or an appropriatesubstitute until they are able to startgrazing. Unfortunately, all too often,this does not happen and the calvesdie after a few days or weeks, even if

decent grazing is available.The farmer added that transporting

baby calves was an additional causeof many deaths. Moving calves fromthe Eastern Cape to the WesternCape or even worse, to the Karoo inthe first 6-8 weeks is extremely stress-ful to the calves and apart from thechange in climate and grazing thetravelling takes its toll. I believe calvesshould not be moved from theirenvironment in the first 6-8 weeks. Adairy farmer should only then be al-

lowed to sell the calves if not inter-ested in farming with them," he said.

Given away as awaste product,this calf diedtwo days after

this photograph

was taken.

Photo courtesy KAPS

Out of sight

These bull calves (above) are kept in metal

cubicles near Barrydale. (Photo KAPS)

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Please speak out for the baby calvesCompassion in World Farming (SA) has submitted a direct appeal toSAMPRO, MPO and Milk SA. Please add your voice by emailing them(see above) and appealing for their urgent attention to the plight of bull calves.

D r Nico Schutte who representsthe South African Milk ProducersOrganisation on Animal Welfare

issues, said it wasimperative that:

every calf drinkshis mothers colos-trum (bies) milkwithin the first 6 to12 hours after birth.Without thecolostrum, a calfs

immune system is severelycompromised.

every calf drinks cows milk or aspecially formulated and recog-nized milk substitute until gradual

His umbilical cord still wet and dripping,this 4-hour old calf was trucked to the BKBauction near Paarl and was sold for R25.

Bull calves in Suurbraak. Photo courtesy KAPS

weaning onto pellets at about four tosix weeks old.

Dr Schutte said he believed the majorityof milk producers were very responsibleand practiced a high standard of calfrearing. However, he said he would usethe dairy industrys mouthpiece, TheDairy Mail, to call upon dairy farmersonce again to remember that theirresponsibility to their bull calves does notend when the calf is sold or leaves thepremises.

Dr Schutte said he would support theefforts of Compassion in World Farming

(SA) for labelling on milk bottles to in-clude information regarding standardsfor the bull calves born into theindustry.

Photo Compassion in World Farming (SA)

Deprived of theirmothers care, theleast we can do is

ensure that bull

calves are treatedhumanely.

Compassion in World Farming (SA) appeals to: Mr Alwyn Kraamwinkel, Chief Executive Officer of the South African Milk Proces-

sors Organisation (SAMPRO): email yvonne@sampro.co.za

The Milk Producers Organisation (MPO): email nico.schutte@mpo.co.za

Mr Nico Fouche, CEO of Milk SA: email nico@milksa.co.zato work with:

The Livestock Animal Welfare Coordinating Committee;

Compassion in World Farming (SA) and

the NSPCAto develop good practice standards for the handling of bull calves.

The following companies are the main buyers of milk in South Africa and supply milkand other dairy products to retailers:

Clover, Parmalat, Dairybelle, Fair Cape, Sonnedal , Darling,Caledon, Woodlands, Lancewood, Montic, Douglasdale,Supermarket brands and others.They are all members of SAMPRO (SA Milk ProcessorsOrganisation)