“Vets are not called to sick pigs ,” the source added. The whole reason New Zealand is in the situation of killing calves at four days old is because they had the same problems with valueless male dairy calves about four years ago.
“Vets often say they are only called to treat female calves. We know the farmers can’t manage and we need to offer a realistic solution to ease that suffering, for the calves and the farmers,” the source said. The source spoke to the Guardian on condition of anonymity for fear they might lose their job. “The danger of having so many calves in 2020, on top of the existing pressures, means there is an emergency welfare case to be made, although no one wants to talk about it, for killing the calves on a one-off basis at three or four days old,” said a senior figure in Ireland’s state agricultural network. In 2015–16 New Zealand, another country with a large dairy industry, was hit by the male calf scandal when videos and reports of starved and abused male dairy calves were widely circulated by welfare organisations.
The only alternative is to shoot the calf at birth, or to let calves die of neglect. Although campaigners are opposed to the trade, the Irish government has described it as “ a vital safety valve for the beef sector”. The Irish beef trade has formerly been a useful outlet for unwanted dairy calves, but demand last year was sluggish, and selective breeding increasingly means that dairy calves may not be suitable for beef anyway.Įxporting the calves is another option. Both increase the need for extra short-term labour, which can be costly or hard to find. The situation is further complicated by Ireland’s “compact calving” system, which sees most calves born in a 12-week period from February to April, and the swift removal of calves from their mothers.