Charlie the Steer enjoying a strawberry at Cedar Row Farm Sanctuary.
Charlie was found running on an extremely cold day just over 2 years ago. He is one of the lucky few that has the pleasure of tasting treats like strawberries. This is what happens to veal calves not so lucky. Go Vegan
Where do bull calves go after they leave the farm?
Typically, bull calves leaving a dairy farm go to a livestock auction market, where a cattle dealer
purchases them, and subsequently sells them to a specialized veal producer who raises those
calves to desired market weights over a number of months. Bull calves can also go into a beef
feedlot program, depending on market conditions. Today, due to changing consumer demand
and fluctuating market prices for bull calves, those bull calves may be purchased for immediate
slaughter. Calves are being slaughtered in Ontario and Quebec as soon as 2 days after leaving
the farm!
The bull calves may follow a different route along the chain, as some producers sell their
calves directly to a cattle dealer. Regardless, people need to be aware that once the calves leave
the farm, they could be destined for the human food chain much sooner than you expect.
How old are calves when they are slaughtered?
Ontario has 2 categories of veal calves:
1. Light calves (includes Bob veal): market weight less than 176 lbs dressed.
2. Veal calves: market weight at 176 to 396 lbs dressed.
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About the author
I recently read the news article on the veal farming up on a farm in Pont Rouge Quebec. The treatment of these babies has enraged the public. The abuse and neglect these calves (all factory farm animals really) have to endure is beyond what my mind is capable of thinking. Deplorable just doesn’t give what i saw and read, justice. Who is to blame? The employees/the front line abusers, who feed and deal with the animals everyday in the industry? The farm owner, whom houses these animals while they await slaughter and the same person who has used poor judgement and hired these abusers? Or is it a step further, with putting blame on Delimax, the Canadian meat giant who watches the hidden video footage of animals being stomped on and punched, and shrugs? Taking no responsibility. I am doing something I have never tried before and that is to embrace a vegan diet. I will put effort into learning how to prepare vegan dishes and I’ll also put as much effort into letting everyone I know, just how these baby calves and other farm animals are treated in the industry. Thank you for opening your farm doors and hearts to these lucky animals, who have escaped, survived, had been found…it must be a labour of love. God bless you from London, Ontario. Sincerely, Natalie Evans