Cow hides calf from owners to keep it safe, because all of her previous calves

[Baitball Blogger]

were taken.

http://shareably.net/dairy-cow-hides-baby-to-save-her-life-v1/?utm_source=GGN-ARS&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=animals

[Coventina]

1. I confess, I didn't click. Too sad.

I have GOT to give up dairy, because of these practices.

I'm just not there yet.

Happy to say haven't eaten beef in almost 30 years now...it's been a slow journey for me....

[red dog 1]

2. K&R

Thank God for animal sanctuaries!

[Kali]

3. that is just normal behavior for any cow

they are prey animals. they instinctively go off alone and hide their calves for a few days.

any mother animal can be dangerously protective of their offspring.

interesting how she mysteriously got bred at the sanctuary...somebody is either ignorant or they are actually breeding animals there?

[Baitball Blogger]

4. Ignorant or abusing the rules

Is there any reason to remove a calf after birth, other than for the veal market?

[Kali]

5. well yeah there are any number of reasons - illness, not enough milk production, rejection etc

but my understanding of the dairy industry (and it is NOT my area) is they are removed so all the milk production goes to the sale product.

veal is a side product and smaller dairies tend to just sell those calves to folks who want to bottle raise a calf for meat. (or who have a milk cow around to raise several calves*) larger ones I have no idea - they may indeed kill them, or raise for veal or subcontract to a veal producer.

cows generally stop looking for their missing calves after a couple of days - it is NOT like a human losing a child. In fact most will reject their calves if for some reason they get separated for more than a few days! I really hate the anthropomorphising of things like this.

* dairy cows produce way more milk than one calf can handle - you can see in the video that one of that cow's teats is swollen and leaking - if they don't milk her out on that quarter she may get infected and can lose function there - and it can spread to the whole udder and make the calf sick. I am seeing a whole lot of "good-intentioned" bad management. animal rights people tend to be kind of stupid especially where livestock are concerned.