Plight of Bull Calves

Leg End Reject · 09-07-2023 2:05pm #1

Calves being exported for veal are heard bawling with hunger on the ferry crossing, and can be 21 hours without food as they are removed from their mothers before they are weaned. Numerous breaches of animal welfare in marts here as bull calves are considered worthless because they can't be used for dairy or fattened up enough for beef.

This is absolutely sickening.

https://www.rte.ie/news/investigations-unit/2023/0709/1393534-61-hours-the-journey-endured-by-thousands-of-irish-bull-calves/

Leg End Reject · 10-07-2023 11:53am

Calves under 42 days old "being kicked, dragged, thrown, and hit using sticks in several marts around the country."

https://www.rte.ie/news/investigations-unit/2023/0710/1393641-rte-undercover-footage-triggers-investigation-of-marts/

And yet we hear that animal welfare is a priority ... 🙄

Coolcormack1979 · 10-07-2023 2:23pm

Good work by rte to finish of an industry.I’m sure it will be sensational stuff from the truth matters station .shoot all farmers

10-07-2023 2:31pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120830140#Comment_120830140

That’s quite a persecution complex you have there.

I’m happy to believe it’s a minority of operators not following guidelines and those that don’t deserve what they get.

Leg End Reject · 10-07-2023 2:32pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120830140#Comment_120830140

If the farmers, mart and haulage employees involved followed animal welfare protocols this wouldn't be highlighted.

Abuse and neglect of young calves isn't acceptable.

TheValeyard · 10-07-2023 2:34pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120830140#Comment_120830140

Shoot all farmers? Lol

Sure they're probably the ones with the rifles.

markodaly · 10-07-2023 6:16pm

Farmer types will be up in arms that RTE is having a go at their precious industry as if that industry was the most important in all of Ireland.

The Healy Raes will be quick out of the block shooting the messenger, and sometimes RTE deserves a dig, but in this instance, it's just good journalism, something a Public Service Broadcaster should be doing as part of their remit.

Farmers at the end of the day are business people so will treat their animals accordingly. Yet, they expect us to hold them in high esteem. Apparently, they are the custodians of the land, yet they poison it more than they look after it.

Thelonious Monk · 10-07-2023 6:18pm

Remember recently some outraged rural TD going on about the Greens culling their "precious" cows. No problems turning a blind eye to this sickening practice of how they deal with bull calves though. They're lovely gentle creatures and deserve much better than this disgusting fate.

ZookeeperDub · 10-07-2023 7:45pm

Gov starts a PR campaign against farmers.

The facts are not correct in that article, bull calves will be removed from a dairy cow straight away. Seems like a lot of pushing the truth to get a story. The laws are already in place to make sure the life stock are treated correctly

The government want to turn people against the farmers so expect RTE doing loads of these types of programs while they try to remove the national herd.

ZookeeperDub · 10-07-2023 7:53pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120831445#Comment_120831445

A farmer make money off their herd. They won't mistreat them.

This has nothing to do with the Healy Rae. This is clearly a tactic bu the government to go after farmers after the reaction to reducing the national herd. RTE are the puppet in this case as usual. Certainly an organisation not to praise, especially when they are so easily bought off.

The great idea is to reduce the national herd and bring in meat from overseas which is worse for environment. Look at what is happening in France and NL etc. All the same. It is reducing the farmers in Europe and bringing in from overseas. We should be stopping this. Not clapping the government while they screw us all.

Plus you know what will happen the price of food once it is out of our control?

Thelonious Monk · 10-07-2023 9:23pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120831852#Comment_120831852

is exporting 1000s of calves every month not removing the national herd anyway? national herd is a ridiculous phrase anyway

elperello · 10-07-2023 9:26pm

Best to watch the programme and make your own mind up.

The promo suggests that dumb animals are needlessly suffering for profit and that can't be right.

ZookeeperDub · 10-07-2023 9:35pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120832319#Comment_120832319

No

New calves are born every year. The push from the government is to reduce the number of cattle in Ireland so they have to go somewhere.

So as we export Irish beef, at the same time we are importing, we are exporting meat.

How does that make sense if the drive to remove cattle is to lower CO2? why not just reduce the import/export business and use the product from Irish farmers?

Why don't RTE tell us a story on that

https://www.irishexaminer.com/farming/arid-41158804.html#:~:text=14%2C119%20tonnes%20of%20beef%20were,the%20first%20quarter%20of%202023.

Central Statistics Office trade data show that 14,119 tonnes of beef were imported in the first quarter - an increase of 5,154 tonnes (58%) on the same period in 2022.

The United Kingdom (12,920 tonnes), Spain (511 tonnes), Netherlands (150 tonnes), Denmark (147 tonnes) and Germany (100 tonnes) were the top five countries of origin for the imports.

During the same period, Ireland exported 117,720 tonnes of beef, including 53,375 tonnes to the United Kingdom.

Thelonious Monk · 10-07-2023 9:37pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120832377#Comment_120832377

we export something like 90% of our beef and dairy though. That beef etc. that we're importing I would imagine is coming in pre packed foods, ready meals, frozen stuff, convenience food and cheap meat for chicken fillet rolls etc.

There are no plans to limit the amount of cattle in Ireland anyway.

Del2005 · 10-07-2023 9:46pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120832319#Comment_120832319

They are bulls from dairy cattle so no good for meat and one bull can service thousands of cows, especially with AI. They will killed ASAP if they aren't sold. What is needed to fix this is for sexed seaman to get better then 85% female, it's 50% naturally, and be more virile.

Farmers don't want bull dairy calves and are doing their best not be breath them. If someone can come up with a use for them they will not be killed at birth, where the farmer has to pay to dispose of the carcus, or sold to the veal trade.

Did the RTE reporter call the Gardai or ISPCA when they witnessed the animal cruelty or did they just record it for the story? I haven't heard of any prosecutions so RTE obviously didn't care about the treatment of bull calves and just want a sensational story to bury another story.

ZookeeperDub · 10-07-2023 9:51pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120832390#Comment_120832390

Yes they have made numerous attempts in reducing cattle in Ireland, see article below and plenty more around.

Maybe we shouldn't be bringing in cheap s**t meat then if people want to complain about exporting? especially when this is also increasing the size of the populations waistlines.

This line alone says it all for the rest of the article

For the unweaned calves it’s a long time without mother’s milk.

If this company is breaking the EU regulations they should be taken stopped and whatever the EU can do in fines etc this should be done of course. That is what the story should be about, not a blatant attack on farmers in Ireland.

https://www.farmersjournal.ie/farmers-will-have-less-cattle-but-greater-income-ryan-709618

mcburns07 · 10-07-2023 9:57pm

Some people are just tossers 😔

Headshot · 10-07-2023 9:57pm

I'm nearly in tears watching this investigation on RTE

How anyone can do this to another living thing is beyond my comprehension

Thelonious Monk · 10-07-2023 9:59pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120832456#Comment_120832456

That's the leader of the Green party outlining his wishes to reduce the number of cattle to reduce emissions. There's no plans to do this in reality though.

I'm not complaining about exporting but I got the impression you were saying we'd have to import more if we stopped producing as much, that's not true, and I'm not sure you're going to convince supermarkets not to sell products that contain foreign meat, it's a free market.

ZookeeperDub · 10-07-2023 10:05pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120832485#Comment_120832485

It's happening all over Europe. Look at France/NL etc. Look at what farmers are doing in those countries and others.

I am saying that if companies are exporting they should be held responsible. This RTE article is going after the farmers and not after the transport companies. You not find that odd?

From a World point of view, import and exporting is increasing CO2. Shipping meat from Argentina to Ireland is removing Co2 how? if we reduce the amount of meat produced in Ireland then how will we provide to a growing population? it has to come from somewhere.

anewme · 10-07-2023 10:08pm

Can’t watch this.

Ireland’s treatment of animals is a disgrace.

ZookeeperDub · 10-07-2023 10:10pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120832527#Comment_120832527

What exactly did you expect when you turned it on?

I don't like animal cruelty so I won't watch this because based on the article they are hardly going to show the good bits. It's I guess full shock and horror mode for editor department in RTE. So no thanks I have no need to watch and hope the people involved are brought to full force of law

markodaly · 10-07-2023 10:10pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120831886#Comment_120831886

This is clearly a tactic bu the government to go after farmers after the reaction to reducing the national herd. RTE are the puppet in this case as usual.

Will ya **** off out of that! Only conspiracy-lead loons think that the Government has editorial control over RTE never mind investigative programmes like Prime Time investigates. If you have evidence to the contrary please provide otherwise, you just outed yourself as a loon.

Thelonious Monk · 10-07-2023 10:11pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120832513#Comment_120832513

we could reduce the amount of beef/dairy that we produce by like 80% and still have enough to feed Ireland with those products. Remember that we're importing millions of tonnes of animal feed every year from places like Brazil and Argentina to feed these animals too, which isn't very sustainable.