BOBBY CALVES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 189, 12 August 1935, Page 3

BOBBY CALVES.

CONCERN FOR TRADE.

"MAY BE PREJUDICED." A BUYER'S OPINION. Fears that the bobby calf trade may be prejudiced unless those concerned pay more attention to the requirements of the market were expressed to day by a prominent buyer of calves, according to a message forwarded by the "Star's" Dargaville correspondent, but inquiiies in Auckland reveal that the standard of calves on the market is quite up to the standard of previous seasons. The Dargaville man said that many farmers were sending calves to the freezing works two or three days old which had never been suckled by their mothers, due to the fact that farmers could not be bothered teaching them to drink. Whereas two per cent of the calves submitted were condemned on the average, the percentage this season had reached as high as 16 per cent.

"The question is causing concern in the trade," he said, "and it is stated that at the Moerewa freezing works calves have actually arrived at .the works dead or in a dying condition. Unless the calves weigh 401b live weight they are useless from a meat point of view." Comment on» the statement by the Northern man was made to-day by the secretary of the Auckland Farmers' Freezing Company, Limited, who rejected the suggestion that the trade might be prejudiced.* He said that regulations were brought into effect in 1927 that the calves must be naturally fed for three days before they were sent to the freezing works. The true bobby calf was a calf up to ten days old. "As far as Moerewa is concerned, the conditions there this season are no worse than in previous seasons," said the secretary. The average carcase weight up to* date this season is quite as heavy as that of 1933-34. That would indicate that generally the calves are in fair condition. The tjieat being packed this season is of good quality." An inspector of meat explained that sometimes the calf was left with its mother for three days, but other farmers taught the calves to drink from birth. Every season a certain number of calves arrived dead at the works, but the percentage so far this year was normal. Stock had suffered in the North this year from the rigorous weather conditions, and floods had delayed transport, but those were circumstances that could not be foreseen.