White Veal Trials Miss Howard Sees Contented Calves

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30234, 12 September 1963, Page 12

White Veal Trials Miss Howard Sees Contented Calves

(From Our Own Reporter) WELLINGTON, September 11. A visit to the Kuku-Manakau Co-opera-tive Dairy Company, near Levin, today has satisfied Miss M. B. Howard, M.P., that the broiler veal trials there are not cruel to the calves. The Minister of Agriculture (Mr Taiboys) took Miss Howard to Kuku today after she bad inquired in Parliament about the treatment of the animals.

Standing in a slatted pen with a six-week-old Friesian calf which tentatively chewed her fur coat, Miss Howard was told how the Department of Agriculture was supervising the trials being run by the company and the sheep and beef cattle survey of the Meat and Wool boards. At first. Miss Howard was apprehensive about the scheme.

She scolded Mr H. J. Walker, M.P., for St. Albans, who accompanied Mr Taiboys, when he patted a calf. “Don’t you hit him. He’s going to be murdered soon enough without you hitting him,’’ Miss Howard said.

She scolded photographers in the calf barn: “These cameras are frightening the poor little things.”

But the chairman of the company, Mr I. W. Bertram, assured Miss Howard the calves were being meticulously looked after. “The stalls are hosed down every day,” he said. “We have everything clean and steam is laid on here. Massey College has planned their diet.

"Disease could spread very quickly here and the chief veterinarian of the Meat Board is watching this closely.’’ he said.

"Wouldn't they like to be out?” Miss Howard asked, referring to the two-months' confinement of the animals in small pens. Mr Bertram: They are warm. You wouldn’t like to be out all the time, would you? Even in a fur coat? Mr Bertram said the size of the pens was restricted to keep the air space at a minimum to avoid getting too much cold air in the building. Miss Howard announced that she was president of the Canterbury S.P.C.A. and the calf licked more contentedly at her coat.

After a half-hour inspection of the calves, Miss Howard declared she was satisfied the animals were well looked after and there was no cruelty. "1 would be the first to admit it.”

The system was nothing like that in Britain where broiler calves were restrained in a cradle throughout their lives. The lighting, drainage and cleanliness of the bam were good, she said The news that this industry would tend to replace the bobby calf industry was the best thing she had heard today, said Miss Howard “As long as you have to kill animals for food the question is: are they treated and destroyed as humanely as possible?” All the calves in the pens appeared in excellent condition today. They were energetic, although restricted from much frisky action in their pens. One was reported to have jumped its stall recently. All settled down I quietly and were friendly soon after the arrival of the l ar 6e group of company shareholders, reporters and the Minister’s party.