CRUELTY TO BOBBY CALVES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22197, 26 August 1935, Page 15

CRUELTY TO BOBBY CALVES

Sir, —Your correspondent "Farmer" evidently knows very little about calves. His idea of payment on a sliding scale basis has its merits, but the suggestion of a minimum weight of 801b. is absolutely absurd. I have seen calves, running with the mothers for three weeks or more, that would not weigh nearly 801b. live weight, and I have seen calves over that weight at birth. It would be unprofitable to the producer and to the buyer alike to rear any Jersey calf to 801b. as a bobby calf. To restrict the number of trips would but aggravate the trouble of overcrowding about which we hear so much, and would not be in the interests of Fair Competition. Sir, —The only way to stop cruelty is to enforce any regulations at present existing, or else stop the trade. Only if we have to keep calves for five days we surely earn the right to sell where and when we like for the best price we can get, and to expect all others to keep up to scratch, too, in such ways as keeping calves reasonably comfortable in trucks, etc. I, personally, did not know about the five-day-old regulation until recently, and was under the impression it was for three days. I wonder how many more were in the same boat? I admit, too, having only once kept a caif five days. Somehow I was under the impression it was a heifer. When I did take it out I was met by the carrier, who heaved tho calf aboard and produced a docket for me to sign, all ready written out — at 3s 6d. So here is just one more case of cruelty! Jack Sherie. Sir, —"King Country" asks if there is not a suitable remedy for the prevention of cruelty to bobby calves. I would suggest penalising the owner of any calf in poor condition, and the carrier for receiving such a calf. Tho calves could be branded with paint or tar in different parts of the body to identify the owner, and, upon arriving at tho works, the owners of any pooroonditioned calves could be sought out by aii inspector. C. Young.