Carnism

The little known practice of force feeding dairy calves

Calf being force-fed with esophageal tube feederCredit: Unparalleled Suffering

Force feeding calves with metal or plastic tubes is a little known practice outside the dairy industry. It's a disturbing invasive practice of force-feeding essential nutrients to calves using an esophageal tube feeder. Normally calves get these nutrients from their mother.



Cows, like all mammals, must give birth in order to make milk. Like human mothers, they carry their babies for nine months, then begin to lactate to nourish their young.



Enter the dairy farmer, who steals the newborn calf from their mother within hours of birth, traumatizing both, in order to maximize profit. 97% of newborn dairy calves are forcibly removed from their mothers within the first 24hours.[1]

While most mammals receive immunoglobulins in utero, across the placenta, calves are born with none, and therefore, have inadequate immunity at birth.[2]

In a natural setting, where the cow is able to tend to and feed her calf, the newborn would get the critical colustrum, the first secretion or milk from the mammary glands after giving birth, rich in fat, protein and antibodies.

But in the dairy industry where both cow (mother) and calf (child) are treated as units of production, farmers often have to resort to using a cruel tool called the 'bovine esophageal feeder' to force feed the colustrum into the calf, particularly when bottle feeding is ruled out.



"There are times you must get fluid into a newborn calf that needs colostrum" reports Countryside. [3]

The bovine esophageal feeder is essentially tube feeding the calf; if anyone had this procedure in hospital, you will know it is not a pleasant one. The feeder or probe can be metal or a stiff plastic tube.

There are many risks to the calf from this process.



If there are any cracks or rough edges on the tube, it could cause abrasions along the esophagus or transfer harbored bacteria leading to disease in new born calf. In addition, if the calf is in the wrong position, the farmer can accidentally place fluids in the lungs of the calf causing aspiration, pneumonia or fatally drowning it.[4] Note the industry use of "it" to refer to a sentient being.



One dairy farmer sums up their approach on Homesteading Today as follows:



"Here is what I do with a non-sucker. It requires a bit of work, but it is less stressful, and has worked for me every time. I have never yet been able to force a calf to suck. If the instinct is not there, it seems it is not there. So, rather than fighting with them, I simply tube them. Make sure they get at least one, and preferably 2 good feeds of colostrum in the first 12 hours."[5]

What awaits for the poor calf if they live through the first few days in the cruel world of milking cows for profit?



If female a life of misery in the dairy industry like their mother, being artificially and forcibly impregnated to produce milk, with newborn calf ripped away at birth, repeatedly, until her production declines to the point that what is left of her body is sent to slaughter.



If male, either straight to slaughter or to the veal factory.

There is no winning for cows or their offspring in the cruel carnist dairy industry. The cycle is endless.



[1] Free From Harm

[2] USDA

[3] Countryside

[4] YouTube Video - UW Extension Cooperative

[5] Homesteading Today

