Veal Crate Calves suffer from Chronic Diarrhea 

Written by Elizabeth
Oath of God Ministries

Oath of God Ministries condemns the practices in America’s veal factory farms as cruel and inhumane.  We urge people to boycott these factory farm meats or to consider non-factory farm higher grade alternatives when purchasing this meat. 

I remember 20 years ago when a well-known restaurant owner in Norwood, Massachusetts refused to list “milk-fed” veal on its menu.  In fact, no veal product was seen on his menu.  The waitress made a point of letting her customers know that the owner believed that the milk-fed veal process was cruel and inhumane.  This was his boycott and he was right on target.  The veal factory farms are replete with cruelty.  God never intended any calf to be treated in such a cruel and inhumane manner.

Removed from his mother oftentimes with the umbilical cord still attached.  Denied water, solid food, milk, sunlight & grass.  Fed an iron-deficient feed – he will become anemic so that non-discerning consumers can have a soft flesh meat from a very sick animal.  

 

HFA

It has been (HFA) Humane Farming Association’s awareness campaigns that have educated the consumer of the corrupt practices of the veal factory farms.  These campaigns have resulted in a sizable reduction of human consumption of this meat as well as a reduction of veal factory farms.  As people become more aware of the utterly inhumane treatment of calves in the factory farms, the consumption of veal has dropped significantly as the below chart shows: 

 

 

Common and Widespread Practices
Too weak, too thin, too sick for slaughter

 

 

According to the HFA baby calves are treated with the utmost cruelty in the following ways:

– Veal calves are deprived of drinking water.
– Veal calves are denied all solid food
– Veal calves are deprived of their mother’s milk.
– Veal calves are kept in darkness
– Deliberately fed iron deficient milk.  This keeps them anemic.  
– Veal calves suffer from chronic diarrhea.
– Veal calves are kept in 22″ x 58″ wooden crates their entire lives.
– Respiratory and intestinal diseases run rampant among veal calves.
– In a futile attempt to quench their thirst, the calves gain weight quickly by drinking more of their drug-laced liquid feed.
– Serious leg injuries are caused by a complete lack of straw or other bedding.
– To prevent muscle development & speed weight gain, the calves are allowed no exercise.
– Veal calves are deprived of fresh air, exercise, adequate nutrition & veterinarian care.
– Excessive amounts of antibiotics administered to calves is resulting in antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria in humans
– The anemia keeps the muscles weak which creates a more tender meat.
– Many calves are so sick they are unable to walk to the slaughter

 

Jewish Rabbis Speak Up Against the Veal Factory Farms

Rabbi Dr Shmuly Yanklowitz author of “Jewish Ethics & Social Justice” in his article for The Times of Israel, dated June 4, 2013, writes, “ Milk cows have to give birth each year to continue producing milk, and calves (especially males) are taken from their mothers at birth. Then the veal calf is put in a stall 22 inches by 58 inches, and chained there for its entire life, unable to lie down or turn around completely.  In order to maintain the light pink color of its flesh and ensure that it reaches its maximum weight, breeders keep the calf in the dark and withhold drinking water, forcing them to consume their exclusively liquid, nutritionally poor, diet, which is laced with antibiotics, steroids, and other chemicals. ”  

In the same article Rabbi Yanklowitz continues “Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, the great 20^th century halakhic authority, made clear that veal is prohibited on a Torah level (Even HaEzer 4:92):  Regarding those who produce veal, there is definitely the prohibition of tza’ar ba’alei chaim. For although this is permissible when done to serve human needs, that is only when there is a true need, for example, to slaughter animals for food, or use them to plow, and to carry burdens, and so on. But it is not permissible to cause them pain for no good reason, even if there exists an individual who will derive some profit from this.”  

Oath of God Ministries agrees with both Rabbi Feinstein and Rabbi Yanklowitz.  The factory farm processes are unbiblical, cruel and inhumane.

 

Front Side with Chains

Oath of God Ministries condemns this factory farm practice.  These male baby calves were removed from their mothers at birth.  They will have a chain around their neck throughout their lives.  They are not allowed to walk.  They will remain mostly immobile during their lives.   God never intended any animal to be treated with such a corrupt process in mind. 

Back Side with Chains

Veal calves commonly live for 18 to 20 weeks in wooden crates with chains around their neck. The chain is tethered to a crate which measures 6 feet long and 2 feet wide. The size of the crate restricts the movement of the calf to either lie down or stand; the calf cannot turn around or stretch his/her limbs during it’s lifetime.  (MSPCA Angel, Boston, MA)

 

Photos of Veal Crates 
(click on above link – mostly veal crate photos)

 

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