Page 1 of 1
Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2009 1:48 pm
by Broomcroft
I have some cows that I need to cull. If they have been with the bull at what point would you then not send them? i.e. if they have been with the bull for a day, then that to me would be irrelevant and I would send them off, but at what point do you draw the line? Or is there a regulation stating the time limit?
Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2009 2:36 pm
by Duncan MacIntyre
As far as I am aware there is no regulation apart from the transport regulations which apply to animals about to give birth. Sometimes a calf will be got out of a cow alive in a slaughterhouse and the old regulations at least prevented its being taken away alive. This was the original meaning of the term "bobby calf" as far as I know. They are usually not fit for human consumption either, as the carcase does not set and the meat is soft and flabby.
As long as things are dealt with in a humane fashion I can see no problem - far too often cows with chronic illness are allowed to carry on too long just because they are in calf, though I am not suggesting for one minute that this applies in Clive's case.
Duncan
Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2009 6:24 pm
by SteveM
This is how we originally got into dexters, we used to have a few continental cross single sucklers. During the last foot and mouth outbreak we sold our weaned calves to a local farmer/butcher for fattening.
A few months later he rang up as he had bought some dexters for fattening and one of the heafers was in calf.
So the grandmother of most of our stock should have been in the butchers several years ago.