Welfare in veal production has improved significantly in the EU following bans on veal crates, though ongoing attention to housing, diet, and social needs remains important.
Veal production welfare has improved markedly following the EU crate ban, which eliminated one of the most restrictive forms of farm animal confinement. Group housing allows social interaction, play behavior, and natural movement that veal crates entirely denied. Challenges that remain include iron and fiber provision — calves need both for healthy rumen development — and managing group housing dynamics to prevent aggressive interactions. Rose veal production in the UK, which uses group-housed dairy bull calves raised on balanced diets and slaughtered at around 8-12 months, represents a significantly more welfare-positive alternative to white veal and a solution to the dairy bull calf disposal problem.