Veal Production and Calf Welfare: Progress and Remaining Challenges

Traditional veal production confined calves in individual stalls with restricted movement and low-iron diets. Modern production has improved but welfare challenges remain significant.

Key Facts

Individual veal calf stalls banning movement and natural behaviour were banned in the EU in 2007
Rose veal uses older, rosier calves raised on a more natural diet — a higher welfare alternative
Male dairy calves are a significant animal welfare issue — approximately 65,000 are shot at birth in the UK annually
Group-housed veal calves can perform more natural behaviours but social stress and disease are challenges
The UK has approximately 4 million dairy cows producing approximately 2 million male calves annually

Welfare Considerations

The fundamental welfare problem in veal production is that male dairy calves have no economic value in dairy systems — they cannot produce milk and are the wrong breed for efficient beef production. This creates pressure to kill them at birth or export them to countries with lower welfare standards. Rose veal systems that raise male dairy calves to slaughter weight in group-housing with natural feed represent an improvement over birth killing and traditional white veal crates. However, group housing brings its own welfare challenges including disease risk and social competition. The core welfare solution involves changing breeding and dairy systems to reduce the overproduction of male dairy calves.

What You Can Do

Choose rose veal over imported white veal if consuming veal products
Support breeding programmes that reduce the proportion of male dairy calves
Advocate for a ban on the export of calves to countries with lower welfare standards
Donate to farm animal welfare organisations campaigning for calf welfare improvements
Engage with dairy producers about their disposal of male calves and alternatives to birth killing