Dairy bull calves are a major welfare concern in the dairy industry — born as a by-product of milk production, they have traditionally been considered of little value and treated accordingly.
Dairy bull calves represent one of the most acute welfare problems in the modern food system. The killing of healthy newborn calves at birth is legally permitted in many countries but is widely regarded as ethically unacceptable by the public. Transportation of very young calves to markets and veal units exposes them to cold, hunger, disease challenge, and social disruption at the most vulnerable stage of life. Higher welfare outcomes require either eliminating the surplus male calf through sexed semen, improving veal production systems to allow natural behaviour, or shifting consumer demand toward dairy systems that integrate beef production.