Male dairy calves have no value in dairy production and are either killed at birth or raised under welfare-compromising conditions. Reform of dairy bull calf management is an important welfare frontier.
Dairy bull calves are the unwanted co-product of milk production. Without market value, they face early death or life in welfare-compromising conditions including veal crates. Better alternatives exist: rose veal with higher welfare conditions and rose-colored meat sells at premium; dairy-beef cross breeding gives calves better growth rates and market value; and some dairy systems are trialing extended calf rearing programs. Consumer willingness to pay for ethically-produced dairy bull calf beef drives these improvements.