Oh dear...

[Nicos]

We are in Normandy at the moment and the cows in the field opposite have just had ther 9 month old calves taken away ( some for selling on and the rest for red veal)
The cows are all calling 6 hrs after the event...think it's going to be a long night!...I suppose they were with their mums and dad for all that time though....

[valmarg]

c'est la vie

valmarg

[Rockhag]

We are in Normandy at the moment and the cows in the field opposite have just had ther 9 month old calves taken away ( some for selling on and the rest for red veal)
The cows are all calling 6 hrs after the event...think it's going to be a long night!...I suppose they were with their mums and dad for all that time though....

Awwww poor cows.

[bubblewrap]

If we all want milk to drink then calves are a by product always was always will be it's a fact of life!

[sewer rat]

Expect it to last about 36 hours, then they should quieten down. One consolation - at least the calves are going for red (or rose) veal production and not white crate-reared veal.

[Alice]

I know it's hard to be there as a witness Nicos, but if we're not going to eat them, drink them, make something out of them, what would they be for ???

[TonyF]

Happened round here recently as well Nicos, cows down in the village have just had their calves taken away.

I've learned more about farming of all types since I've been down in SW France and at the moment I'm helping to sort the garden/orchards/fruit trees on a Brit owned organic pig farm. Now that is very interesting and has positively changed my approach to seeing animals being reared.

For me being mainly an East London townie (tho on the Essex borders) living here and seeing all these properly managed seasonal/cyclical things happening all around has been just brilliant - though probably the calves may see things a bit differently.

[shirlthegirl43]

Lucky calves being with mum for 9 months! Dairy cattle have their calves taken away at a few days old - once the colostrum has reduced in the milk.

[Nicos]

I know it's sad...and i do admit to eating red , bio veal

The poor mothers have been calling all day, and they have quietened down for the night now. Perhaps by tomorrow they will settle then?
It's certainly strange to me to see 10 cows and their calves and the family bull all together in a field..it's so different to the UK. ( and preferable I think)

[TonyF]

My chums with the pig farm keep their piggies for 13/15 months (they're all UK rare breeds crossed with French boars) rather than the 5 months that industrially raised piggies usually get.

I'm just amazed at these animals, they're great to be around - well, the boars aren't they're big aggressive things - but I never thought that watching pigs playing could be fun.

And I have to report that the bacon and sausages are just the best I've ever tasted, wholly organic, the bacon smells like bacon did (I think) when I was a littlie.

And OH and I get to organise the fruit trees and orchard, do the .5 km sloe hedge next year, play with the hedgerow fruits sauvage and the owner also feeds us every Monday when we're working there - for nothing, we get the garden and orchard produce as wages.

This is how life should be for gardeners as far as we're concerned, we work and trade our time and expertise for food we grow for other people when they haven't got the time to do it for themselves and we still get to work in our own garden as much as we need to.

[Nicos]

Think you're onto a good thing there Tony!

All quiet here finally- (Had to have a veggie supper last night though!)