In light of the video, New Zealand Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy has now unveiled tougher regulations on the welfare of bobby calves, including:

  • Calves must be at least four days old and fully physically fit before slaughter.
  • Journey times to slaughter must be no longer than 12 hours.
  • Killing of calves by a blunt force trauma to the head is strictly prohibited, except in an emergency.
  • The transport of calves across Cook Strait (the crossing between New Zealand’s North and South islands) is no long permitted.

    • Public consultations

    Public consultations were held earlier this year, with the minister receiving around 1,500 requests from farmers, industry experts and welfare activists. The new regulations are now being sent to the government for approval and are set to come into force by the beginning of the 2016 spring-calving season.

    Further regulations

    More regulations are set to be introduced next year, including:

  • Young calves must be fed at least once in the 24 hours coming up to slaughter.
  • Shelter must be provided for young calves during transportation and at sale or slaughter.
  • Correct loading and unloading facilities to be provided during transportation.

    • The video was the result of an undercover project carried out by animal welfare organisations on a number of farms and a slaughterhouse in the country. It showed disturbing footage of young calves being thrown around and having their throats slit by collection workers.

    Bobby calves are young, usually male dairy calves that are seen as a surplus to requirement and are sent to slaughter soon after birth.

    In Ireland, the Department of Agriculture said recently it had set up a group to discuss welfare rules for bobby calves as the dairy industry develops here.

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