A heartbreaking moment was caught on camera- a mother cow was chasing after her calves as they were being taken away in a trailer.
The footage which was shared by Safe, an animal welfare organisation, shows the mother cow moving quickly behind the trailer while she’s trying to get to her offspring.
The emotional video begins with the mother cantering behind the trailer being pulled by a 4WD that’s driving away her calves.
Safe claim that cows can be very stressed when being separated from their family. They explain that it’s no different when children are removed from humans.
This Is a Common Practice in Dairy Industry
According to the RSPCA, cows are often separated from their young ones to lower the chances of transmitting illnesses and to regulate their feed intake, as well as to ensure sufficient colostrum.https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=10159746674105434
The separation process is equally stressful for the calves and for the mother so it needs to be properly done to lower the distress.
The standard practice is separating the calves from their mothers within 12 hours of birth.
The organisation explains that a separation within 24 hours of birth messes up the development of the cow and calf connection and thus, it lowers the distress.
Otherwise, if the calf is taken away at an older age, the mother will show a strong calling to do something, for example, if her babies are taken 4 days after birth compared to a day or after 6 hours of birth.
Moreover, research has found that there’s a stronger response after the calves were taken away at two weeks when compared to a day.
Growing Up with a Mother Means a Lot for Cows
Calves that grow up with their mothers by their side are known to have less erratic attitude, are better socialized, and are more playful.
Plus, they gain more weight in this case and enjoy better health with lower rates of mortality.
Sources:
