Over the last couple of weeks members of our investigation team have been looking into the treatment of animals on dairy farms as well as getting to know individual cows. Two weeks ago some of us were in Nelson and found injured calves, dead calves and a dairy cow with udders so large that she could hardly walk. But last weekend we got to see something awesome; well actually four awesome someone's; Cassidy, Spice, Sugar and her calve Cinnamon.
They are four cows who live with a dairy-free vegetarian lady out in east Auckland. Their mum Christine answered our call out for stories about calves who are still living with their mums and even let us go out and meet them. Christine told us heaps of stories about her babies but the cutest thing was about the bond between Sugar and her 11 month old calve Cinnamon.
Christine said that Cinnamon had reached the time to be weaned during the drought last summer and thought it was best for Sugar so that she did not have the added pressure of having to produce milk for Cinnamon. Christine separated the two by putting them in different paddocks but they continued to moo to each other; obviously sad to be separated and desperate to be back together. As would happen with dairy cows, if they were not milked, Sugars milk dried up. However sooner or later Cinnamon found her own way back into her mums paddock and began suckling. Much to Christine's surprise Sugar began lactating again and has been feeding a very chubby Cinnamon ever since despite the fact that she also eats grass, vegies and meal :)
This was such a contrast to the life of the calves we saw in Nelson who had been taken from their mothers and left in sheds on their own, were dead or in a truck on the way to the slaughterhouse.
They are four cows who live with a dairy-free vegetarian lady out in east Auckland. Their mum Christine answered our call out for stories about calves who are still living with their mums and even let us go out and meet them. Christine told us heaps of stories about her babies but the cutest thing was about the bond between Sugar and her 11 month old calve Cinnamon.
Christine said that Cinnamon had reached the time to be weaned during the drought last summer and thought it was best for Sugar so that she did not have the added pressure of having to produce milk for Cinnamon. Christine separated the two by putting them in different paddocks but they continued to moo to each other; obviously sad to be separated and desperate to be back together. As would happen with dairy cows, if they were not milked, Sugars milk dried up. However sooner or later Cinnamon found her own way back into her mums paddock and began suckling. Much to Christine's surprise Sugar began lactating again and has been feeding a very chubby Cinnamon ever since despite the fact that she also eats grass, vegies and meal :)
This was such a contrast to the life of the calves we saw in Nelson who had been taken from their mothers and left in sheds on their own, were dead or in a truck on the way to the slaughterhouse.
