Health

Veal farmers are commited to ensuring that calves are healthy receive excellent care. On the approximately 1,100 family veal farms in the United States, farmers raise dairy calves for approximately 18-20 weeks until they reach a weight of 450-500 pounds.

Individualized Care

Veal calves require intense individualized, specialized care on a daily basis, which is largely why most veal farms are small, with an average of 250 calves. Veal farmers use best animal care practices and science-based farming techniques to ensure excellent care for animals as well as a safe, wholesome, high-quality products for consumers.

Individual care is the hallmark of veal farming. Individual stalls allow producers and licensed veterinarians to monitor each calf for health deficiencies and signs of disease, and then properly treat a calf with a specific, government-approved animal health care products (AHCP).

Just as it is on all farms, veal farmers use animal health care products judiciously and only when needed to keep their animals healthy and food safe for consumers. Farmers do not use these products arbitrarily, continuously, or in large doses, and they administer animal health care products under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian.

Health products for use in veal calves undergo stringent testing by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) before they are allowed on the market. The FDA also regulates product labeling, dosage and withdrawal periods.

There are two manners in which animal health products may be used in veal production:

1. When a veal calf is young, it does not have a well-developed immune system and is at high risk of contracting disease. During the first 28 days, appropriate levels of animal health care products are added to the calf’s feed to combat potential pathogens. The use of these products is approved by the FDA and prescribed by veterinarians to prevent disease from spreading to other calves.
2. As with humans, animal health care products are administered to sick animals on an individual basis. Again, only FDA approved products are used and veterinarians prescribe them.

The judicious use of AHCPs is very important to both veal farmers and consumers. Farmers only use health care products when it is essential for preserving the health of the calf and the potential spread of disease. According to the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology, calf mortality rate on veal farms is among the lowest in all of animal agriculture.

For more information about AHCPs, download this guide to The Use of Animal Health Care Products in Veal Calves.