Break­through: Lower House wants calf with mother cow


22 februari 2016

The Dutch government has six months to present an action plan obliging dairy farmers to let calves stay with their mothers. A motion proposed by Marianne Thieme was supported by a parliamentary majority. The Dutch Lower House thus acknowledges its wish to end the current cabinet policy that allows dairy farmers to make their own decisions concerning the destination of calves.

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In dairy industry, separating calves from their mothers directly after birth is standard practice. This results in enormous amounts of stress and, with it, major welfare and health problems, for both calf and mother cow. The Lower House wants the government to present an action plan within the following six months to leave calves with their mothers for a certain time after birth in future.

Marianne Thieme: “Farmers should respect natural processes, also in the case of dairy farming. Animal welfare will have to prevail over the industry’s marginal income benefits.