The thread about forced equine weaning reminds me about a local PBS story I
recall from a few years ago about a dairy farm. In the midst of the warmth of
the children growing up in a wholesome rural environment and participating in
4H and the whole family doing chores and spending their time together, they
focused on the farmer removing days old baby calves from their mothers and
being forced into individual small pens. It looked like they could not even
turn around in their stalls. When the interviewer mentioned that, the farmer
said that the calves were not supposed to be able to turn around because then
they couldn't find the nipple/bottle to drink from! I was appalled; you could
hear the whole barn full of calves bawling for their mothers. The farmer said
this was necessary for the calves to get their mom's colostrom and for the
mother cows to be able to start producing milk for the dairy. Of course I
thought: Why don't they let the calves get their own colostrom? Won't the
mother cows make enough for the baby cow and for the farmer also?  I was so
appalled, I turned off the show. I had a hard time explaining it to my kids,
because I couldn't justify it.  It did sort of remind me of  babies in a
nursery all crying their eyes out while laying in their bassinets.

Debbie Rabin, OTR, CLC
Los Angeles, CA