As independent auditors of Kalverliefde, Eyes on Animals visited 2 farms today where the Kalverliefde calves go, or may go to, in the future. In Kalverliefde the replacing female calves spend at least 3 months with their mother in the dairy herd and the males and remaining female calves at least 35 days with their mother. This is a huge step compared to conventional dairy farming when calf and mother get separated right after birth and calves are placed in igloos or solitary pens and then sold to an unknown fate at just 10 days old (often to white veal farms). Further steps will be achieved once kalverliefde further develops and consumers vote with their money that this is what they prefer over conventional dairy. Kalverliefde wants to make sure the home the kalverliefde calves go to after leaving the dairy farm is one with bedding (no bare slatted flooring), permanent opportunity to socialize (not individual housing), access to fresh air and outdoors…not intensive white veal. Together with the founder of Kalverliefde, Janina van der Drift, we are doing our best to supervise standards and quality of life of both cow and calves.
