• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • EYES ON ANIMALS – Watching out for their Welfare
  • English
  • Nederlands
  • Deutsch

Eyes on Animals

Watching out for their Welfare

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
DONATE
  • About us
    • What we do
    • Our team
    • Key Figures
    • Our Vision
    • Contact
  • News
    • Latest news
    • Good news
    • Bad news
    • Featured news
    • Subscribe to our newsletter
  • Inspections
    • Farms
    • Markets
    • Transports
    • Slaughterhouses
    • Special projects
    • Other
  • Training
    • Police
    • Truck drivers
    • Poultry-catchers
    • Slaughter personnel
    • Training Material
    • Request a training
  • Industry Tips
    • Animal transport
      • Cattle
      • Pigs
      • Poultry
    • Slaughterhouses
      • Cattle
      • Pigs
      • Poultry
      • Ritual slaughter
    • Educational videos
  • Publications
    • In the media
      • Print
      • Television
      • Radio
      • Videos
    • Newsletters
    • Special reports
    • Training Material
    • Annual reviews
  • Help us
Home » News » More calves get to stay with their mothers thanks to Plus supermarket and Lebkov & Sons coffee chain

More calves get to stay with their mothers thanks to Plus supermarket and Lebkov & Sons coffee chain

October 1, 2023

One of the biggest welfare problems in the dairy industry is the production of new-born calves that are seen as unwanted, as all the milk from their mother is considered for “human consumers”. As a result, calves are separated at birth and placed often into plastic igloos or small barren pens where the calf has no opportunity to grow socially, to run and play or to feel safe and sound.  All the male calves and all of the unwanted females are then transported off the dairy farm at just 10-14 days of age. When still wobbly on their legs and totally confused and vulnerable. Almost all of them end up in factory veal farms where they are kept in small pens on slatted floors and never go outside. For this reason, we have been urging the dairy industry to change from within and keep the calves with their mothers, in the herd.  Yes, it means dairy will be more expensive, as the calves drink 1/3 to 1/ 2 of the mothers’ milk and only the leftover goes for sale, but sharing is caring !

We are so pleased that Lebkov & Sons coffee chain (with 8 locations in the Netherlands, including Utrecht, Leiden and Rotterdam train station and several scattered throughout Amsterdam) is now only going to offer “ Kalverliefde” milk. Kalverliefde is a dairy label that came out in early 2022 and is milk coming from dairy farms where the farmer does not separate the calves at birth but keeps the males for at least 35 days with the mother and more often 2.5 – 3 months, and the females all stay with the mother for 2.5 – 3 months. The calves are weaned gradually, not abruptly. At this age, the calves are already ruminants, able to eat roughage and are social with others their own age, no longer just dependent on their mother for play and safety. We are also so pleased that Plus Supermarket is also going to seel Kalverliefde at their stores (on top of most large Albert Heijns). This is a HUGE step in the right direction. Thanks to Lebkov and Plus supporting this initiative, another dairy farmer in the Netherlands interested in keeping the calves in the herd with their mothers was able to make the switch and now produces for Kalverliefde ! The more support there is for Kalverliefde dairy, the more dairy farmers wanting to keep the calves with their mothers can afford to do so. Thank you Lebkov and Plus for supporting Kalverliefde !

  • share 
  • share 
  • share 
  • save 
  • email 

Filed Under: Good news, News Tagged With: animal welfare improvements, calf, dairy farming

Primary Sidebar

Search

Featured

As small slaughterhouses disappear, transport distances increase

Eyes on Animals is observing a troubling trend: transport distances for culled cows and sows are … [Read More...] about As small slaughterhouses disappear, transport distances increase

Featured

Dutch transport company Van Os implicated in serious transport fraud involving Irish calves

May 8, 2025

Once again, serious violations have been uncovered in the transport of calves from Ireland. Last … [Read More...] about Dutch transport company Van Os implicated in serious transport fraud involving Irish calves

Our most recent newsletter

Dear friends,

It’s not every day that an animal-welfare organization takes on the challenge of redesigning a large pig slaughterhouse and their animal handling techniques, but that’s exactly what we did in 2020.

Read more…

Subscribe to our newsletter

Subscribe

* indicates required

Eyes on Animals op Twitter

xposetrophyhunt Xpose Trophy Hunting @xposetrophyhunt ·
12 Jun

This year marks 68 years since Laika was launched into space. She circled the planet 2,570 times,before the capsule reentered the atmosphere & disintegrated. What fear. What pain did she feel. Laika, we have not forgotten you. It is important that we remember her story.🙏🏻
#Laika

Reply on Twitter 1933168810565013673 Retweet on Twitter 1933168810565013673 438 Like on Twitter 1933168810565013673 1144 Twitter 1933168810565013673
eyes_on_animals Eyes on Animals @eyes_on_animals ·
14 Jun

📌 Vandaag is het weer internationale actiedag tegen verre veetransporten.
Waarom?
Daarom!
👇 #StopVerreVeetransporten

Reply on Twitter 1933841411415195699 Retweet on Twitter 1933841411415195699 27 Like on Twitter 1933841411415195699 43 Twitter 1933841411415195699
pvddeuropa Partij voor de Dieren Europa @pvddeuropa ·
14 Jun

Vandaag is het STOP Diertransporten Dag. Ons team in het Europees Parlement werkt hard om de hopeloos verouderde wet van 20 jaar geleden eindelijk te verbeteren. En dan nu een wet waarbij het welzijn van alle dieren wél centraal staat 💚 #StopVerreVeetransporten #BanLiveExports

Reply on Twitter 1933829502443851920 Retweet on Twitter 1933829502443851920 13 Like on Twitter 1933829502443851920 52 Twitter 1933829502443851920
Load More...

ANBI

Footer

Donate with Paypal

Paypal Eyes on Animals
One-time donation:
Monthly donation:

Reading Material

  • In the Media
  • Newsletters
  • Special EonA reports
  • Legislative texts
  • ANBI

Our Amsterdam Office

Amsterdam House Hotel
Eyes on Animals main office is in downtown Amsterdam, at the Amsterdam House Hotel. The generous and warm-hearted hotel owner donated to Eyes on Animals, free of charge, a beautiful room where our inspectors can work, hold meetings and store their material.

Copyright © 2025 · Eyes on Animals | Website by Webkompaan