The Bay of Plenty Beacon Published Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 1941. IMMATURE BOBBY CALVES

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 149, 1 September 1941, Page 4

The Bay of Plenty Beacon Published Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 1941. IMMATURE BOBBY CALVES

IN deference to a request from the Minister of Marketing we are giving publicity to the effort to correct the growing habit of despatching: immature bobby calves to slaughter works. Apart from the humanitarian point of view, which incidentally has been taken up by the S.P.C.A." Society, the practice has led to the condemnation of a growing number of beasts at the works, which is an immediate reflection on the return to the farmers themselves. In view of the fact that a development of this nature is likely to end,anger the whole of the bobby calf trade, Pool executives a,nd farmers themselves are being contacted with a view to putting a stop to the practice or of at least keeping it down to an absolute minimum. Farmers should take note of the clause governing the Bobby Calf Marketing Regulations 1939, which reads: "Every committee shall in each year fix in respect of the Pool area under its; control a minimum live weight for all Bobby Calves collected at the farm gate so as to ensure, thjit such calves upon slaughter will yield a dressed weight, the equivalent of not less than 251b 'hot' weight." In previous years this wise course has been adopted by the great majority of Pools. In many instances executives have on their own initiative given this matter direct supervision. This constructive action has satisfied the S.P.C.A. officials, who in the past have rightly raised a great outcry against the railing of weakened, and starving animals to the. works, the mortality figures resulting in the process, constituting something of a blot upon early stages of the trade. It is to safeguard against a recurrence of these conditions and at the same time of protecting, thfe farmers interests that an effort is being made this year to maintain the weight level. The Minister in his statement says: "I would urge that in cases where the committees have lowered the minimum weights applied in the previous seasons the question should again be reviewed and I would like to suggest that it would be helpful if pool committees would endeavour to advise their suppliers as to the type of calf which should NOT be placed at the gate for collection. I would, impress upon the producers the necessity of safeguarding by every means possible the good name and fixture welfare of the industry.'' The question of notifying farmers on the Rangitaiki has already been carried out by the local Pool executive.