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How to Rear Veal

Veal is the meat from calves, mainly from pure-bred male dairy youngsters. Dairy cows need to give birth before they can produce milk and these calves typically form the basis of the veal industry. Veal is obtained from calves that are younger than nine months of age. This meat has a low-fat content and a more delicate flavor than beef. It is tender and possesses a lighter coloration. Once a calf begins to eat solids, iron in the diet turns the youngsters' flesh red. For this reason, many veal calves are kept on a diet of milk, to ensure the whiteness of their meat.

Things You'll Need

Veal rearing shed
Automated milk feeder (if numerous calves are being reared)
Milk
Spacious sheds, with access to outdoor camps
Dry bedding
High-fiber diet of maize silage, sugar beet pulp and barley
Iron dietary supplement
Slaughter facilities

Instructions

- 1
  Remove the calves from their mothers between the first and seventh day of their lives. Take the calves from the dairy farm to the veal rearing sheds.
- 2
  Feed the calves a predominantly milk-based diet if you are looking to produce a white meat. This meat is obtained by feeding the calves a deficient diet, comprised mainly of milk. These calves soon become anemic, which is required for a white meat.
- 3
  Use automated milk feeders if you are rearing a large number of calves at the same time.
- 4
  Allow calves ample space to move about and access to natural sunlight, as the first prerequisites to produce rose veal. These calves must also be kept in small groups, because they are social creatures that are easily stressed if not allowed contact with others of their kind.
- 5
  Provide the calves with dry bedding in which to lie in, as a further prerequisite, if you want to obtain rose veal.
- 6
  Add iron and fiber, in the form of maize silage, sugar beet pulp and barley, to the diet of these calves and feed milk twice a day, as a final prerequisite to produce rose veal. Both the fiber and iron improves the health and development of the calves. The iron in particular, assists with production of the pinkish flesh.
- 7
  Have the calves slaughtered before they reach nine months of age.

Animals & Science