Normally, calves from dairy cows are separated from their mothers after the first few days of life so that all the milk can be used for human consumption. You do it differently: since 2015 you have been running what is known as mother-tied calf rearing. How can we imagine that?
With us, every calf stays with its mother for three months and runs with the herd. This allows the calves to play with each other, but they can also seek closeness and protection from their mother at any time. The calves always suckle from their mother when they feel hungry or thirsty.
How did you raise your calves before?
Before the change, we raised our calves with the help of nurse cows. A nurse cow that was not milked suckled two calves.
Why did you switch to mother-bonded calf rearing?
When I kept nurse cows, the larger calf always got the most milk and the smaller calf got too little. Getting used to each other also took one to three weeks and was often difficult, since not every nurse accepted every calf and, conversely, not every calf drank from the nurse. It’s easier with mother-tied rearing. The close mother-child bond ensures that the calves suckle immediately and then only from their own mother. Since the animals on the pasture have free access to grass all year round, the calves start to taste the first grass from the second day of life. By the end of the third month of life, they can feed themselves without milk.
Normally, calves from dairy cows are separated from their mothers after the first few days of life so that all the milk can be used for human consumption. You do it differently: since 2015 you have been running what is known as mother-tied calf rearing. How can we imagine that?
With us, every calf stays with its mother for three months and runs with the herd. This allows the calves to play with each other, but they can also seek closeness and protection from their mother at any time. The calves always suckle from their mother when they feel hungry or thirsty.
What happens to the calves after the first three months of life?
Then the calves are weaned. We bring them together to a pasture that is not within sight of their mothers. After two to three days, both of them got used to the new situation.
How many cows do you have and what breed are they?
Currently 25 cows live with their calves on our five hectares of winter pasture and 25 hectares of summer pasture. With a few exceptions, all of them belong to an old dual-purpose breed – the black and motley lowland cattle. On average, these cattle produce less milk per year than a high-yielding cow, but they live longer and rarely get sick.
If we look over the pasture here, we see that almost all animals have horns. What is your experience with this and why do you refrain from the painful dehorning of the animals?
I think horns belong to cattle. They are important for his communication and clarification of the hierarchy within the herd. If, as with us, there is enough space available, there is no risk of injury.
In industrial dairy farming, massive behavioral disorders, such as mutual suckling, can be observed in calves. Does this happen to you too?
Luckily, we don’t have behavioral problems such as mutual suckling of calves or navel sucking. I have not yet observed suckling on a strange cow. The calves can drink from their mother at any time, they have enough activity and can move freely in the fresh air as they wish.
What happens to the male calves?
The male calves are castrated under anesthetic by a veterinarian so that we can keep them together as oxen on the pasture. At the age of two, they come to the slaughterhouse 40 kilometers away.
What do you feed your animals?
All animals are fed 100 percent on roughage. In summer the pasture grass is enough. In spring, autumn and winter we feed them hay and a mixture of clover and grass. Concentrated feed such as oats and field beans are only available as treats to lure the cows into the milking parlour.
How often are the cows milked and what are the calves doing during this time?
The cows are milked in the morning and in the evening. During this time, the calves remain in the pasture and wait for their mothers to return from the milking parlour. Since everyone is used to this procedure, the process remains calm and routine.
How much milk is left for sale and is it worth it?
I go without a large part of the milk for a quarter of a year. The calves sometimes drink up to ten liters a day. It’s good for my animals. I have almost no medication costs – the vet only comes to castrate the male calves. Even at birth, the animals do not need human help.
Where can you get your milk and how much does it cost?
The milk is marketed under the name «Four Seasons Milk» and sold through Rewe and Edeka stores in and around Hamburg, as well as in the company’s own farm shop. The milk tastes different depending on the season. That’s what makes her so special. A liter of milk costs 1.49 euros – we don’t sell it below that, because otherwise we could no longer afford our animal-friendly husbandry.