Diary of a bobby calf - as told by Shirley Calf
See the Shirley movie YouTube

I think I am about four days old, I am not exactly sure as the last few days have been a bit of a blur.  I came into the world on a lovely sunny day, my birth was easy for my mummy as I was very small.  I just lay on the ground and blinked at the world around me.  Mummy lovingly licked me clean and it felt good.  Her tongue was warm and her breath was sweet.   Upon shaky little legs I soon stood and mummy nuzzled me to her udder.  At first I wasn’t too sure what to do so I just pushed my mouth around her soft teats, grasping one in my mouth then suddenly I knew what to do.   I sucked as hard as I could and mummy sent through lovely warm milk.  It tasted so good, it was very thick and rich.  This first milk is called colostrum and it is vital I get it to kick start my immune system.  It only comes in the first two milkings mummy gives after the birth of her baby.  Time would soon tell if I got enough.

After my drink I felt very tired so I just laid down with mummy proudly watching over me, but something made me think my mummy was getting a little nervous.  I don’t know why, everything seem so good, there was plenty of grass and I could see lots of other cows.

It was not long after this that things just got crazy.  Some human folk came along and roughly picked me up and took me away from mummy.  Mummy bellowed loudly and ran after them.  I was taken to a shed with other calves, they all seemed a little bigger than me, and we were all confused.  We couldn’t see our mummies anywhere but we could sure hear them calling for us, so we decided to call back so they would know where we were and come and get us.  We called and called and so did they, but they never came.  That night I just lay there looking and looking.  Before I went to sleep I let out one more pitiful cry lest some kind soul would bring my mummy back, but no one did. 

After this life was a blur; my next memory was being pushed along a ramp and into a scary box along with some of the other calves who had also lost their mummies.  The box began to move, it gave all of us a bit of a fright, some of us fell down.  I tried to stay on my feet but then I decided it was easier to just stay lying down and hope my friends would not stand on me.  Bumpety, bump bump down the road we went, in the distance I could hear my mummy, perhaps we were all being taken back to our mummies.  But her voice soon faded into the distance and I could not help but feel sad.

The bumping and bouncing of our little box soon stopped.  I could hear footsteps and loud voices.  The back of the box slide open and a man came inside.  He began pushing and shoving us all out.  Some of my friends fell, “get up, come on, move” a voice bellowed.  I tried to keep up but I was tired.  We were pushed and shoved down a concrete laneway to little pens, there we lots and lots of other calves everywhere.  All around I could hear the other calves calling “mummy, I want my mummy”.  Some looked very very sad and sick.  So much loud noise, people came and looked at me “nah, don’t want that one, she’s too small.  She’ll be no good for eating”.  I felt sad and frightened, why won’t my mummy come and save me, I am so hungry.  I even looked at the humans and poked my tongue out but they didn’t seem to understand how very hungry and thirsty I was.  I let out a little “mooooooooooooo” but no one seemed to notice.

Well not really no one.  I soon spied a kindly face, a lady with a hat.  She was looking around at all the calves, I watched her for a while.  She seemed so nice, gently stroking the calves, I hadn’t seen a human do this before and she was talking so softly to them, but I couldn’t hear what she was saying, I hoped she came over to me.  “Gee I don’t know which one, how do I choose?” I heard her say to her friend.  And then from several pens away she looked my way.  I was still lying down because I am was tired, hungry and confused.  I looked her right in the eye, her eyes meet mine, and I nodded my head whilst still looking her in the eye and licked my lips.  “Is she the one who will save me?” I thought to myself, my heart started to race.  She turned to her friend, “hey don’t turn away” but she soon turned back and pointed to me, “what about that weenie one? Yes the little one who is looking right at me” I heard her say.

They came over to the pen I was in.  They talked softly and gently to us all.  Bending down they gently stroked me and told me “it will be alright”, “oh yeah they are going to take me to my mummy” I thought.  “But she is terribly tucked up and looks like she has had a bit of diarrhoea , I hope we are not too late for her” I heard the lady with the hat say.  I let out a little sigh.  The lady with the hat just sat with us all for a while, each calf taking a turn at sniffing her, even though she is not our mummy she still smelt good and kind.  She turned to one of the other calves and I heard her speak, “I am so sorry my lovely, I cannot save you all.  I wish I could.  Some of the worst days of my life are coming to these bobby calf sales.  I am so so terribly sorry I cannot take you all home but there are hundreds and hundreds of you here today and I cannot save you all but I will do my best to tell your story” she sighs, a very big sigh and I see a tear roll down her cheek.  Maybe someone took her mummy away too I think.

Next there was a lot more commotion, us calves were now very confused.  But worst of all the lady with the hat was walking away, I thought she was my friend but now she is gone, maybe she has gone to get mummy.  I waited and waited, then men came and made all the other calves leave the pen, they yelled at them and pushed them about, I can tell they are frightened and confused.  I don’t think we will ever see our mummy’s again.  I decide to have a sleep and hope it is all a very bad dream.

I was soon woken.  “Hello my lovely” it was the lady with the hat and her friend.  “Come along, we’re taking you home”, “Oh goody, I going to see mummy!” They gently ushered me to an awaiting box filled with sweet smelling and soft straw, a loving arm behind around my rump helped steady me.  “Ah, this seems much nicer than the last box they put me in, a much more comfortable ride”.  I sleep some more, then the box stops.  The back door opens and the sun shines in.  “Wow, this place looks neat, where’s mummy?” I moo.  The lady with the hat helped me out and into a little yard, some happy animals came to greet me.  A pink pig told me “I’m Wilbur the celebrity pig, but my friends call me Bur.  Mighty fine to meet you”, he looked a funny little fellow, I immediately liked him.  A little lamb gamboled over, he told me his name is Timmy and his friends not too far away are Boris and Harvey.  They ask me my name, “um, I haven’t got one.  But I have a tag in my ear that means something” I replied.  “Surely you have a name, all animals have name’s don’t they” said the friendly pig.  “Not where I came from.  We are only known by tags in our ears” I replied.  Actually when I thought of my ear tag, I remembered the pain of it being put in, how the careless human had a couple of goes and how I have a bloody hole as a result of one of their ineffective attempts.  I asked where their mummy is, Timmy replied that he wasn’t sure but something happened and he was found all by himself but thankfully someone brought him to this lovely place.  “And what is this place called?” I asked “Edgar’s Mission” they all oinked and baaed in unison.

“Come here my lovely” my introductions are cut short as the lady with the hat came towards me with a large green plastic bottle with a funny black thing on the end.  She got me in a corner and tried to put it in my mouth, what on earth was she trying to do.  “Oh hang on, it tastes okay, yeah not bad”, I sucked some more, “yeah bring it on, this is good”.  I was so hungry.  I drank and drank.  It wasn’t quite my mummy but I thought it would have to do for the time being.  “Not to quick Shirley” the lady said looking at my heavily sunken sides, she could tell I hadn’t had much to drink for a long long while.  “Ah that was lovely” I looked her in the eye and blinked a silent “thank you”, I felt sooooooo good I had a little run and skip around the yard before I retired to the little stable filled with straw.  My friend Bur watched over me.

Later this day, I woke to see it was starting to get dark. I went outside to have a look around, I saw cows in the distance “hey mummy, I’m over here” I called.  The cows bellowed back but they were not my mummy, “where is she, I hope she is safe?” I said to the friendly pig. The last time I heard her cries, there was something so strange about them it was almost like she had done it before and knew what was going to happen.  I do miss her so.  “Oh, here comes the lady with the hat”.  “Hello Shirley, do you know your name is Shirley” she has that green bottle again with the funny black thingy on the end, I wonder what she is going to do with it.  I know one thing and that is I am hungry.  I looked at her and the bottle and stuck out my tongue and nodded.  Hey she catches on quick and put the black thingy in my mouth, it tasted good, nice and warm milk flowed, nearly as good as mummy’s.  I took another spin around the yard, “yeah this is good”, I ran I jumped then I got real tired.  It has been a big big day.  I felt very tired and decided to go into my little stable and wait for mummy to come back.   I do hope she finds me, I feel very sad without her. But this place isn’t too bad, the animals are all very friendly and the humans are very kind.  But mummy, where is my mummy?

Do you want to be a Best Buddy to Shirley?

Day 2

Its morning now and still my mummy has not found me.  Even though it is nice, cozy and warm here in my little stable I feel cold, my tummy hurts and I want my mummy.  I called for her last night but she mustn’t have heard me because she never answered, I hope she is alright.  The friendly pig who slept and snored (rather loudly) in the stable next to me chatted to me before we went to sleep.  He asked me why I was crying when I was in such a lovely place.  I said I missed my mummy and I didn’t understand why the humans had taken me away from her.  I was not a naughty calf and mummy was a very good mummy, she tried to protect me.  She really really did.  I just don’t understand why I cannot still be with her. 

Bur tried to explain to me that some humans do not see us animals as having feelings; they see us units of production, a means to an end.  He said the humans had taken me away from my mummy so they could drink her milk.  He said that mummy was continually made to have baby calves so that she would make milk for them and that the humans would repeatedly take the calves away.  Now I felt really sick, mummy DID know something bad was going to happen.  But that milk was meant for me I said to Bur, “yes I know and understand that”, came his gentle reply.   But humans don’t have four stomachs like us calves, nor do they grow as quickly as we do or have such a heavy bone mass.  My mummy’s milk was made especially for me, to strengthen my immune system not humans.  “It sounds crazy, what were those humans thinking”, I asked the wise pig.

He gave a little sigh and grunted “he did not know”.  He said he didn’t know why humans did a lot of things to animals.  I asked him if he knew what happened to my friends from the market and all mummy’s other babies.  He explained to me that I am a bobby calf, which is a calf that is taken away from its mother soon after birth to be hand raised or slaughtered. “Slaughtered? What does that mean?” I asked.  He was just about to explain when I heard the gate open, I looked up and it was the lady with the hat.  “Good morning my lovely” she said.  “And how are you today?” I was pleased to see her friendly face and went to stand up.  But oh, my stomach I felt ill, so ill.  She had that funny green bottle with the black thingy on the end.  She helped me to my feet and I just could not help myself, I had the most terrible feeling in my stomach and was given over to a nasty gastric turn that resulted in a foul smelling diahorrea.  “What’s up Shirley, aren’t you hungry?”  She tried to get me to drink but I just felt pukey.  I laid down again.  “Oh dear” said the lady in the hat, “please wont you drink?” she said.  “No, I can’t I feel terrible”.  Bur started to call out “over here, over here, I’ll have it.  Don’t waste it I’ll have it” and he raced up and down the fence.  He ran up and down so quick, letting out little grunts he almost tripped himself up, he made laugh but I still did not feel like drinking.

The lady with the hat looked sad as she bent down and kissed my head, “hang in there” she said as she left.   I could then hear Bur next door munching on his breakfast announcing what each morsel was before he chewed every ounce of flavour from it before he swallowed, he went on and on and on and I went to sleep.  I must have slept for several hours when I heard the footsteps of the nice lady with the hat.  “How you feeling now Shirley?” she said as she stood in the doorway.  With the sun shining in behind her I could only see her outline and she looked like an angel and I felt good.  I spied that funny green bottle with that funny black teat, I started to nod my head downwards when I saw it and stuck my tongue in and out.  “Oh Shirley” she uttered “this looks promising” I stood up and walked over to her.  I looked from her to the bottle and back, gently she put her arm around me and offered me the black thingy.  I took it in my mouth and sucked and sucked, I let out a little sigh, it tasted wonderful and warm.  “Yes I do want to live” I thought.  I drank and drank, until no more would come.  I even went outside and did a little dance and my friend Bur did the same.  We danced a jig in the sunshine and I am sure I caught a glimpse of the lady in the hat doing one too.

Shirley
Do you want to be a Best Buddy to Shirley?

Footnote- Each year in Australia around two million dairy calves are born and around one million are killed, many within the first few weeks of life.  These are the unwanted bi-products of the dairy industry.  Infant calves taken from their mothers face many welfare issues, their immature immune and digestive systems are often unable to cope with the stresses their unnatural life has placed upon them.

Day 3, 4 & 5

It seems I am not the only one keeping a diary as I spied the lady with the hat is keeping one too.  It read:

Day three at Edgar’s Mission

AM - not waiting at gate, sitting in stable, bright and alert.  Drank 1litre of milk although not too enthusiastically.  When finished raced around yard

PM-not waiting at gate, standing in stable.  Drank 2 litres.  Manure somewhat runny.  Raced around yard when finished and appeared bright and alert.

Ad lib straw and concentrate pellets offered.

Day four

AM - not waiting at gate, lying in stable, a little dull looking.  Not interested in drinking at all but had a run around the yard.  Runny manure.  A little concerned

Noon - drank one litre and had a run around.  Seemed bright enough

PM - drank one litre with the most enthusiasm seen so far.  Again had a race around the yard afterward and most interested in the other animals.  Looking more positive

Day five

AM - Waiting at the gate and gave a little moo! Yeah!  Licking lips and nodding for bottle.  Drank 2 litres enthusiastically.  Showing an interest in pellets.  Navel chord becoming very shrivelled.

PM - drank one litre enthusiastically and like Tippi calf seems convinced there is a teat in my bottom!

The last three days have seen much activity about the farm and I am learning a lot.  On my third day here there was much commotion over the road at the next farm.  A mother horse gave birth.  I watched the mother tenderly lick her baby clean, the little one just lay there.  It reminded me of me and my mummy and I felt sad.  Not long after this some human folk came into the paddock with the mother horse and her baby.  Oh my heart started to race, I stood up and walked to the fence, I called out to warn them, “moooooooooooooo”.  I tried to warn them that the humans would take the young one away just as they had me.  I raced back and forth.  But something strange happened, the humans just looked, they walked around the mother and her baby.  She tossed her head back and forth with her ears pinned back.  I have heard it said mother animals form strong bonds with their babies quickly after birth just like my mummy did me.  The humans soon left, perhaps they would return later to take the young one away, never to see its mummy again or perhaps they were overwhelmed with the bond of a mother and her baby.

The next day I awoke, I felt sad.  I missed my mummy and thought the foal would too.  I didn’t feel like drinking.  When I had a little play in my yard I saw the mother horse and her baby, they were still together.  How wonderful, I hoped they would stay that way but perhaps today the humans would come for the baby.

As I was lying in my yard today, the friendly pig chatted beside me and I drifted off.   I wondered if I would ever see my mummy again.  I wish I could tell her that I was safe and that the humans here are really very nice unlike the folk at the stock yard from where they found me.  I overheard people there saying that us bobby calves are considered a “low value by-product of milk production”.  And that is how we got our name from only being worth a “bob”, a low unit of money.  The lady with the hat said we were all precious and what a tragedy it was that many of my friends would be killed within the first week of their life.  Many of us had not had a drink for many hours and my poor friends that were to go to the slaughterhouse would never have another taste of the beautiful warm white stuff.  I heard one man say to the lady with the hat as she was comforting me “oh, don’t bother with that one, it’s too small and weak, it wont grow into a big strong cow, you do want to eat it don’t you?” her tender touch told me she didn’t.

Each day I am feeling better, I just love racing around my yard, showing the lady with the hat how fast I am.  “Look at me, look at me, I’m alive” I moo as I race around my yard.  I will stay in this little yard for a while until I start eating more of the pellets I am told.  They taste a little funny but the friendly pig keeps telling me to push my tray over to him and he will eat them for me, “no one needs to know” he grunts.  Boy does he love to eat!  I can feel my tummy changing each day.  People say us cows have four stomachs which is kind of correct, actually we have one but it is divided into four compartments; the rumen, the reticulum, the omasum and the abomasum.  When we are born the main stomach is the abomasum, my milk goes straight into here but as I grow my rumen will develop and become the main stomach and allow me to eat grass.  Until then I have to be careful I don’t drink too much as it will overflow into my rumen and give me the scours.  When milk comes into my abomasum we calves make it clot by “injecting” rennet into it, it makes the milk go like junket.  This helps us digest it.  It seems human think this is pretty neat and have copied this process to make cheese.  Unfortunately they don’t know that you can make synthetic rennet to make the milk clot to form cheese so they use the rennet from the lining of dead calves’ stomachs.  Yuk! Oh dear no wonder I feel sick.  I have also heard that compassionate people who love to eat cheese still can do this as there are wonderful cheeses that have no dairy products in them, now that’s clever thinking!

The friendly pig kept looking at my tummy today.  I asked him what he was doing, he said he was looking at my umbilical chord, I said “my what a what”.  “Umbilical chord”, he repeated.  He said mine was looking rather dry and shrivelled and that soon it would fall off.  I looked at his tummy and asked why his hung so low, he replied “watch it kiddo, I was beginning to like you”.  He told me the chord umbilical chord connected me to my mummy when I was in her tummy and that he had one too when he was a baby, like all mammals do including humans.  He said that they are a reminder of how young and vulnerable we are.  But even when they are gone us animals are still at the mercy of humans.  He said that I should tell my story to the world because millions of other bobby calves would never be able to in the hope that one day bobby calves would be allowed to be baby calves with their mummy.  Wouldn’t that be grand I thought!

Shirley

Do you want to be a Best Buddy to Shirley?