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Veal Types
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture recognizes two main types of veal: bob veal and special-fed veal. Bob veal makes up about 15 percent of the market, and is made up of male calves raised on milk to 3 weeks old or 150 pounds, then slaughtered. Special-fed veal is very pale meat from calves fed only special milk or milk replacer-based diets. This veal makes up most of the industry. According to the Humane Society, farmers also market grain-fed veal, a darker meat not officially recognized by the USDA. Calves for grain-fed veal are raised in loose housing or group pens after weaning, and they have access to grain instead of only milk.
Environment
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Stall-fed veal calves live in individual stalls with enough room to stand, stretch and lie down naturally, but not to walk or run. The stalls have slotted floors to make waste removal more efficient. Often called crates, these stalls have open backs and partial walls to allow the calves to interact with one another. Veal calves are often tied to the front of the stall with a 2- to 3-foot metal or fiber tether, which restricts their movement more than the size of the stall does.
Meat Quality
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According to the University of California, Davis, stall-fed calves grow at a slightly faster rate than calves housed in larger pens, producing more meat at slaughter time. Animals in both groups had similar hemoglobin levels, producing a very white meat.
Calves raised in individual stalls with slatted floors tended to have cleaner hindquarters than pen-raised calves, with less risk of excrement contaminating the meat at slaughter time.
Calf Welfare
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Calves in individual stalls tend to have more trouble extending their legs and moving around, producing an increase in swollen knees and hocks. Some calves have difficulty walking, because of inflamed joints. Stall-fed calves also tend to be more excitable and to suffer from more stress than calves raised in pens or in groups. Feeding only milk or milk replacer also increases the risk of hairballs in the digestive tract. Calves that receive grain after weaning do not develop hairballs. Stall-fed calves and calves raised in individual pens have reduced immune function compared to calves allowed to spend more time with their mothers, according to the Humane Society. Early weaning deprives these calves of exposure to their mothers' immunities via colustrum, a special type of milk produced just after birth.
Alternatives
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In addition to stall-feeding, veal calves might also be kept in larger individual pens, in group pens, or raised partially by their mothers. Larger pens and group pens eliminate some health problems, such as swollen hocks and knees, but they contribute to others, including hairball risk, reduced immune function and injury to other calves, if the animals receive the same type of feed as stall-fed animals. Grain feeding, colostrum supplementation, or allowing the calf to be raised by its mother all produce healthier calves under lower stress, but usually result in less desirable meat or slower growth.
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What Are Stall-Fed Calves?
Calves raised for veal production might be kept in group pens, individual pens, or smaller individual stalls. Stall-fed calves are veal calves kept in relatively small spaces for most of their lives, including during feeding times. This technique permits veal farmers to raise more calves in a smaller amount of space, but it can cause increased health problems. Animal welfare groups, such as the Humane Society of the United States, have criticized the practice of stall-feeding as cruel.