Birthdays always give us a reason to celebrate our rescued residents — to share their unique journeys and lives. This month, DJ turns 3 years old! Three is still young for cows who can live to be 20 years old, but for DJ, 3 years is far longer than he would have lived if we had not rescued him.
A Calf in Need
In February 2018, Barn Sanctuary was contacted by Skylands Sanctuary & Rescue about a calf who needed a home. He was only a few days old, and born on a dairy farm. DJ was struggling to nurse from his mother, and wasn’t getting enough nutrition. It was clear to the farmer that this calf would require more care than they wanted to provide. When animals like DJ are raised for profit, the effort and money it takes to nurse sick or debilitated animals back to health is often a deciding factor in whether or not they are discarded or given away. We have rescued discarded animals from piles outside farms, and accepted animal who were surrendered. Thankfully, DJ was surrendered to a sanctuary.
Dan meeting DJ and Mike from Skylands Sanctuary
Escaping the Industry
The fact that DJ was unable to nurse is what ultimately saved his life. There are very few ways to escape the dairy and meat industry for cows. If DJ had been perfectly healthy, his fate would have been sealed. Dairy calves that are born male, like DJ, are not considered useful to the dairy industry because they can’t produce milk.
Female dairy cows spend their entire lives in cycles of impregnation, separation from their young, and having the milk for their calves bottled and sold for human consumption. This cycle continues with all milk producing females, but males have a different story. Males born into the dairy industry can’t produce milk, and are therefore considered of little value to the dairy industry. Instead, these baby cows are either sold to become veal or raised to be slaughtered for meat. The calves sold for veal are taken from their mothers, confined, and finally slaughtered around 16-18 weeks old — when they are still babies.
Baby cows, like all young animals, can experience wide ranges of emotions in their young age that can be formative and traumatic for them. Being taken from their mothers, raised in confinement (in crates and chains) at only a months old is a horrible first experience of life.
Photo: Farm Sanctuary
DJ Comes Home
When Barn Sanctuary got news of DJ needing a home, we stepped in quickly to help. We had the space, the time and the resources to nurse DJ back to health.
Dan drove to New Jersey to pick up DJ and it was love at first sight. DJ, just 14 days old, was quick to bond with our staff and make himself at home. He was extra rambunctious, so we took him for walks and runs around the pasture as a young calf. DJ has always had a loving and outgoing personality. We named him Dan Jr. (DJ) after our Founder, Dan McKernan.
Dan picking up baby DJ
In the past few years, DJ has really glowed up! He loves to graze with his friends, run and play, but still seeks out attention from Dan and the other staff at Barn Sanctuary.
It was several lucky twists of fate and some small acts of compassion that brought DJ to safety at Barn Sanctuary several years ago. We are so grateful for the joy and lessons he brings to our lives. His life also reminds us of the many more calves who we can’t rescue, but whose lives are equally important. We hope that through sharing DJ’s own unique journey, you think of them as well. Happy Birthday DJ!
Take Action for DJ
Veal calves are often confined in tiny crates that restrict them from turning around, standing up and stretching their limbs. To date, only 9 states have passed legislation banning their use: Arizona, California, Colorado, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Ohio, and Rhode Island.
If you reside in a state where these have not been banned, consider contacting your legislatures and encouraging others to do so. Every person’s voice can make a difference. Another simple way of advocating for animals is spreading awareness about the dairy and veal industry. Many people simply do not know what these industries are truly like.
If you live in New Jersey, consider attending An Evening of Action to learn effective ways of advocacy to help support a new bill proposed to ban gestation crates for pigs and veal crates for cows in the state.