Does anybody do veal?

[Silvercreek Farmer]

I noticed at a local auction holstein calves were going for 10-15 bucks, made me think about getting one for veal. I have never purchased any conventional veal because of raising practices, but I would consider doing one myself. I probably wouldn't fatten it at all, just put it in the freezer. I figure a 90 lb calf would give me 30-40 lbs of meat for $10. Thing is I don't even know what it would taste like...

[woodsrunner]

When I was a kid the family next door kept a cow. The cow gave more milk than they could use, so, they raised a veal calf.

It tastes very good!!

And now I'll be craving veal french the rest of the night. I have vegetarian chili on hand

[mpillow]

You'd be better off to feed it at least for a month....think about all the stress the little buggers have had being born, taken to the auction, take into the ring, taken home...stress hormones will ruin meat IMO

I raise them on goats milk.

[newfieannie]

We actually just had veal patties for supper. first time i had it. I'm not that fussy but my husband is use to veal so i cooked it. he couldn't get enough so it's a good thing I didn't want more. my mother liked veal chops. I've never heard anything about raising practices. this label said milk raised. so, if i'm going to be cooking veal quite often for him is that what I should always look for.? ...Georgia.

[SilverVista]

True veal comes from calves that have been raised on milk and have been restricted from movement so that the meat remains very pale and tender. Generally, veal operations keep the calves in narrow stalls where they can stand up and lie down, but not even turn around. The barn is kept dark, too.

A more humane method for the homesteader would be to raise a calf to a certain weight on milk but allow the little guy to have a large pen and some open air. The meat is then techically called "baby beef" but it's very similar to veal.

[agmantoo]

Matthew, a baby beef would be a better choice IMHO. Get the holstein calf and wean it then feed the calf until it reaches 550 to 650 lbs. Great eating! You can process an animal that size yourself.

[Judd_s]

I refuse to eat veal because of the treatment of the animal. Actually most all animal production bugs me but being a carnivore I do partake.

I just draw the line at Veal

[Wilbur]

I LOVE veal....my favorite form of beef I must say. I say buy it....would I go the baby beef route if I were raising it myself? Probably...sounds like the flavor will be close and you may get more weight out of it than just the milk fed route. Just my $0.02.

[DaleK]

Veal crates haven't been used all that much around here for years now. Most of the veal barns I know of tend to be coverall barns with either hutches outside or 6x6 pens for the first 6 weeks, then loose housing with about 8 calves in a pen on a pack. Actually if people would buy more veal, and try to buy it from the newer loose housing operations, it would do more to improve some of the conditions than not buying veal does.

[Terri]

I have had baby beef, and it DID taste a lot like veal!

The meat was not as pale: I believe that is because baby beef are fed a more balanced diet.

[HermitJohn]

Amazing the cruelty people will go to titillate their taste buds. Raising veal or supporting the veal industry is a sick practice but probably no worse than most modern confinement factory farming practices. Why not eat human infants, sure they are tender and tasty also. Isnt human flesh suppose to be sweet tasting? I mean after all what does it really matter as long as it tastes good, right?

If you partake of veal, better hope that karma and reincarnation arent true. Even if you dont, I think western culture traditionally says gluttony and greed are two of the seven deadly sins. Veal definitely fits in there.

[hotzcatz]

I've been thinking the same thing about getting a baby bull from the dairy. I'd raise one up for a lawn mower in the back yard except you have to buy milk to feed it for the first month or so and that's really expensive. Might be worthwhile, though. Get a new lawn mower every year and keep the freezer full at the same time.

[Quint]

I don't care for veal but I really wish I did just so I could annoy the animal rights loons and listen to them cry and bawl about it.

Also wish I had some baby seals to club but alas I'm not in seal country.

[HermitJohn]

Originally Posted by Quint

I don't care for veal but I really wish I did just so I could annoy the animal rights loons and listen to them cry and bawl about it.

Also wish I had some baby seals to club but alas I'm not in seal country.

Whatever cruelity one will do to an animal shows your moral compass as a human. Why not tie tin cans onto the tails of puppys with barb wire. That ought to be a big thrill. Maybe water board a cat, after all water boarding isnt really torture is it? Might be the latest taste sensation.

All I know is karma can be a cruel mistress. You better hope you dont get as good as you give. Killing quickly and cleanly with respect, out of need for food can be justified, but malnourishing and mistreating animals for a particular taste sensation is just sicko and fits in the gluttony and greed catagories.

[L.A.]

I raise beef, could not, would not & never will raise for veal. Just ain't right.

[Stephen in SOKY]

Does the Baby Beef require hang times similar to full size beef? The hang time at proper temp/humidity currently prevent me from butchering my own (Looking for a milk truck cheap!) but if the Baby Beef can be slaughtered & processed quickly it would be great!

[AJ Williams]

Originally Posted by Quint

I don't care for veal but I really wish I did just so I could annoy the animal rights loons and listen to them cry and bawl about it.

Also wish I had some baby seals to club but alas I'm not in seal country.

Some folks will say anything to get a rize out of others.

[Janis Sauncy]

I know when I was a meat wrapper for a farm butcher, hang time depended a lot on the size of the beef; the bigger the beef, the longer the hang time. So I assume a smaller animal like a baby beef wouldn't have to hang long at all.

That said, I agree with HermitJohn about NOT supporting the veal industry. Of course, if you raise an animal humanely that's another story. Supporting an industry that raises these babies in such extremely limited conditions is not my idea of acceptability. Of course, I don't think much of eating baby animals in any form but understand people do.....just please do it so that the quality, if not the quantity, of the life is acceptable and humane.

Janis

[Silvercreek Farmer]

It KILLS me when people don't read the post... I may repost "Anyone ever eat baby calf?"

[cathleenc]

there is a huge difference between supporting an industry and raising your own food. The OP did not say they were interested in supporting an industry.

One of the livestock/homesteading books we have strongly advocates buying baby calves and feeding them surplus goat milk only and butchering very young. Doesn't sound cruel at all to me - better treatment than most of those calves will ever get. I like veal! I haven't purchased it for years because of the 'industry' but I do love to eat it. Makes great stews and roasts and sausage and ground meat. Not to mention the scallopini from the major leg muscles.