406. The sale of veal calves and veal production in West Wales (1943–6)

Extract

The volume and seasonality of veal production in west Wales has been obtained from an analysis of the records of the collecting centres of the Ministry of Food.

It has been found that about 1000 tons of veal are produced annually from 55% of the calves sold to the Ministry at an average carcass weight of 56 lb. Most of the veal is produced in the season of the maximum number of calvings, i.e. spring in the eastern areas and autumn in the western areas. Higher average carcass weights are produced in summer and a higher proportion of the calves offered, are veals during the summer than during the winter. March might be taken as the month of maximum veal output but of lowest average individual carcass weights. The relation between veal weights, production and the average price of milk has been illustrated, and the conclusion drawn is that when milk is cheap (summer) veal weights are high. The more intensive the dairying (in the central part of the region) the lower the average carcass weight and vice versa for the less intensively dairying areas. Calves sold for rearing are only of minor significance in the calf trade in west Wales, but one consolation is that the incidence of the casualty calf is also slight. The choice of colour in calves purchased for further rearing supports the general opinion that during the period under review (1943–6) the Shorthorn breed was the most important, and its Hereford crosses the most popular choice in the more remote beefproducing areas of Pembrokeshire.