There are millions of farm animals in Quebec. They surround us and feed us and yet we know very little about their living conditions. After collecting testimonies from producers, animal rights defenders and experts, The duty invites you to discover the life cycle of Quebec’s main farm animals, from their birth to the slaughterhouse, as well as the resulting concerns regarding animal welfare. Note that all the practices mentioned are authorized by the codes of practice governing animal husbandry in Canada. Today: calves and oxen.
Quebec is the source of only 4% of the country’s beef production, but it provides more than two-thirds of Canadian calf production. In 2021, 75,000 grain-fed calves and 69,000 milk-fed calves were raised in the province, while 78,000 slaughter steers and 93,000 cull cattle were produced. Like dairy cows, calves are almost all raised indoors in Quebec, but slaughter steers spend part of their life on pasture. Overview of the life cycle of calves and beef raised in Quebec.
“Those arrived on Friday evening,” says André Ricard, pointing to the cow calves who have just entered his fattening farm in Saint-Alexis, in Lanaudière, populated by some 550 steers. ‘slaughter.
The calves were transported to the site after spending their first 10 months of life on a pasture suckling their mother’s milk. On feeder calf farms, some beef cows are artificially inseminated — as is the case with dairy cows — but others give birth to their calves after being in contact with bulls, explains Jean- Thomas Maltais, president of Quebec Cattle Producers, an association that brings together nearly 10,000 producers.
“Then, when we want the cow to have another calf, we pick up the calf [pour le sevrer et le préparer à être vendu] and the cow is given three months rest [avant que le cycle recommence] “, he explains.
Throughout their lives, beef cows—along with their young until they are sold to a feedlot—spend their days and nights outdoors on pasture. “These are animals that are adapted to the winter climate,” says Jean-Thomas Maltais, adding that the food offered in cold weather is adjusted to provide enough energy to the animals.
At a young age, male calves are castrated using rubber bands or clamps placed over their testicles. “We think it’s dramatic, but [c’est l’équivalent] to put a rubber band on the end of a finger. At some point, the blood stops circulating there and it will dry up,” says the producer. A procedure which makes it possible to reduce the aggressiveness of the animals and which ensures a better quality of the meat, specifies Jean-Thomas Maltais. As with dairy cows, beef cattle horns are removed early in life, with scissors or a bud-burning iron.
When they become less productive, around the age of 7 to 10 on average, beef cows are sent to auction and then to the slaughterhouse as cull cows to be transformed into ground meat – this is the same route for dairy cows when their milk production decreases.
Grain-fed or milk-fed calves
Calves born to dairy cows — which are inseminated to produce milk — are sold at auction when they reach 10 to 15 days. They are then taken to fattening farms and separated into two categories, explains Jean-Thomas Maltais.
Those that become grain-fed calves are later weaned and then fed mainly corn kernels, while those that will be marketed as milk-fed calves continue a diet centered on milk. The practice is contested by animal rights activists since milk feeding keeps animals in an anemic state, they say.
Slaughter steers
Feeder calves (from beef cows) weigh approximately 700 pounds when they arrive at Ricard Farm. Until their departure for the slaughterhouse, 10 months later, the slaughter steers are reared and fattened inside a cold barn, that is to say a building which is not insulated and whose perforated boards which act as exterior walls allow natural ventilation to pass through.
“In the cold, they have more appetite, so they perform better,” says André Ricard as he fills the feeders with hay, while a little red cat walks near the cattle. The black Angus, red Angus, Charolais and limousine cattle that make up the herd live in groups in enclosures that allow them a little freedom of movement.
By keeping them indoors for their entire feedlot period, the producer can control “100% of the feed” to the steers and ensure that they are not expending too much energy on a pasture and instead taking weight, continues André Ricard.
As with other farm animals, genetic improvement over the years has resulted in animals that fatten and produce muscle tissue faster. Improvements in cattle feeding have also led to productivity gains, explains the producer. “40 or 50 years ago, we needed eight or nine kilos of dry feed to produce one kilo of meat. Today, it takes us 5.5 to 6 kilos of dry feed to produce one kilo of meat, says André Ricard. It allows us to reduce our costs. »
Transport and slaughter
When they reach 1,600 pounds, around 20 months, the steers leave the farm for the slaughterhouse. Many of them make their way to Préval, which slaughters the largest volume of calves, lambs and beef in Quebec.
After arrival, the animals are given a rest period of about two hours — a step that reduces stress and improves meat tenderness. “Animal welfare and meat quality are synonymous,” argues Alex Fontaine, president and CEO of Montpak, owned by Préval.
The animals then advance in an S-shaped corridor to an individual cage which will restrict their movements. They are then stunned by being knocked out using a device resembling a pneumatic gun that is placed on the animal’s forehead. “There is a piston that comes out extremely quickly, explains Alex Fontaine. The animal feels nothing. Bleeding follows, which results in the death of the animals. The steers are then cut up and become “T-bones”, flank steaks, tomahawk steaks or even sirloin steaks that end up on our plates.
Tomorrow: the legislative framework
Note that all the practices mentioned are authorized by the codes of practice governing animal husbandry in Canada.