The Problem of the Male Calf

 

In the dairy and micro-dairy enterprise, lactating mother cows are cherished and much-wanted. Like the MBAs from top schools Harvard or Stanford, they are sought after and the best-milching cows are head-hunted at high prices. A fine, pure breed Gir cow can cost anywhere from INR 70,000-80,000 (although most prefer the imported, much injected, high-yielding, but poor milk-quality and less sturdy Jersey or Holstein cows).

But you see, nature does not only produce female calves. There are male calves too. And unfortunately you cannot predict if the calf to be born will only be a female. And sometimes a mother cow can give birth to one son after another. And sometimes, the dairy can have skewed gender ratio with more male calves being born than female. And this, of course is not desirable for the prosperity of the dairy economy. I remember once a dairy owner telling me sadly that there had been way more males than female calves in the dairy that season—the pressing problem of a male calf in a female-crazy dairy industry!

What to do when there are so many will-be-soon a bull calf running amock in the fodder lands? Some strong and well-bred bulls are, of course, nurtured to be the inseminator. I remember meeting this young bull-to-be bred for the specific purpose of “servicing” and ensuring high-milking offsprings. He was a much pampered boy and walked quite haughtily in the cow shed. But the dairy owners were a wee-bit afraid. You see, he was way too close to his human female cow-keeper and the owners were worried that he may be “weird” and not be attracted to the females of his own kind. This past week they informed me that he is “normal” and that he had done his first “service.”

Sometimes I have heard discussions on what are the options for the male calves—do we sell them? Are there buyers? Do we donate them? They can perhaps be used for some manual labour or perhaps their dung can be used as fertilizer for organic farms. Maybe, one can give them to a Goshala—which specializes in protecting and saving cows. These Goshalas serve as hospices for old, dying cows to die in dignity and for young male orphans. But of course, unfortunately, the calf has to be around when the mother is lactating. So you have to feed and bathe and take care of a calf that will be of no use to the enterprise. Oh dang!

I was once informed that the artificial insemination of cows can sometimes skew the gender ratio. It seems unless the mother cow relaxes and accepts the seed, a female offspring may not generate. And artificial insemination, it seems is way too “undelightful” for the same. Of course, I do not know if this is a fact. I was also told that if cows could mate at a specific phase of the moon, they may give birth to a female calf. Who knows, perhaps they can!

So dairy owners pray and hope that the pregnant mother cow will only produce a female calf. I was once lucky enough to witness a mother cow giving birth. I had kept tabs on the mother through her pregnancy and was very excited about the impending birth. But I never thought I would actually get to see the delivery.

She stood there, tense and looking at me straight in the eye. I wondered what she was trying to tell me but moved away believing I was imagining things. In few moments, the dairy staff called me over and I sat near the mother as she gave birth—an incredible magical moment seeing a whole calf appear from her body into the world. And then they found he was a boy. The people cursed the mid-husband (the one who delivered the calf)—“You are inauspicious. Everytime you deliver a calf, it has been a boy. We should not have you deliver anymore”—they growled.

I sat looking at the new calf, opening his eyes, having his hooves shaved and how in one hour flat he was on his feet and at his mother’s teats. And how his mother licked him and loved him and nudged him to stand up, to walk, and walk towards her. My heart cried.

Couple of days later, after pondering much, I sent an email to the dairy owners and the people concerned with photo attachments of the birth and a message: “On Mahasivarathri day, our centre was graced by Shiva himself!” 

Mother giving birth...

Mother in labour

Mother licking and bonding with her new born son

Mother and her Shiva!

Baby Shiva on his feet in one hour

His first feed..:)