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By Paul Revoir: 01:29 GMT, 31 May 2012
Viewers' outrage over harrowing scenes of day-old calves being lined up and shot
DEAD just because they're male
Harrowing scenes of newly-born dairy calves being lined up and shot dead simply because they
are male have left television viewers sickened. The images of three Jersey calves being killed
were filmed to highlight the grim reality of the dairy industry.
The Channel 4 programme, featuring farmer Jimmy Doherty, was explaining how more than
90,000 male dairy calves are shot at birth every year because there is no market for them. But
graphic scenes of a ‘knacker man’ pointing his gun to the head of the calves and shooting them
in their brains was too gruesome for many.
<a href="http://s1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj559/365Wildfire/?action=view&current=frm00001-27.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj559/365Wildfire/frm00001-27.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
Last night Channel 4 said it had received 58 complaints about the first episode of Jimmy and
the Giant Supermarket, while the media regulator Ofcom had received more than ten. Viewers
described the footage as ‘sick’, ‘horrific’ and one of the most upsetting things they had seen
on TV.
Channel 4 showed the slaughterman creeping up beside the calves, who were about a day old
or younger, before pulling his trigger.One of the animals was seen collapsing, then the camera
cut away to the face of the presenter as the other two were killed.
They were then taken away to be rendered down to tallow to fuel a Belgian power station. Mr
Doherty was later seen planning to make his own range of meatballs in an attempt to tackle the
‘huge’ problem in the dairy industry of unwanted male calves.
<a href="http://s1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj559/365Wildfire/?action=view&current=frm00002-24.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj559/365Wildfire/frm00002-24.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
The TV farmer suggested slaughtered animals could instead be raised for veal.
He said British rose veal was ‘high welfare’ but because of previous cruelty concerns around
this kind of meat, male calves were still viewed as a ‘waste product’.
The scenes, which aired at around 9.30pm on Tuesday, shocked many animal lovers.
<a href="http://s1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj559/365Wildfire/?action=view&current=frm00003-20.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj559/365Wildfire/frm00003-20.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
But animal charities backed the decision to show the scenes. The RSPCA said it was important
to raise awareness about how food and drink is produced.
A Channel 4 spokesman said: ‘We feel it is important to show the reality of this practice to offer
viewers a rounded perspective of the issues the programme touches on.
‘The programme went out after the watershed, was preceded by a warning and the animals were
killed humanely by an expert.’
Viewers' outrage over harrowing scenes of day-old calves being lined up and shot
DEAD just because they're male
Harrowing scenes of newly-born dairy calves being lined up and shot dead simply because they
are male have left television viewers sickened. The images of three Jersey calves being killed
were filmed to highlight the grim reality of the dairy industry.
The Channel 4 programme, featuring farmer Jimmy Doherty, was explaining how more than
90,000 male dairy calves are shot at birth every year because there is no market for them. But
graphic scenes of a ‘knacker man’ pointing his gun to the head of the calves and shooting them
in their brains was too gruesome for many.
<a href="http://s1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj559/365Wildfire/?action=view&current=frm00001-27.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj559/365Wildfire/frm00001-27.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
Last night Channel 4 said it had received 58 complaints about the first episode of Jimmy and
the Giant Supermarket, while the media regulator Ofcom had received more than ten. Viewers
described the footage as ‘sick’, ‘horrific’ and one of the most upsetting things they had seen
on TV.
Channel 4 showed the slaughterman creeping up beside the calves, who were about a day old
or younger, before pulling his trigger.One of the animals was seen collapsing, then the camera
cut away to the face of the presenter as the other two were killed.
They were then taken away to be rendered down to tallow to fuel a Belgian power station. Mr
Doherty was later seen planning to make his own range of meatballs in an attempt to tackle the
‘huge’ problem in the dairy industry of unwanted male calves.
<a href="http://s1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj559/365Wildfire/?action=view&current=frm00002-24.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj559/365Wildfire/frm00002-24.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
The TV farmer suggested slaughtered animals could instead be raised for veal.
He said British rose veal was ‘high welfare’ but because of previous cruelty concerns around
this kind of meat, male calves were still viewed as a ‘waste product’.
The scenes, which aired at around 9.30pm on Tuesday, shocked many animal lovers.
<a href="http://s1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj559/365Wildfire/?action=view&current=frm00003-20.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj559/365Wildfire/frm00003-20.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
But animal charities backed the decision to show the scenes. The RSPCA said it was important
to raise awareness about how food and drink is produced.
A Channel 4 spokesman said: ‘We feel it is important to show the reality of this practice to offer
viewers a rounded perspective of the issues the programme touches on.
‘The programme went out after the watershed, was preceded by a warning and the animals were
killed humanely by an expert.’
