The care is so bad that 1 in 5 newborn calves is dead within two weeks. This is according to figures from the Ministry of Agriculture that RTL News has requested.

The calves come into the world in very dirty stables where they sometimes get to their knees in the dung and urine. Many farmers also give their newborn calves too little or contaminated breast milk (colostrum), so many animals cannot survive. Many animals contract infections and die from the effects of diarrhea.

That calves sometimes come into the world in dramatic conditions, according to NVWA inspection reports on animal welfare, which are in the possession of RTL News. Below you can see photos taken by inspectors between 2015 and 2017.