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This calf muzzle was used to prevent a calf suckling its mother when they were turned out together to grass. It was attached to the nose of the calf with the spikes uppermost so that when it attempted to get near its mother, it prodded the cow in the side and she naturally drove it off. This muzzle was found outside a ruined farm on the Berwyn mountains in Wales and is probably homemade.

1 calf muzzle: leather/metal

MERL 'Catalogue index' card – ‘… // DATE ACQUIRED: // GROUP: // NEGATIVE: // PERIOD: // PLACE OF ORIGIN: // NUMBER: // DESCRIPTION: …‘ This method caused scratches and discomfort to the cow but was necessary where there were no farm buildings in which to separate the animals. It seems to have been particularly common in hilly districts. In Ireland, a cald basket was used, which completely muzzled the animal's mouth. This muzzle was found outside a ruined farm on the Berwyn mountains in Wales and is probably home made, from pieces of harness and old nails. It consists of a leather noseband, onto which two straps are hooped, one of them with a buckle which would be fastened round the calf's neck. Through the noseband 7 nails are thrust. //, MERL miscellaneous note - 'Dear Sir // Have you one of these? Now mercifully uncommon in use... // Its a dangerous old practice - and if the calf was strong and quick - might wound the cow seriously - but keeping the calves shut up, in small ill lit and badly ventilated hovels for months on end - is a poor alternative. Few of the mountain grazing farms have buildings suitable for 'housing" stock.' //

1975-01-01 - 1999-12-31

Late-nineteenth century

Leather, Metal