Kalvø is a small uninhabited island in the southern part of

Guldborgsund Guldborgsund is the strait between the Danish islands of Lolland and Falster. It connects Smålandsfarvandet in the north with the Bay of Mecklenburg in the south. The strait is about 30 kilometers long; its breadth varies from 150 meters a ...

, the

strait A strait is a water body connecting two seas or water basins. The surface water is, for the most part, at the same elevation on both sides and flows through the strait in both directions, even though the topography generally constricts the ...

between the Danish islands of

Lolland Lolland (; formerly spelled ''Laaland'', literally "low land") is the List of islands of Denmark#List of 100 largest Danish islands, fourth largest island of Denmark, with an area of . Located in the Kattegat, Belts and Sund area, it is part of Re ...

and

Falster Falster () is an island in south-eastern Denmark with an area of and 43,398 inhabitants as of 1 January 2010.

. Its highest point is above sea level. The 29.4 hectare

protected area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural or cultural values. Protected areas are those areas in which human presence or the exploitation of natural resources (e.g. firewood ...

of Kalvø- Hasselø was created by Conservation Order in 1980, and access is prohibited during the bird breeding season.

Description

Kalvø itself covers an area of . Today, with its grassy expanses and waterholes of various sizes, it is used for grazing young cattle during the summer months. It used to belong to farmers from Hasselø, the land being divided up into 12 parts. In 1700, there was already a law regulating the grazing of cattle on Kalvø and a similar law still exists today. There are also regulations to ensure the island's grasslands are not invaded by forest. The whole of Kalvø is a protected area. Access is forbidden from 15 March to 15 July when birds are breeding and raising their young.Elo West Larsen, "Kalvene på Kalvø"
''Folketidene'', 2 June 2007. Retrieved 9 December 2012. The rules of protection specify that Kalvø should maintain its grasslands for cattle grazing and that there should be no buildings or tents of any type, in the protected area. Chemicals may not be used to combat weeds or pests."Fredning i Storstrøms Amt: Hasselø samt øen Kalvø"
Danmarks Naturfredningsforening. Retrieved 9 December 2012.

Summer grazing

One of the advantages of keeping cattle on the island during the summer months is that there is no need for fencing. In addition, there is usually more than enough grass for the relatively few cattle grazing there. On the other hand, it is not easy to transport them to the island or to carry out the regular checks that are required. If the summer is exceptionally dry, there may not be enough grass. There are also risks of the animals contracting

mastitis Mastitis is inflammation of the breast or udder, usually associated with breastfeeding. Symptoms typically include local pain and redness. There is often an associated fever and general soreness. Onset is typically fairly rapid and usually occ ...

which can be borne by insects attracted by the watery area. As for transport to the island, the cattle are brought over in a small barge, three or four at a time, a process which often causes a soaking for the farmers as well as for the cattle.

References

Danish islands in the Baltic Geography of Guldborgsund Municipality Uninhabited islands of Denmark {{Denmark-island-stub