Dairy Cows and Veal Calves

Most times when I get into a debate about vegetarianism and veganism I find myself having to highlight what happens to dairy cows. Now most vegetarians I speak to immediately understand why I no longer drink milk or eat cheese for example. It sounds strange but most vegetarians do not realise that by consuming dairy they are still part of a process which causes animals distress, pain and death. I am still learning new horrors about the way we dominate and torture animals, for example in the article below I found out that veal cows are kept anaemic so that their meat will be whiter. So not only are they kept in small crates but are fed mainly a liquid diet that gives them diarrhea and suffer from iron deficiency. So these are animals who have been stolen from their mothers and subjected to a life of misery, pain and have a, maybe thankfully in that situation, a short life. I was told by quite an arrogant person recently that if people didn’t eat cows there would be too many cows - it’s a common response to veganism - yet last night I read in the news that David Attenborough had joined an organisation to try and limit human population becasue the growth is unsustainable. Should we start eating humans? Yes, I know, it’s a silly argument but there are ways to stop this suffering. I believe most people have compassion. Am I wrong? By the way the picture is of Rhona, our adopted Farm Animal Sanctuary Cow.

Dairy Cows

Dairy cows have it even worse than cattle raised for flesh food. To continue to give milk, dairy cows must be kept pregnant every year by artificial insemination. A metal syringe is shoved in their vagina, and bull semen is inserted. She is not even allowed a natural conception, or interaction with a bull.

The calves are taken at birth, a traumatizing experience for both. (Read the veal calves section to what happens to them after they are taken.) After the calf is taken from the mother, she often bellows incessantly for days.

She is constantly hooked up to a milking machine, in a solitary pen, with only enough room to stand and lie down. She can not walk or move. Milking machines are automated, and other machines feed the cows. Even the light in the factory is artificially automated, to get the most milk from the cow. They are milked several times a day, causing their teats to become swollen, sore, and sometimes infected. When a dairy cow has stopped producing milk, she goes to slaughter.

Veal Calves

Many people who are not vegetarians will not eat veal because of the cruel and inhumane way in which they are raised. Veal calves suffer from the worst confinement of all animals that are raised for flesh food. From it’s first day to it’s last, the life of a “milk-fed” veal calf is one of deprivation, stress, and disease.
Veal factories take newborn male calves from their mothers and chain them in crates measuring only 22″ wide and 54″ long. This is where they will spend their entire lives. In this tiny space they cannot walk, turn around or even lay down in a natural position. To prevent muscle development and speed weight gain, the calves are allowed absolutely no exercise.

To obtain the light colored meat sold as “milk-fed” veal, calves are deliberately kept anemic. They are denied any form of iron, so that their flesh will be “white”. They are kept in virtual darkness. They are never fed solid food therefore they suffer from chronic diarrhea. They are never allowed to drink water, and in a futile attempt to quench their thirst, the calves gain weight quickly by drinking more of their drug-laced liquid feed.

The calves are slaughtered at about 4 months old. They wouldn’t live much longer anyway because of their iron-deficient diet.

THANK YOU SO MUCH TO WWW.JUSTEATVEGGIES.COM FOR THIS INFROTMATIVE YET UPSETTING INFORMATION.