“Exposing the 'dirty secrets' of the dairy industry? Or is it just twisted truths? Let’s explore the dirty tactics behind veganism.
Vegan claim 1) ‘Calves are removed immediately from their mothers so they can take all her milk and make profits.’ = -I wouldn’t say this was a hidden aspect of the dairy industry, this is mainstream and often an essential part in maintaining animal health and safety. A dairy cow produces more than enough milk for her calf, a calf simply couldn’t keep up with the supply on its own, so yes she is milked and the milk makes profits (ideally) which is the whole point of the industry. Dairy cows, particularly Holstein Friesians, are notoriously bad dams, many will often become agitated and aggressive with a new born calf or even simply not bother at all and display no maternal instincts. So for the safety of the calf it is removed and then monitored to ensure it takes adequate amounts of colostrum to give it the best start in life.
Each farm and farmer is different of course, depending on their livestock breeds and personal preferences they may choose to run a calf at foot dairy where calves stay with their dams, making this a suitable alternative to people who have issues with calf removal from dams. Either way, both methods are perfectly fine and have the interests of the animals in mind.
Vegan claim 2) ‘Calf and mother mourn and cry for each other days after.’ -Each cow is different, many typically do not care for their calf and carry on with life as they were, chewing their cud, socialising with their herd mates. As long as they’re with their herd and have food they are happy bovines. The calves as long as they are warm and fed are also disinterested about the absence of a dam. It also must be noted that bovine, instinctively being prey animals, do not grieve the way a human would, as such intense emotions are not evolutionary advantageous when predators are taking herd members and young frequently in the wild.
Vegan claim 3) ‘Dairy cows are strapped to a rape rack and artificially in seminated so she is forced to have a baby every year.’ -It is much safer to artificially inseminate (AI) a cow rather than have a bull do it, AI eliminates the need for a potentially dangerous bull, the cow may otherwise be harmed by the bull mounting her, and she'll highly likely be in calf when done via AI. The cow is only inseminated when in estrus, thus she is wanting to be in calf and will stand willingly to be inseminated as she would to being mounted by a bull. She does not feel violated or abused by any means and is certainly without a doubt not traumatised by the experience, therefore it is not comparable to rape and is highly offensive and degrading to rape victims to even suggest it is. Bovine cows in the wild will naturally become in calf yearly every time they are is in estrus, so being in calf yearly isn’t actually as bad as it seems when relating it to domesticated bovine.
Vegan claim 4) ‘Male babies are shot shortly after birth as they’re useless to the industry, the females following their mothers into the cruel dairy cycle.’ -Male calves are no good for milk production that’s correct, but they’re good for beef. It is not economically viable to kill males at birth, some are then reared for veal, which however is low in demand, so most are actually reared into adulthood and then go into making beef, and if you’re not vegan or vegetarian etc, then this point shouldn’t trouble you. Heifers will indeed join their dams in the dairy herd and live out their milking lives there or on another dairy.
Vegan claim 5) ‘A cow is so exhausted from her life of milk producing that at the age of about 5 she will stop producing milk and will be sent to slaughter.’= Dairy cows can spend years on a dairy producing milk, many to the age of 10, some even reaching the age of 15 or over, but when their upkeep becomes unprofitable, as a business to continue to efficiently operate, spent cows must indeed leave the herd and be sent to the abattoir, where her meat will be used in animal foods such as dog and cat food. Each farmer is different and I have heard of some making exceptions for their favourite cows and allowing them to continue living out their days there on the farm. ----------------------------- So in a nutshell there's nothing wrong with these dairy farming practices and there is nothing really to ‘expose.’ The majority of farmers will passionately care for their livestock because, yes they do care for animals, as well as knowing that healthy and happy cattle with produce the best produce in order for them to continue on making a living. Propaganda must be used as a weapon by the animal activists in order to gain attention and support to their cause otherwise they have no leg to stand on. It's not dairy farmers that need exposing, it's the untruthful animal activists that can do nothing but lie and twist the truths of an already struggling industry. It must also be remembered that when discussing animals and livestock they must be referred to as such, humanising animals is illogical as they are indeed not human and it clearly establishes a individuals lack of expertise and knowledge in the field and thus they should not be taken seriously. So if you have any questions or welfare issues regarding the dairy industry then there’s no one really more qualified and experienced to ask than a dairy farmer. Don’t take it from the self accredited animal activists with Google degrees, because they know as much as you do -perhaps even less. If it's possible go to a dairy farm yourself, volunteer if you can, and see what goes on for yourself.” #Februdairy #teamdairy Many thanks to Livestock save the planet for the myth busting
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