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The dairy industry suffers from many of the
same humane concerns as the beef industry:
surgical procedures like castration and dehorning without anesthesia
and pain medication, stressful transportation and inhumane
slaughter. Yet, this industry possesses many
unique humane concerns. Many dairy cattle are confined to tie- Mastitis, infection of the udders, is thought to affect almost half of the dairy cows in the US. This is directly related to increase in production of milk by the modern dairy cow due to selective breeding and hormones like Bovine Growth Hormone (BGH). It is common for modern dairy cows to produce 100 pounds of milk a day -- ten times more than they would produce in nature. The
most horrendous aspect of the dairy industry is its spinoff,
the veal industry. This industry arose due to the male calves'
inability to produce milk and their uselessness to the dairy
industry. Day old calves are taken from their mother and sold
into the veal industry. They are chained in small crates and
deprived of the most basic social |
stalls,
which are highly restrictive housing systems that keep the
cow tied to one place for a long period of time. These stalls
are commonly covered in the cow’s excrement and minimize
the cow’s
normal social behavior and basic physical needs for moving around
and grazing.
behavior
for approximately sixteen weeks before they are slaughtered.
They experience chronic stress, abnormal coping behavior and
stereotypical behavior. Veal calves are also fed an all liquid
milk-substitute, which is purposely deficient in iron and fiber
that can produce anemia. This strict confinement and deficient
diet makes veal tender and pale in appearance. Some veal calves
are slaughtered at just a few hours or days old.