The Truth about How Cows are Treated
“Every year in the United States, approximately 35 million cattle are raised for beef, 9 million cows for milk, and 450,000 calves for veal.” (The Humane Society) Like the chicken statistics, this number seemed like an enormous amount. The following passages are from the book Food, Ethics, and Society; an article from the Humane Society of the USA. Because of the nature of the facts, I have quoted most of this blog for the hope of sharing with you the pure facts of how cattle are treated in U.S. Industrial Animal Agriculture.
Living Conditions
“Most cattle raised for beef are castrated, de-horned, and branded, painful procedures often performed without any anesthesia. For seven months, calves graze on the range before they are transported to feedlots, where they are fattened on unnatural diets”(The Humane Society). Most Industrial Animal Farms feed their animals a diet of corn. With cattle being 4 chambered stomach animals, their usual diet of grass and vegetation is a natural detoxifying agent. The grass is able to rid the body of harmful substances that may find its way into the cow. Because the cows are not eating their normal vegetation, the stomach is unable to go through its normal detox cycle to get rid of the harmful substances. These substances are then pooped out and are dangerous for the spread of infection throughout the close quarters the cattle live in. This also contributes to the rapid spread of the manure into the waterways and lakes/rivers in the nearby areas (The Humane Society). Whereas the normal manure would help fertilize the vibrant land, it is now a toxic substance leaking into the water that we live so close to (The Humane Society). This toxic manure also forms a higher degree of methane which contributes to higher Green House gases emitted into the atmosphere (The Humane Society). Therefore, corn is not the ideal diet for these cattle, in my science based opinion.
Dairy Cows & Veal
“Cows in the dairy industry endure annual cycles of artificial insemination, mechanized milking for 10 out of 12 months, and giving birth. Many are routinely given hormones to increase milk yield”(The Humane Society). The amount of work the cattle expend per day is as John Webster says “immense.” He states that “to achieve a comparable high work rate a human would have to jog for about six hours a day, every day”(The Humane Society). Cows in the industry are usually killed after 5 years, whereas their normal life span ranges all the way to 20 years of life. This is so sad to me!
Additionally, “a byproduct of the dairy industry is a calf per year per cow”(The Humane Society). “According to a U.S. Department of Agriculture fact sheet, ‘male dairy calves are used in the veal industry… Dairy cows must give birth to continue producing milk, but male dairy calves are of little or no value to the dairy farmer.’ As a result, within their first few days of life, the calves are taken from their mothers. Females will likely join the dairy line, while some males are sold to veal farmers. Indeed, the veal industry would likely not exist without the dairy industry. Calves raised for veal are intensively confined and tethered in individual stalls so small they can’t turn around during their entire 16- to 18-week lives before slaughter. Veal crates are widely known for their inherent cruelty. As with conventional battery cages and gestation crates, veal crates are being phased out in Europe, yet are still in use in the United States, though some states and companies are beginning to phase them out”(The Humane Society).
Killing
“Within six months, the cattle reach market weight of 1,200 lbs and are trucked to slaughter. As with other animals to be killed for food, cattle are not given any food, water, or protection from the elements during the journey…Additionally, typically during or after transport, some cattle can have difficulty getting up from a recumbent position. Non ambulatory cattle—referred to as ‘downers’ by the industry—are animals who collapse for a variety of metabolic, infectious, toxic, and/or musculoskeletal reasons and are too sick or injured to stand or walk on their own”(The Humane Society). I have seen footage of cows being bulldozed by large machines for the farmers to get them where they want them to be… all while still being alive. This, again, makes me very sad.
My Conclusion
In conclusion, like the chickens that I have reviewed earlier, I cannot help but ask the question… is this how God would have wanted us to treat our animals? Although we may not intentionally support this type of treatment, we do support it in ways of giving our dollars to it… through buying the animals they mistreat. I hope that in sharing this information, you are better informed and educated on the Industrial Animal Agriculture we face. If we can spread awareness and help make change, let’s do it. The world needs who you are! Now go live intentional, whole lives worthy of your calling!
This information was sourced from this Humane Society Document inside the textbook Food, Ethics, and Society (PDF): https://www.humanesociety.org/sites/default/files/docs/hsus-report-welfare-animals-meat-egg-dairy-industry.pdf
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