I don't know how this info applies or if it applies to Radiance Dairy. I am
sure the cattle are happier in that setting than in most dairies, but if the
cows have to stay preggers and if the calves are sold to veal or other beef
producers....seems like its one of those things the organic dairy industry
glosses over.
--------------------------------------------
On Mon, 4/28/14, awoelfleba...@yahoo.com <awoelfleba...@yahoo.com> wrote:
Subject: Re: [FairfieldLife] Heaven on Earth for all Mankind
To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com
Date: Monday, April 28, 2014, 4:13 AM
---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com,
<mjackson74@...> wrote :
More than 9.3 million
cows were used to produce milk in the United States in 2008,
and more than 2.5 million dairy cows were slaughtered for
meat. Cows used by the dairy industry are intensively
confined, continually impregnated, and bred for high milk
production with little concern for their well-being. Far
from being the “happy cows” the industry makes them out
to be, these typically playful, nurturing animals endure
immense suffering on factory farms.
Like all mammals, dairy cows must be impregnated in order to
produce milk. Cows in the dairy industry spend their lives
in a constant cycle of impregnation, birth, and milking with
just a few short months of rest between pregnancies.
Nearly all cows used for dairy in the U.S. are eventually
slaughtered for human consumption. At an average of less
than 5 years of age, exhausted cows are considered
“spent” and sent to slaughter, and millions of them are
eaten by Americans as hamburger. In a natural setting, a cow
can live more than 20 years.
Usually just within hours of birth, calves are taken away
from their mothers. Calves can become so distressed from
separation that they become sick, lose weight from not
eating, and cry so much that their throats become raw.
Because male calves will not grow up to produce milk, they
are considered of little value to the dairy farmer and are
sold for meat. Millions of these calves are taken away to be
raised for beef. Hundreds of thousands of other male calves
born into the dairy industry are raised for veal. Many
people consider veal to be cruel, but they don’t realize
that veal production is a product of the dairy industry.
In the vast majority of dairy operations in the U.S., cows
spend their lives indoors, typically on hard, abrasive
concrete floors, frequently connected to a milking
apparatus.
In 2007, the average cow in the dairy industry was forced to
produce more than 20,000 lbs. of milk in one year — more
than double the milk produced 40 years before. Breeding cows
for this unnaturally high level of milk production, combined
with damage caused to the udders by milking machines,
contributes to high levels of mastitis, a very common and
very painful swelling of glands of the udder.
In the name of increased milk production and profit, some
dairy cows are repeatedly injected with bovine growth
hormone, a genetically-engineered hormone that has been
shown to increase the risk of health problems like mastitis
and lameness.
Arguing that it improves hygiene, dairy producers cut off
cows’ tails, called “tail docking,” either by placing
a tight rubber ring around the tail until it falls off or by
cutting it off with a sharp instrument. Each method causes
chronic pain. Cows use their tail to swish away flies and
can suffer immensely during fly season.
Investigations have found that cows who collapse because
they are too sick or injured to walk or stand, known as
“downers” by the industry, are routinely prodded,
dragged, and pushed around slaughter facilities.
Cows Used for Meat
In 2010, 34.2 million cattle were slaughtered for beef in
the United States. Often beginning their short lives on
rangeland, calves are soon separated from their nurturing
mothers and endure a series of painful mutilations. Before
they are a year old, young calves endure a long and
stressful journey to a feedlot, where they are fattened on
an unnatural diet until they reach “market weight” and
are sent to slaughter.
After being taken from their mother, calves’ cries can be
so intense that their throats become irritated.
Calves raised for beef may be subject to a number of painful
mutilations, including dehorning, castration, and branding.
Even though each of these procedures is known to cause fear
and pain, pain relief is rarely provided.
Because it is thought to improve meat quality and
tenderness, male calves are castrated at a young age.
Methods include removing testicles surgically with a
scalpel, crushing spermatic cords with a clamp, and
constricting blood flow to the scrotum until testicles die
and fall off. Each method is known to cause pain that can
last for days.
Cattle in the U.S. are often branded by having an iron
hotter than 950 °F pressed into their skin for several
seconds. This is done so that beef producers can identify
cattle and claim ownership.
Between 6 months and a year of age, cattle are moved from
pasture to feedlots to be fattened for slaughter. Calves
gain weight on an unnatural diet and reach “market
weight” of 1,200 pounds in just 6 months.
The majority of cattle are fattened in feedlots in just four
U.S. states. Since calves are born all over the country,
they often endure long and stressful trips from their place
of birth to these states without food, water, or protection
from the elements
Once they reach “market weight,” cattle in the beef
industry are trucked to slaughter. The Humane Methods of
Slaughter Act requires that livestock be rendered insensible
to pain before shackling and slaughter; however,
investigations have found that some animals are still
conscious when they are shackled and have their throats
cut.
Thanks for
this post Michael. I don't know how many people at FFL
eat cows but they need to know this. And they need to know
the cost of dairy in terms of lives. I don't eat cows. I
eat organic dairy but it is dairy nevertheless and that
means I am ingesting a milk product nature intended for a
baby cow. That baby cow is being denied that milk so that I,
a fully grown adult mammal, can have ice cream, milk on my
cereal or yoghurt. It would appear I am being very selfish
and uncaring in doing so.
#yiv2323427450 #yiv2323427450 --
#yiv2323427450ygrp-mkp {
border:1px solid #d8d8d8;font-family:Arial;margin:10px
0;padding:0 10px;}
#yiv2323427450 #yiv2323427450ygrp-mkp hr {
border:1px solid #d8d8d8;}
#yiv2323427450 #yiv2323427450ygrp-mkp #yiv2323427450hd {
color:#628c2a;font-size:85%;font-weight:700;line-height:122%;margin:10px
0;}
#yiv2323427450 #yiv2323427450ygrp-mkp #yiv2323427450ads {
margin-bottom:10px;}
#yiv2323427450 #yiv2323427450ygrp-mkp .yiv2323427450ad {
padding:0 0;}
#yiv2323427450 #yiv2323427450ygrp-mkp .yiv2323427450ad p {
margin:0;}
#yiv2323427450 #yiv2323427450ygrp-mkp .yiv2323427450ad a {
color:#0000ff;text-decoration:none;}
#yiv2323427450 #yiv2323427450ygrp-sponsor
#yiv2323427450ygrp-lc {
font-family:Arial;}
#yiv2323427450 #yiv2323427450ygrp-sponsor
#yiv2323427450ygrp-lc #yiv2323427450hd {
margin:10px
0px;font-weight:700;font-size:78%;line-height:122%;}
#yiv2323427450 #yiv2323427450ygrp-sponsor
#yiv2323427450ygrp-lc .yiv2323427450ad {
margin-bottom:10px;padding:0 0;}
#yiv2323427450 #yiv2323427450actions {
font-family:Verdana;font-size:11px;padding:10px 0;}
#yiv2323427450 #yiv2323427450activity {
background-color:#e0ecee;float:left;font-family:Verdana;font-size:10px;padding:10px;}
#yiv2323427450 #yiv2323427450activity span {
font-weight:700;}
#yiv2323427450 #yiv2323427450activity span:first-child {
text-transform:uppercase;}
#yiv2323427450 #yiv2323427450activity span a {
color:#5085b6;text-decoration:none;}
#yiv2323427450 #yiv2323427450activity span span {
color:#ff7900;}
#yiv2323427450 #yiv2323427450activity span
.yiv2323427450underline {
text-decoration:underline;}
#yiv2323427450 .yiv2323427450attach {
clear:both;display:table;font-family:Arial;font-size:12px;padding:10px
0;width:400px;}
#yiv2323427450 .yiv2323427450attach div a {
text-decoration:none;}
#yiv2323427450 .yiv2323427450attach img {
border:none;padding-right:5px;}
#yiv2323427450 .yiv2323427450attach label {
display:block;margin-bottom:5px;}
#yiv2323427450 .yiv2323427450attach label a {
text-decoration:none;}
#yiv2323427450 blockquote {
margin:0 0 0 4px;}
#yiv2323427450 .yiv2323427450bold {
font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;font-weight:700;}
#yiv2323427450 .yiv2323427450bold a {
text-decoration:none;}
#yiv2323427450 dd.yiv2323427450last p a {
font-family:Verdana;font-weight:700;}
#yiv2323427450 dd.yiv2323427450last p span {
margin-right:10px;font-family:Verdana;font-weight:700;}
#yiv2323427450 dd.yiv2323427450last p
span.yiv2323427450yshortcuts {
margin-right:0;}
#yiv2323427450 div.yiv2323427450attach-table div div a {
text-decoration:none;}
#yiv2323427450 div.yiv2323427450attach-table {
width:400px;}
#yiv2323427450 div.yiv2323427450file-title a, #yiv2323427450
div.yiv2323427450file-title a:active, #yiv2323427450
div.yiv2323427450file-title a:hover, #yiv2323427450
div.yiv2323427450file-title a:visited {
text-decoration:none;}
#yiv2323427450 div.yiv2323427450photo-title a,
#yiv2323427450 div.yiv2323427450photo-title a:active,
#yiv2323427450 div.yiv2323427450photo-title a:hover,
#yiv2323427450 div.yiv2323427450photo-title a:visited {
text-decoration:none;}
#yiv2323427450 div#yiv2323427450ygrp-mlmsg
#yiv2323427450ygrp-msg p a span.yiv2323427450yshortcuts {
font-family:Verdana;font-size:10px;font-weight:normal;}
#yiv2323427450 .yiv2323427450green {
color:#628c2a;}
#yiv2323427450 .yiv2323427450MsoNormal {
margin:0 0 0 0;}
#yiv2323427450 o {
font-size:0;}
#yiv2323427450 #yiv2323427450photos div {
float:left;width:72px;}
#yiv2323427450 #yiv2323427450photos div div {
border:1px solid
#666666;height:62px;overflow:hidden;width:62px;}
#yiv2323427450 #yiv2323427450photos div label {
color:#666666;font-size:10px;overflow:hidden;text-align:center;white-space:nowrap;width:64px;}
#yiv2323427450 #yiv2323427450reco-category {
font-size:77%;}
#yiv2323427450 #yiv2323427450reco-desc {
font-size:77%;}
#yiv2323427450 .yiv2323427450replbq {
margin:4px;}
#yiv2323427450 #yiv2323427450ygrp-actbar div a:first-child {
margin-right:2px;padding-right:5px;}
#yiv2323427450 #yiv2323427450ygrp-mlmsg {
font-size:13px;font-family:Arial, helvetica, clean,
sans-serif;}
#yiv2323427450 #yiv2323427450ygrp-mlmsg table {
font-size:inherit;font:100%;}
#yiv2323427450 #yiv2323427450ygrp-mlmsg select,
#yiv2323427450 input, #yiv2323427450 textarea {
font:99% Arial, Helvetica, clean, sans-serif;}
#yiv2323427450 #yiv2323427450ygrp-mlmsg pre, #yiv2323427450
code {
font:115% monospace;}
#yiv2323427450 #yiv2323427450ygrp-mlmsg * {
line-height:1.22em;}
#yiv2323427450 #yiv2323427450ygrp-mlmsg #yiv2323427450logo {
padding-bottom:10px;}
#yiv2323427450 #yiv2323427450ygrp-msg p a {
font-family:Verdana;}
#yiv2323427450 #yiv2323427450ygrp-msg
p#yiv2323427450attach-count span {
color:#1E66AE;font-weight:700;}
#yiv2323427450 #yiv2323427450ygrp-reco
#yiv2323427450reco-head {
color:#ff7900;font-weight:700;}
#yiv2323427450 #yiv2323427450ygrp-reco {
margin-bottom:20px;padding:0px;}
#yiv2323427450 #yiv2323427450ygrp-sponsor #yiv2323427450ov
li a {
font-size:130%;text-decoration:none;}
#yiv2323427450 #yiv2323427450ygrp-sponsor #yiv2323427450ov
li {
font-size:77%;list-style-type:square;padding:6px 0;}
#yiv2323427450 #yiv2323427450ygrp-sponsor #yiv2323427450ov
ul {
margin:0;padding:0 0 0 8px;}
#yiv2323427450 #yiv2323427450ygrp-text {
font-family:Georgia;}
#yiv2323427450 #yiv2323427450ygrp-text p {
margin:0 0 1em 0;}
#yiv2323427450 #yiv2323427450ygrp-text tt {
font-size:120%;}
#yiv2323427450 #yiv2323427450ygrp-vital ul li:last-child {
border-right:none !important;
}
#yiv2323427450
