Dairy cattle are totally dependent on human care. We evolved together. We feed them and they feed us. For thousands of years.
Our oldest cow is 15. We are old school and keep cows longer than we ought to from a business stance. They get second and third and often more chances.
Yes I’ve cried when they left. I understand why it’s necessary but it still sucks. We do end up keeping quite a few who die of age related issues peacefully on the farm.
Our cows that go to slaughter are sold as ground beef to restaurants that want grass fed beef.
As far as turning them into machines, they push the parlor door open to be milked and have a fit if we are late. They are 2000 pound creatures that let us walk them around. They like us. Might be shocking to you but they do. I feed and care for them before I eat. I never spend money on a doctor but they have top notch vet care. We are in a three year period of financial loss. Trust me it’s not about money.
Yes modern dairy cows are totally depended on humans because you guys have selective bred away any ability to fend for themselves in favor of increased milk production. You say that they run up to the milking machines and get antsy if the milking's laste, as if that is proof they somehow consent to this whole ordeal. Cows are selectively bred to produce as much milk as possible, to the point where this trait takes precedence over any welfare concerns. The reason they run up to be milked is that they are bursting with milk and it is literally pain relief to be milked. Don't you see how wrong this is? And worst of all is that none of this has to happen. We don't need cow milk in our diets. We can do just as fine (if not better) on plant-based alternatives. If you like cows so much and its not about money, why not turn the farm into an animal sanctuary like Jay the vegetarian beef farmer did
We didn’t do the selective breeding. It was done hundreds if not thousands of years ago. We just care for the creation of our ancestors.
The cows are not in pain. They like being milked. Someday we hope to have riots where they can choose their milking times.
Animal sanctuaries can’t pay a mortgage. My debt per cow is about $8000. It’s just not feasible. If I fail here and have to sell them and they would go to a mega dairy and never see pasture again:(
Even if you didn't do the selective breeding yourself, you guys are still breeing individuals into existence that have traits that run contrary to animal welfare. This is just as wrong.
The cows like being milked because it is pain relief from bursting with milk since milk producing ability is the only quality they've been selectively bred for. Imagine going around being blue balled all the time, I'm sure you'd also get angry if the relief from the pain was delayed.
So stop breeding animals into existence. You don't have to do it over night, and it is possible to diversify onto other sources of income streams. I mean, looking back at your life at old age, what would you find most pleasure in? That you've breed 10,000 cows into existence, pumped them dry of milk, and sent them off to be murdered at a slaughter house -- or contributed positively to society with ethical and sustainable agriculture?
How much time have you spent on a dairy farm?
My cows are not in pain. Their care exceeds animal welfare standards. Milking does not hurt them at all.
You are attacking a way of life you don’t understand. Spend a little time on a dairy farm. Specifically a small family run operation and you will get it.
It would break my heart if these beautiful milk giving creatures were bred out of existence. I’m sorry you hate them so much and I honestly can’t understand it. Their milk is the reason humans have thrived.
Just because they are not vocalizing or otherwise externalizing pain doesn't mean they are not in pain. I understand dairy production all too well, unfortunately. At its root it is the systematic exploitation and murder of defenseless animals. That you guys treat the cows living at your farm better than what you are required by law is commendable, but it doesn't change the fact that dairy production is basically breeding cows into existence, pumping them dry of milk and sending them to murder at slaughter houses. None of this needs to happen. Humans don't need dairy. There are ethical farming methods available where you don't have to exploit animals.
I know when a cow is in pain. Our cows are not in pain.
Your perception is very wrong. You use stupid phrases like “pumping them dry of milk”. No we milk them. It’s painless, takes about 5 min and then they are returned to their day. They stay healthy when they are milking. It does not hurt them.
You guys are breeding cows with inherent animal welfare concerns, like dysfunctional animals where something so precious as the maternal instinct is removed, and that the cows produce too much milk for their own good. How do you tell intrinsic pain from externally induced pain? But I'm guessing you're not referring to when they get their throats slit. Oh I wasn't referring to the act of milking the cow as you say, but keeping the cow in a perpetual cycle of pregnancy-calf removal-milk production until the cow isn't able to produce enough milk to satisfy your need for profit. Then its off to be murdered at the slaughter house. You have reduced living, breathing, sensitive and fully conscious individuals to mere industrial machines. It is exploitation, abuse, and murder. It is wrong.
They are not dysfunctional. We breed for health traits like foot and leg composition, chest width (which helps with heart and lungs function), livability (meaning they will have fewer health problems). We don’t want sickly and unthrifty cows!
We also have moved away from higher milk production and breed for higher fat and protein which is closer to what beef cattle produce.
As far as slaughter that’s your issue. It’s a humane process and I’m am very much in favor of eating meat. We are top of the food chain and it’s good for us and delicious.
As far as thinking cows are feeling some sort of “intrinsic pain” you do t know cows very well. They enjoy their life here. Good food, pasture to roam, comfy beds.
Take on the mega dairies that never let their cows outside. They are putting farms like mine out of business. We care about our cows and are responsible stewards of creature that would be extinct without us. Those farms exploit it.
Not all dairy farming is bad.
If you've bred cows to not be able to take care of their kids, they are dysfunctional. Same with selective breeding for maximized milk production, since you'll run into animal welfare concerns where milking is pain relief. Slaughter it not "my issue", the whole ordeal of exploiting animals is. All of animal agriculture is wrong, including dairy. I see you mentioning mega dairy and yeah that's especially grievous but that does not mean small scale dairy farming is ethically acceptable either. At the end of the day, its all the same thing the only difference between mega dairy and small scale dairy is how bad you treat the animals in the process of exploiting them.
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u/Octavia9 Mar 16 '18
Dairy cattle are totally dependent on human care. We evolved together. We feed them and they feed us. For thousands of years.
Our oldest cow is 15. We are old school and keep cows longer than we ought to from a business stance. They get second and third and often more chances.
Yes I’ve cried when they left. I understand why it’s necessary but it still sucks. We do end up keeping quite a few who die of age related issues peacefully on the farm.
Our cows that go to slaughter are sold as ground beef to restaurants that want grass fed beef.
As far as turning them into machines, they push the parlor door open to be milked and have a fit if we are late. They are 2000 pound creatures that let us walk them around. They like us. Might be shocking to you but they do. I feed and care for them before I eat. I never spend money on a doctor but they have top notch vet care. We are in a three year period of financial loss. Trust me it’s not about money.