About this website
The purpose of this website is to provide information/news about Veganism and animal abuse/welfare/rights. It is hoped this information will be used for research and prompt a consideration of why Veganism is so important, particularly at this time. While Veganism is concerned with diet and the environment, it must always be animal-centered. Veganism, which is not animal-centered, is not Veganism...
"Veganism is a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude—as far as is possible and practicable—all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of animals, humans and the environment. In dietary terms it denotes the practice of dispensing with all products derived wholly or partly from animals."
(Vegan Society)
The Future is Vegan...
The Dairy Industry
"Dairy cows are required to give birth to one calf annually in order to produce milk for 10 months of the year. They are usually artificially inseminated within three months of giving birth. Dairy cows can often only produce very high milk yields for an average of 3 years, after which they are slaughtered and the meat is normally used for beef...
Naturally, calves suckle from their mothers for up to a year, and maintain a strong bond with her for several years. However in commercial dairy farming, nearly all calves are taken away from their mother within hours of birth. This causes severe distress to both the cow and the calf, and has long-term effects on the calf’s physical and social development. Most female calves will be reared to join the milking herd but as male calves cannot produce milk, they are considered surplus to the dairy industry. Male calves will either be shot after birth, or sold to be reared for veal or beef. Calves destined for the meat industry may be transported for several days over long distances by road and/ship, to rearing facilities which may be in different countries."
Source and full article: https://www.ciwf.org.uk/farm-animals/cows/dairy-cows.
The farmer normally separates the calf from the cow within the first few days, so that the cow can be milked for human consumption. Cows typically give birth for the first time at about 2 – 3 years old. Calves are able to stand almost immediately after being born. The cow has a strong maternal instinct and is normally distressed by the removal of her calf. Both the calf and mother will make loud calls trying to locate each other and mother will make loud calls trying to locate each other after they are separated.
The slaughtering of cattle is normally performed at an abattoir but if a cow is injured on the farm and unable to travel, it may be shot on farm. Cows can be killed using several different methods: -
Non-penetrating captive bolt gun: A gun-like device is used for stunning and strikes the skull to induce unconsciousness; the throat is then cut. This is just used for calves as it is not effective enough for adult cattle.
Penetrating captive bolt gun: As above but it can also kill the animal as the rod penetrates the skull and destroys the brain. The throat is then cut to bleed the animal. This is commonly used for adult cattle.
Electrical stunning: electrodes are placed across the animal’s brain and a current is applied for a few seconds; once unconscious the throat is cut and the animal dies from blood loss. This is rarely used in cattle.
- Current EU legislation stipulates that animals must be stunned before slaughter however there is an exception for religious communities , to slaughter without pre stunning. The majority of animals killed in the UK for halal slaughter are stunned first, since many Muslims believe this is an acceptable part of the slaughter process. However, some religious slaughter is done without pre-stunning; animals killed for Halal or Kosher meat will have their throats cut while conscious and die from blood loss. In some countries animals may be killed by this method regardless of religion."
Source and full article: https://www.ciwf.org.uk/media/5235185/The-Life-of-Dairy-cows.pdf.
"Cows are highly social animals with a strict hierarchy. Within herds, the social structure is based on matriarchal families; mother cows and their daughters remain grooming and grazing partners for life and typically have very strong bonds with each other. Cows also form lifelong friendships with other cows to form a herd, and calves befriend other calves for the rest of their lives.
Just like humans, cows are extremely protective and caring of their offspring. They give birth in private and hide the calf in long grass out of sight for about a week before introducing the newborn to the rest of the herd. The herd approves the new member who then joins them. Female calves suckle from their mother for nine months and then stay together for the rest of their lives. Male calves suckle for about a year and then leave to join a bachelor herd...Studies have shown that cows enjoy problem-solving, recognise individual humans, play games and have a variety of vocal calls to communicate with one another. Cows have different personalities, hold grudges with one another, bicker, bond and form friendships that can last a literal lifetime...The process of AI (artificial insemination) is painful and traumatic for cows, who are forced into confined spaces to be impregnated. The farmer inserts one arm into the cow’s anus to manipulate her reproductive organs while an AI gun is inserted into her vagina to deposit sperm. This highly unnatural way of impregnation causes cows distress, particularly as any mishandling of her organs can lead to severe pain and nerve damage. Inexperienced farmers practise on live animals and this inevitably leads to injuries.
Following a nine-month pregnancy, the vast majority of calves are separated from their mother only hours or a few days after birth. The industry argues that this is for the health of the calf! They claim it better enables them to measure the amount of colostrum – a form of milk that precedes the main milk supply and which contains antibodies to protect newborns against disease. In reality, calves are removed so all the cow’s milk can be taken for human consumption.
The separation process is a painfully emotional experience, with mother cows bellowing for days, looking for their lost babies. Female calves are replacements for the milking herd and are moved to isolated plastic hutches – much like an outdoor dog kennel – sometimes just metres away from their mothers. Here they’ll legally spend up to eight weeks before being transferred to group housing with other young females awaiting a life sentence of suffering.
It is not uncommon to find calves of up to six months old still living in isolation, struggling to fit inside their hutches, which were designed for much smaller animals. On a farm in South Devon, footage obtained by Viva! Campaigns showed calves of more than 12 weeks old still living in solitary hutches with little room to turn around let alone exercise. They were without food, water and maternal nurturing.
If the calf is born a male, he is seen as a useless ‘by-product’ and either sold for cheap meat (beef as well as veal) or killed. A young calf at the centre of a 2011 Viva! Campaigns investigation into dairy farms supplying Cadbury, was shot in the head on the back of a truck and his body given to the local foxhounds for food. In 2015, industry figures stated 95,000 newborn male calves were shot on-farm and was later deemed ‘dairy’s dirty secret’. More recently, in 2020, an AHDB report estimated around 60,000 male calves were killed on-farm every year – which is about 15 per cent of all bull calves born on dairy farms...Unfortunately, many farms instead send baby calves to slaughter – 64,304 under one month old were killed in abattoirs in 2020.
After suffering their whole lives, worn out dairy cows often endure gruelling journeys to market, where they are likely to be bought and sent to fattening (finishing) farms before being slaughtered and ending up in low-quality beef products, such as pies, burgers, soups and baby food. After only a fraction of their natural 20-year life expectancy – mostly being slaughtered at around six years old – dairy cows are physically exhausted.
A penetrative captive bolt (it remains attached to the gun) is shot into the forehead of a cow, its percussive impact intended to render the cow immediately unconsciousness. She is then shackled by a hind leg and hoisted up when the slaughter worker will ‘stick’ her and sever both veins and arteries. The cow is then bled to death."
Source and full article: https://viva.org.uk/animals/cows/dairy-cows/.
Metro reported how Viva! undertook an investigation into a Welsh dairy farm and an investigator said: "In one particularly harrowing clip, I watched a poor cow get beaten 55 times, causing unimaginable distress. Unable to escape, she had to stand and endure the beating inflicted upon her simply for existing." The article also detailed how the investigators said they had found: "On average, the herd was whipped 75 times per milking". Additional video captured by Viva! "included one cow being whipped more than 55 times for seven minutes and some calves were taken from their mothers within 12 hours without having nutrient-rich colostrum (the first milk a mother produces) beforehand." In the case of lameness, this "appeared to be ‘significantly’ higher" than usual, "with one cow ‘so severely lame that she walked on three legs’. Others had ‘severely’ swollen udders which affected their ability to get around." The article also stated "Photographs...seen by Metro.co.uk show the body of a dairy cow on a dirt path by a fenced-up field. In front of it, a long trail of smeared blood is also in view. In two other photos that Viva! described as being ‘straight out of a horror film’, a dead calf can be seen lying on hay with most of its body having been eaten down to the bone. Its eyes and ears are also missing."
Source: https://metro.co.uk/2023/11/19/shocking-footage-shows-half-eaten-dead-cows-uk-dairy-farm-19788017/.
Articles about the dairy industry
10 dairy facts the industry doesn’t want you to know.
18 images big dairy doesn’t want you to see.
A big U.S. dairy farm exposed: Workers kick, punch & electrify cows.
Alleged animal abuse in US dairy sector under investigation.
Animal Equality disappointed by lenient sentence for dairy worker who violently beat cows and young calves.
Animals raised to produce milk.
BBC airs ‘Disturbing’ footage of dairy farm abusing mother cows and calves.
BBC hit with complaints over ‘heartbreaking’ Panorama documentary on cow abuse that left viewers ‘shocked to the core’.
Costa and Iceland milk supplier accused of 'rampant animal cruelty'.
Cows sexually abused, hit and punched at company owned by NFU deputy president, footage shows.
Cow’s milk: A cruel and unhealthy product.
Cruelty-free milk and cheese: Are they really humane?
Cruelty to cows exposed: The true cost of milk.
Dairy – bad for animals and the planet.
Dairy exposé reveals abuse on farm supplying Nestlé.
Dairy's dark secret.
Dairy’s ‘dirty secret’: it's still cheaper to kill male calves than to rear them.
Dairy’s lameness epidemic in the UK.
Dehorning: Dairy’s dark secret.
How is the dairy industry cruel to animals?
Inside the dairy industry.
Investigation: Extreme violence and neglect filmed on UK dairy farm.
Is dairy farming cruel to bright and emotional cows? Dairy harms animals and the planet—and alternatives are widely available.
Is there such a thing asaAn ‘Ethical dairy farm’?
Milk madness: The torment of dairy cows.
Suffering in the dairy industry.
Ten things you should know about dairy…
The dairy industry.
The dairy industry is trying to outlaw plant-based “milk” labels—again.
Undercover footage reveals evidence of animal abuse on farm.
Undercover investigator goes public to reveal animal cruelty on California dairy farm.
What does the dairy industry mean to baby cows?
Why is the dairy industry cruel?
Also: The farce of "Red Tractor" accreditation. See also reports by BBC, Mirror, Independent, and Peta.
Videos
Animal Aid : Where does milk come from?
Animal Equality exposes shocking cruelty at cattle markets.
BBC Panorama shows extreme abuse in the dairy industry.
Dairy destroys families.
Dairy investigation exposes heartbreaking cruelty to cows.
Motherhood and the dairy industry.
Organic dairy farm investigation.
The dairy industry.
The dairy industry in 360 degrees.
The truth about the milk industry.
UK dairy farm investigation 2017.
What does the dairy industry mean to baby cows?
Why you should ditch dairy.
