Διαστήματα Ηλιοφάνειας: Did you know my mother? Part 1

Παρασκευή 11 Ιουλίου 2014

Did you know my mother? Part 1

PART 1: Facts

Vial (1) is the meat of young cattle (calves), in contrast to the beef from older cattle. Though veal can be produced from a calf of either sex and any breed, most veal comes from male calves (bull calves) of dairy cattle breeds. The veal industry is a direct byproduct of the dairy industry and depends on it for survival, as all veal calves are the male offspring of dairy cows. People often ask vegans why they abstain from dairy products, seeing as the animal isn't killed without thinking that dairy cows must be re-impregnated annually to continue producing milk. Half of the new born calves are male. And despite almost universal public opposition, hundreds of thousands of calves raised for veal are intensively confined in individual crates too narrow for them even to turn around. Even the American Veterinary Medical Association says that calves should be able to turn around and the American Veal Association - the veal industry's trade group - "recommends that the entire veal industry convert to the group housing methodology." Even Randy Strauss, CEO of Strauss Veal (US's largest veal producer) calls veal crates "inhumane and archaic" and says they "do nothing more than subject a calf to stress, fear, physical harm and pain".

A veal crate is a wooden, plastic or metal cage in which a calf is confined for his entire life, which is typically eight to sixteen weeks. The crate is barely larger than the calf's body, and too small for the animal to turn around. Calves are also sometimes tethered so that they don't move around too much, which keeps the flesh tender. Tethered by their necks to further restrict their movement, they're virtually immobilized for their entire 16-week long lives. Unfortunately, this confinement is common in the veal industry, despite overwhelming scientific evidence that it's inhumane and at odds with public opinion. Veal crates are now illegal in the UK and the EU – but are still in use in other parts of the world, including the US. In Great Britain very few calves are reared for veal due to low demand for this meat. As a result, a large number are killed shortly after birth or maybe exported to the continent. Within the EU, thousands of calves are transported on long journeys to veal farms in countries such as the Netherlands from countries as far away as Poland and Ireland.

Over the past 50 years, animal agriculture has evolved from small, family farms to large corporate factory farming systems. Before the industrialization of agriculture, husbandry was a respectable profession that did not involve thousands of tons of synthetic chemicals, antibiotics, or growth hormones. What this form of agriculture has evolved into would be virtually unrecognizable to the farmers of a time long past. Today, being a farmer does not mean carefully tending to a diverse mix of animals and crops or require any special knowledge of natural cycles. Modern agribusiness corporations are built upon the cutthroat attitude of increasing profit margins at all costs. Factory farming is one of the most deplorable inventions by humankind. Today, a factory farmer can only be described as a glorified prison guard.

To read Part 2, go here

Relative link: Humanimal / Greek Activists For Animal Rights ΓΙΑ ΤΟ ΓΑΛΑ (Fb)

Μilk comes from a grieving mother

Το γάλα προέρχεται από μια μητέρα που πενθεί

- Welfare issues for dairy cows: ciwf.com, awionline.org, fao.org, efsa.europa.eu1, efsa.europa.eu2

- Separation of mothers & new-born calf – time for an ethical alternative: In order to produce more milk for consumers, cows are kept regularly pregnant and their calves are taken away from them within minutes to several hours after birth. The calves then spend several weeks all alone in individual boxes. The scientific research project run by the Louis Bolk Institute “Calf with the Mother” (1) is following an alternative management system that provides significant ethical advantages. A number of Dutch dairy farmers have decided to keep the calves with their mothers for several months after birth. They believe that it is traumatic for the mother and calf to be separated from each other so quickly, and remaining together is necessary for the healthy social development of all the animals in the herd. On these farms, the calves begin their weaning process from their mothers at 2.5 months of age and complete it at 3.5 months. Read more at animal-welfare-2 / Archive scientific by Eyes on Animals, at http://www.eyesonanimals.com/resources/archive-scientific/

- κλειστή συζήτηση στο facebook.com/groups/e.ktiniatroi

10 Dairy Facts the Industry Doesn’t Want You to Know

Filikaki

"I am as a dolphin born into a concrete pool; who has never known anything better yet yearns for the open sea; Perhaps a seabird's feather once landed in my pool; and instinct knew the odour of the place where I should be"...

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