Practical - Index > To Do - Index > Education > Teaching Children

DAIRY COWS

 
Many people do not think that there is cruelty involved in the dairy industry. They believe that cows produce milk anyway so drinking their milk cannot cause any harm. This is not quite right.
  
Just like any other mammal (including humans), female cows will only produce milk (called lactating) when they are pregnant or have just had a baby. That means that the cows must be kept pregnant nearly all of the time so that they can keep producing milk.  It is not natural for any animal to be constantly pregnant and it therefore causes a strain on her body. 

Scientists are also trying to make cows produce even more milk, making it even more of a strain. This can cause a painful condition on the cows udder called mastitis. 

  
Another problem caused by this industry is the excess calves that are produced. If a cow is always pregnant that means that she is constantly producing new calves. When the calves are taken away from their mothers after only a few days, both the mother and the calf get very stressed - as would any mother whose baby has been taken from her. The calves are then usually taken to market to be killed for their meat.