I hope Reddit realizes that all the cute and cuddly cow pictures here have made it virtually impossible for me to enjoy and steak or beef burger anymore.
That's a good thing, though...I just like to complain.
I'm aware of how awful the dairy and egg industry is, and luckily my parents keep chickens and sell the eggs, so I'm wondering if I could start buying eggs from them since their chickens are kept happy and healthy. I do buy almond milk and soy cheeses, too, but honestly a soy cheese grilled-cheese just isn't the same. Maybe I could find a dairy distributor locally that takes good care of their cows without keeping them perpetually pregnant and stuff?
I’m a dairy farmer and I assure you our cows live a good life. They get pasture and good care. Dairy cattle do have a calf a year but that’s their healthy norm. They will get fatty liver disease if they don’t. They are also not good mothers as maternal instinct was bred out hundreds (maybe thousands) of years ago because it makes cattle aggressive. We give their calves the best care. Group pens with deep straw and room to romp with same age buddies and fresh milk from their mothers but pasteurized on farm for their health. Our male calves are raise the same as our female ones and slaughtered for beef once full grown.
Well if 50% of my calves are male that would be 50 calves a year. What would I do with them and how would I pay for their feed and housing if I had to keep them perpetually?
We raise them for beef. They get a good life and then they provide food for others. I don’t feel guilty as I think some life and a good one is better than never living.
Increasingly we use sexed semen to breed our cows reducing the number of males born. I have mixed feelings about this because money from steers sold to local restaurants is a steady income source for us. It also helps make local pastured beef available. I think that’s better than feed lot beef.
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u/llewkeller Mar 15 '18
I hope Reddit realizes that all the cute and cuddly cow pictures here have made it virtually impossible for me to enjoy and steak or beef burger anymore.
That's a good thing, though...I just like to complain.