#Dairy cow exploitation

[terminabense]

  "Factory Farming: Cruelty Impacting Humans, Animals, and the Planet"

Factory farming, the industrialized production of livestock, has dire consequences for humans, animals, and the planet. For animals, it means a life of suffering in overcrowded, unsanitary conditions, often without access to natural behaviors or environments. Chickens, pigs, and cows endure unimaginable stress, injuries, and premature deaths, all for the sake of maximizing efficiency and profit.

For humans, factory farming poses significant health risks. The overuse of antibiotics in livestock to promote growth and prevent disease leads to antibiotic-resistant bacteria, posing a serious threat to public health. Workers in these facilities face dangerous conditions, exposure to harmful chemicals, and exploitative labor practices. Furthermore, communities near factory farms suffer from polluted air and water, leading to respiratory problems and other health issues.

Environmentally, factory farming is a major contributor to climate change, deforestation, and biodiversity loss. It generates large amounts of greenhouse gases, particularly methane from cattle, which significantly impacts global warming. Additionally, the industry consumes vast quantities of water and contributes to soil degradation and water pollution through runoff of animal waste and chemicals.

In summary, factory farming's quest for profit comes at an enormous cost to animal welfare, human health, and the environment. Sustainable and humane alternatives are essential for a healthier, more ethical future.

[oca-rinn-a]

The Ethics of What We Eat, Singer and Mason, published 2006

[oediex]

guess what will probably happen to them

it's a lot less cute

[acti-veg]

Leather vs. Pleather: 8 Myths Debunked

Since we are all beyond tired of seeing the same regurgitated leather posts every day, I've compiled and briefly debunked some of the most common myths peddled about leather and pleather… So hopefully we can all move on to talk about literally anything else.

1) Leather is not sustainable.

Approximately 85% of all leather (almost all leather you'll find in stores) is tanned using chromium. During the chrome tanning process, 40% of unused chromium salts are discharged in the final effluents, which makes it's way into waterways and poses a serious threat to wildlife and humans. There are also significant GHG emissions from the sheer amount of energy required to produce and tan leather.

Before we even get the cow's hide, you first need to get them to slaughter weight, which is a hugely resource-intensive process. Livestock accounts for 80% of all agricultural land use, and grazing land for cattle likely represents the majority of that figure. To produce 1 pound of beef (and the subsequent hide), 6-8 pounds of feed are required. An estimated 86% of the grain used to feed cattle is unfit for human consumption, but 14% alone represents enough food to feed millions of people. On top of that, one-third of the global water footprint of animal production is related to cattle alone. The leather industry uses greenwashing to promote leather as an eco-friendly material. Leather is often marketed as an eco-friendly product, for example, fashion brands often use the Leather Working Group (LWG) certificate to present their leather as sustainable. However, this certification (rather conveniently) does not include farm-level impacts, which constitute the majority of the negative environmental harm caused by leather.

2) Leather is not just a byproduct.

Some cows are raised speciifically for leather, but this a minority and usually represents the most expensive forms of leather. This does not mean that leather is just a waste product of beef and dairy, or that it is a completely incidental byproduct; it is more accurate to call leather a tertiary product of the beef and dairy industries. Hides used to fetch up to 50% of the total value of the carcass, this has dropped significantly since COVID-19 to only about 5-10%, but this is recovering, and still represents a significant profit margin. Globally, leather accounts for up to 26% of major slaughterhouses’ earnings. Leather is inextricably linked to the production of beef and dairy, and buying leather helps make the breeding, exploitation and slaughter of cows and steers a profitable enterprise.

3) Leather is not as biodegradable as you think.

Natural animal hides are biodegradable, and this is often the misleading way leather that sellers word it. "Cow hide is fully biodegradable" is absolutely true, it just purposely leaves out the fact that the tanning process means that the hide means that leather takes between 25 and 40 years to break down. Even the much-touted (despite it being a tiny portion of the market) vegetable-tanned leather is not readily biodegradable. Since leather is not recyclable either, most ends up incinerated, or at landfill. The end-of-life cycle and how it relates to sustainability is often massively overstated by leather sellers, when in fact, it is in the production process that most of the damage is done.

4) Leather is not humane.

The idea that leather represents some sort of morally neutral alternative to the evils of plastic is frankly laughable, at least to anyone who has done even a little bit of research into this exploitative and incredibly harmful industry. Cows, when properly cared for, can live more than fifteen years. However, most cows are usually slaughtered somewhere around 2-3 years old, and the softest leather, most luxurious leather comes from the hide of cows who are less than a year old. Some cows are not even born before they become victim to the industry. Estimates vary, but according to an EFSA report, on average 3% of dairy cows and 1.5 % of beef cattle, are in their third-trimester of pregnancy when they are slaughtered.

Slaughter procedures vary slightly by country, but a captive bolt pistol shot to the head followed by having their throats slit, while still alive, is standard industry practice. This represents the “best” a slaughtered cow can hope for, but many reports and videos exist that suggest that cows still being alive and conscious while being skinned or dismembered on the production line is not uncommon, some of these reports come from slaughterhouse workers themselves.

5) Leather often involves human exploitation.

The chemicals used to tan leather, and the toxic water that is a byproduct of tanning, affect workers as well as the environment; illness and death due to toxic tanning chemicals is extremely common. Workers across the sector have significantly higher morbidity, largely due to respiratory diseases linked to the chemicals used in the tanning process. Exposure to chromium (for workers and local communities), pentachlorophenol and other toxic pollutants increase the risk of dermatitis, ulcer nasal septum perforation and lung cancer.

Open Democracies report for the Child Labour Action Research Programme shows that there is a startlingly high prevalence of the worst forms of child labour across the entire leather supply chain. Children as young as seven have been found in thousands of small businesses processing leather. This problem is endemic throughout multiple countries supplying the global leather market.

6) Pleather is not a ‘vegan thing’.

Plastic clothing is ubiquitous in fast fashion, and it certainly wasn’t invented for vegans. Plastic leather jackets have been around since before anyone even knew what the word vegan meant, marketing department have begun describing it as ‘vegan leather’ but it’s really no more a vegan thing than polyester is. Most people who wear pleather are not vegan, they just can’t afford to buy cow’s leather, which remains extremely expensive compared to comparable fabrics.

It is striking how anti-vegans consistently talk about how ‘not everyone can afford to eat plant-based’ and criticise vegans for advocating for veganism on that basis, yet none of them seem to mind criticisms directed at people for wearing a far cheaper alternative than leather. You can obviously both be vegan and reduce plastic (as we all should), but vegans wear plastic clothing for the same reason everyone else does: It is cheaper.

7) Plastic is not the only alternative.

When engaging in criticism of pleather, the favourite tactic seems to be drawing a false dilemma where we pretend the only options are plastic and leather. Of course, this is a transparent attempt to draw the debate on lines favourable to advocates of leather, by omitting the fact that you can quite easily just buy neither one.

Alternatives include denim, hemp, cork, fiber, mushroom fiber, cotton, linen, bamboo, recycled plastic, and pinatex, to name a few. There are exceptions in professions like welding, where an alternative can be difficult to source, but nobody needs a jacket, shoes or a bag that looks like leather. For most of us, leather is a luxury item that doesn’t even need to be replaced at all.

8) Leather is not uniquely long-lasting.

The longevity of leather is really the only thing it has going for it, environmentally speaking. Replacing an item less often means fewer purchases, and will likely have a lower environmental impact than one you have to replace regularly. Leather is not unique in this respect, however, and the idea that it is, is mostly just effective marketing.

As your parents will tell you, a well-made denim jacket can last a lifetime. Hemp and bamboo can both last for decades, as can cork and pinatex. Even cotton and linen can last for many years when items are looked after well. While some materials are more hard wearing than others, how long an item will last is mostly the result of how well made the product is and how well it is maintained, not whether or not the item is leather.

[lemmetreatya]

OK but the urge to be milked by Farmer!Reiner is STRONG. I would moo for that man.🐄

farmer!reiner x fem!reader

this req was all the way from jan and i only got the motivation for it now <3 so enjoy

contains: established relationship, dom!reiner, semi public sex, m!pen, squirting, self-masturbation, spitting, cumshot

farmer!reiner; who everyone loves to buy their premium beef from, but nobody wants to purchase filtered whole milk through.

not because it was bad quality or anything! — farmer!reiner’s crates of white dairy were always thick and creamy and an absolute joy to drink from! it’s just…certain tell-tale rumours had gone round that within the stables, where farmer!reiner milked his cows, were the same ones where he occasionally milked his wife.

whether they were rumours or not? well.

“ooooh, baby. t-they gonna talk again!”

your cries are sobbish as you hold onto a wooden beam of the milking stable, one leg raised ontop of farmer!reiner’s shoulder whilst your other foot is flat on the ground to sturdy yourself.

farmer!reiner only grunts as he fucks into you sideways. the hold his hands have on your waist grips into your plump skin as his dick rams against internal ridges you didn’t think could be reached.

“let em talk. like i give a fuck.”

you can hear the annoyance in your husband’s voice but it didnt matter if you did or not, because it already translates into how harsh he fucks into you.

you let out a whine but farmer!reiner doesn’t like it; he knows its because you’re still thinking about the many rumours that had been spread about this very habit you both had, rather than it being from him pleasing you.

farmer!reiner makes a hughck, twp! sound as he spits out the farmer’s gum he had within his mouth onto the mesh floor. he then readjusts his position which results in him bending you forward into the wooden beam. finally, he’s getting the whines he wants out from you and that greatly pleases him.

“sod what they think.” he grumbles but the contrasting smirk on his face is sick.

he brings one arm round to hold onto your stomach as he presses down onto it, which he knows causes a rise out of you.

“i can fuck my wife.” plat, plat. “on my land.” plat, plat, plat. “where’ver the fuck i want.

farmer!reiners hitting all the right spots so you can only nod in numb and dumb agreeal. the feeling of your husband always left you full and you couldn’t help but let out a low and long throaty moan. it’s inevitable! that budding pressure at the base of your stomach is staring to feel so tight and you can’t deny that all of the feelings surging within you feel so bright and so fuzzy and so fuck, you were gonna—

“oouuhhh…”

unexpectedly an ooze of liquid squirts from between you and farmer!reiner as you cum onto his dick. your pelvis, slightly lifting from his wet length, posses you to rub your clit and spray your love over him — every ounce of shame is no longer your concern as you bare an obscene sight within the stables.

farmer!reiner can only groan as he uses one hand to hold you steady and the other onto the base of his length as he messily taps it against your squirting lips.

“yeah, that’s it darlin’. all over my cock, juuuuust how daddy likes it.”

your body jolts as you go through the lasting dregs of your orgasm. once the after effects wash over, you’re suddenly feeling slump and palpable.

farmer!reiner holds you upright as he can feel you coming down from your high. his eyes are beady as he looks over you to gauge your condition. but regardless, he slightly bends down to place a warm kiss to your jersey sleeve before affirming your exploit.

“god, i love ya. did so well. always do so well fa me…”

you let out a tired reply, mumbled and lazy as all you want to do is now snuggle with your husband in bed. however, farmer!reiner continues to stroke his still red and tall standing dick; the length of it shiny wet and slick from your juices.

he shivers once he feels a small gust of wind wisp over his sensitive slit but it doesn’t dwindle his need. if anything, it amplifies it.

“but…” farmer!reiner places another kiss along your arm. “imma need you ready to go again.”

“again?”

the whine is evident in your voice but farmer!reiner doesn’t pay it any mind. instead, hes reentering your spent cunt and you can only let out a desperate mewl.

“yes, again. you already know big daddys gotta cum inside that pretty cunt of yers. nothing new.”

despite your protests, your body takes no problem in remoulding itself around your husband’s cock. if anything, he slips in so easily that you cant help but comply. arching your back, you beckon upwards with a lax mouth and outstretched tongue and farmer!reiner already knows you’re on board.

spitting onto your moist muscle, farmer!reiner doesnt leave his saliva there long before hes enclosing his lips around your tongue for him to suck on — you keen as your husband nurses your mouth and moans into a dirty kiss and almost forget that hes now balls deep inside of you again.

farmer!reiner kneads his fingers into your arm that hes holding you upright by and the action is tender, but his thrusts come out erratic as he works to achieving his nut.

“mmm, you feel so warm.” farmer!reiner speaks into your skin as he lets go of your mouth to kiss along and into the crook of your neck.

you moan at the affection your husband is pouring into you because you know hes close. reaching back your hand, you hug around farmer!reiner‘s neck so that you could bury him deeper into you, encourage him to indulge and devour you.

“you always fuck me s-so good.” a wince forms onto your face as you feel your hand dig a bit too deep into the pillar stem but it doesn’t matter.

“mhm. gotta…gotta fuck you. make feel good.”

your juices from before now feel cold against your leg as the squirt starts to dry up but still, the wet squelches of your husband fucking into your cunt dribble down your thigh and you can’t help but feel so erotic.

“ahhh, im gonna come, im gonna come, im gonna co'm. im gonna…nrrgh.”

farmer!reiner only lasts a few more thrusts before hes pouring his milk into you, a muffled moan leaving his mouth as his face is still buried within the crook of your neck.

you slightly curse underneath your breath because you never really think you could be any fuller once impeached with your husband's cock, but yet here you were, letting out a half choke as you react to being completely stuffed.

"sh'i...baby"

farmer!reiner's grip is tight on your arm as he tries his best to not lead his whole body into a physical combustion. he's aware that he's carrying most your weight whilst still being buried to the hilt inside of you and therefore can't just flop down like he usually would in bed.

with haggard breathing, you weakly bat the man's chest and instantly he gets the message. farmer!reiner slowly pulls out of you with a plop but not before he's kissing the base of your neck.

"rei..." you weakly sigh, and your husbands letting out a weak chuckle.

"i know, darlin'. we gon go getchu cleaned up and then go check on the stack import, okay?"

"ohh, but i'm too worn out for dealing with hay and numbers!" you whine as you turn to lean your back against the pillar and farmer!reiner's only chuckling as he zips up his pine coloured breeches.

"i promised hoover we'd pass by today. id go on my ones but you now how his littlens get when they see me but dont see you."

yes, you do know how the hoover's kids get when they don't get to see you, but that's not really your worry right now.

with a complain-y moan you look up at your husband with wide pleading eyes because you really dont want to be doing house visits right now. but farmer!reiner, knowing how you are, can only let out an airy laugh before he leans down to deliver you a sweet kiss.

"do this one thing for me and i promise the rest of the day's yers." he mumbles against your lips.

you almost decline, but the sudden feeling of farmer!reiner's slightly cold fingers caressing against your swollen pussy lips as he gathers the leaking cum from around your folds and scoops it back into you, makes you reconsider.

with a bite of your bottom lip, you caress your cheek against his.

"mm. fine."

(not even several hours later, an anonymous account posts several pictures to your online community which clearly depict you and farmer!reiner's earlier escapades. when your husband sees them, he laughs with boisterous vim.

"well, at least they got our good angles!" he'd say, his eyes unable to look away from the content)

[tantei-chan01]

Animals Continued

Xxxxx

Once the World Tour is taken care of, with the rock trolls agreeing to help with the damages, the rest of the tribes return to their respective territories. There's just one issue, the wild life have gotten bolder.

Since the attack, many of their defenses have been destroyed, causing the local wildlife to get closer to the residents. There haven't been any attacks, but it does make the citizens nervous.

Techno trolls have sharks, eels, and large squid that are their natural predators. It's also the time of year for the giant mana ray migration, so they need to figure out a way to redirect them without their tech.

The Classical trolls have large preditory birds to worry about, and they're having trouble getting their eighth goats under control.

The Country trolls have many poisoness animals in the desert. Their cattle have been scared off so many times that they won't get close to the town.

The Funk trolls have to stay grounded until repairs are done on the ship, since they haven't been on the ground for so long, they're not quite sure how to deal with many of the creatures.

The Rock trolls also have a problem, with so many of the citizens in different territories to help with repairs. They've neglected their own issues with the lava crocs and boulder buzzards.

When Poppy learns of this, she sends in the one troll who can help them.

Enter Branch.

At first, Branch was a little apprehensive to leave the village, they still have some repairs to do, and it's mating season for the puffalo. The Snack Pack tell him that they can handle the reconstruction and Milton can help with the puffalo. So he packs up his bags and starts heading toward the other tribes.

Xxx

Branch spends a month in each tribe to do his job. He tackles the predators first, spending two weeks studying their habits and memorizing their sounds. Once he finds a pattern in the communication or an exploitable weakness, he makes a strategy and collaborates with the other trolls on how to best go through it. Some animals he was able to convince to move areas, others he had no choice but use force.

Once the predators are taken care of, he gets to the domestic animals. Like before, he memorizes the habits and sounds. Once he has a form of communication going, he'll ask them what they need. He then relays the message to the trolls, and they start making accommodations.

The other tribes notice how their pets and livestock seem much calmer around the once gray troll. Even the more temperamental of their creature become putty in his hands. Many have called him the 'Animal Whisperer', and the more romantic types call him an Angel.

To say thanks for helping them, each tribe gives him an animal.

Techno gave him a Low beat Turtle, similar to Suki's bugs, the have a turntable on their back. They can move on land and can create a low vibration sound that has a calming effect.

Classical gave him three eighth goats as they do better in a herd than by themselves. Their wool is fluffy and warm, making incredible blankets, pillows, and sweaters. They also have a melodious bleat.

Country gave him a dairy Bluegrass Buffalo, they're a sandy blue color cow. They make a delicious and nutritious milk and are very gentle.

Funk gave him a snug-a-lug since Branch can talk to them. He can figure out how to hug it without multiplying. And yes, Branch can make that cute little warble it does.

Rock gave him a Lava Snake, they vary in color from dark red to an ashy gray. Their hide is very tough while their underbelly is quite soft. They can withstand extremely high temperatures, and their skin can be melted to create many things once they shed. The young one likes to sleep in the fireplace.

The animals in Pop village take them under their tutelage to become Branch's bodyguards, unbeknownst to him.

[be-kind-to-all-kind]

Cows and pigs (and others) are just like dogs too! their babies even more so!

Accepted as part of the herd

[veganterrorist]

"YoU CAnT MiLk A PlaNT!" is quite literally the goofiest argument against plant-based milks. Are you fucking twelve? Lmao. Big dairy and the animal agriculture industry has absolutely poisoned the minds of so many people. "WE DO IT BECAUSE WE ARE HUMANS AND HAVE ALWAYS DONE IT!" Just because we've done something for a long time isn't a good enough reason (nor a valid justification) to continue doing it, especially when we know it's exploitative and harmful. I'm not criticising the families out there that have a couple of milking cows that rely on dairy to feed their families, but rather the entire animal agricultural industry that has normalised the mass abuse that is perpetuated on huge dairy farms. Anyone that's ever stepped foot on a large dairy farm knows what goes on behind the fences and they are culpable in that mistreatment. Buying milk and supporting the industry is a direct show of support for that harm and mistreatment to continue ad infinitum.

[devoted1989]

the dark reality behind dairy

By World of Vegan.

Within the dairy realm, two narratives intertwine: the plight of the mothers and that of their offspring.

Artificial insemination serves as a harsh introduction to the dairy industry’s cycle of exploitation. Unlike the natural way to get pregnant, female cows within commercial dairy farms are subjected to an intrusive process that blatantly violates their reproductive system.

This invasive procedure forces cows into a perpetual cycle of pregnancies, denying them the right to choose their mates or control their reproductive destinies.

Just like human mothers, a female cow has a nine-month gestation period. And after giving birth, calves typically nurse from their mothers for 6 months or longer.

But in the dairy industry, once her calf is born, she’ll experience a mere day or two of companionship—sometime less—before her calf is forcefully separated from her to prevent the loss of even a drop of valuable milk, which would cut into the profits of the dairy industry. This is the last time the mother will see her baby.

Like most moms, cows have powerful maternal instincts and are extremely distressed when their babies are taken away from them. Their anguished bellows can be heard for up to a mile away. Some cows are so distraught that they will even stop eating.

Post-separation, the mother cows are subjected to mechanical milking—a stark contrast to the nostalgic image of a farmer hand-milking a cow.

As soon as her baby is taken away, the mother will be hooked up to a milking machine to take the milk that her body made for her calf. In natural circumstances, nursing cows produce just 12 to 15 pounds of milk each day and calves nurse all day long.

But in the majority of today’s dairy operations, a mother cow will produce a staggering 50 pounds of milk daily. The pressure of her painfully loaded udder will only be relieved by mechanical milking twice a day, which often leads to mastitis and other excruciatingly painful conditions.

As time progresses, milk production wanes, initiating a vicious cycle of repeated artificial impregnation, bereavement, and mechanical milking.

This cycle persists yearly until these cows meet a grim fate—slaughtered as adolescents, their natural lifespan of 25 to 30 years cut short. Their bodies, devoid of milk-production utility, are often processed into meat products, most often burgers.

Shifting focus to their offspring, USDA statistics reveal that 97 percent of calves are separated from their mothers within the first 12 hours of birth.

Female calves, like their mothers, confront a bleak fate. Denied maternal nourishment, they are confined in solitary and often cramped pens, where they have no way to find comfort or nurse from their mother.

Replacing mother’s milk with a formula, they endure this existence for 6-8 months, foregoing a natural upbringing characterized by play, bonding, and freedom.

Once fertile, the cycle of forced impregnation, grief, mechanical milking, and eventual slaughter begins anew.

50 percent of the babies born will be male, and a male calf has little financial value to the dairy industry because he’ll never produce milk.

In most situations he’ll either be kept and raised for beef, slaughtered immediately for cheap veal, or sent to a torturous facility to become higher priced veal.

On a veal farm the baby calf will be confined in a small space in which he can barely move and fed an iron-poor diet until he becomes severely anemic. His muscles will atrophy, and at just a few months of age, he’ll be slaughtered. His tender, pale flesh will be sold as veal.

You may be surprised to learn that marketing buzzwords like “Organic, Grass-Fed and Free-range” you might see on meat, dairy, and egg labels don’t guarantee better lives for the animals.

The mechanics remain the same, including the unavoidable separation of baby from mother, painful surgical mutilations without anesthetic, factory-style milking, and premature slaughter.

These terms, designed to attract compassionate consumers, fail to dismantle the core mechanisms of exploitation.

Considering the immense suffering, is the fleeting gustatory pleasure of cow’s milk truly worth it? The array of delicious, plant-based alternatives renders this question obsolete. Opting for both taste and compassion aligns with our evolving food landscape.

Our grocery choices equate to votes for the world we desire. While personal, these choices transcend the individual, impacting the lives of others.

Opting for animal-based dairy entails contributing to a continuum of suffering. Awareness fuels change. Acknowledging one’s past contributions to cruelty ignites a journey toward more humane choices. Armed with knowledge, we navigate a path of greater compassion, for when we know better, we can genuinely do better.

[houseofpurplestars]

A critical piece of context as avian flu continues to spread in US dairy cows herds is that more than half of dairy workers in the US are immigrants, many undocumented, exploited, abused, often working 16 hours a day, every day. Pandemic control is impossible in such conditions

— Nate Bear (@NateB_Panic) April 4, 2024

[arthurmorganshorsey]

i saw the garfield movie today. i am a sociology major. i am also unemployed. i made a political, insane, (satirical?) criticism of the film.

The 2024 film "The Garfield Movie" gave us a deep analysis of abandonment issues and the challenges faced in a strained father-son relationship. We learn about Garfield's difficult childhood, being abandoned by his father in an alley as a kitten. He was taken in by Jon Arbuckle at an italian restaurant.

It was action-packed, with Garfield being kidnapped early on in the movie by a British cat, held hostage, and eventually found by his absent father. He had to face the man who had traumatized him for the first time in many years.

The film provided anti capitalist commentary on the corporations taking over our nation. It provides insight on the loss of Mom and Pop, family owned businesses. Garfield and his father must retrieve milk to free themselves from the British cat. Yes, the father has come looking for the milk. They go to a dairy farm.

The dairy cow Ethel, who was part of this once small dairy farm with her husband, was separated from him when the farm was bought out by a big corporation. She was being exploited to generate profit by the larger corporations who did not care for her well-being. This is a criticism of large billion dollar corporations and their effects on small businesses.

Garfield, his father, and Odie must work together to help the husband free Ethel. Garfield and his father rekindled their relationship, talking things out.

We come to realize that Garfield's father was involved in criminal activity. He saw that Jon Arbuckle would provide a better life for Garfield. Further, this is an example of unequal wealth distribution and class division. Garfield's father Vic committed these crimes in order to make ends meet. He needed to do these things to make sure Garfield was fed. This is a common occurrence in a society with unequal wealth distribution. It is very hard to escape poverty.

Vic saw Jon as Garfield's escape. Jon could easily afford a down-payment on a mortgage by himself in this economy. He is clearly wealthy.

Unfortunately, the film featured Chris Pratt.

look at the plushy i got thank you amc

[for-animal-rights]

The Dark Side of Dairy: How Cows Are Exploited and Milked Dry

Introduction:

Globally, the demand for dairy products seems insatiable. From cheese to yogurt, milk forms an integral part of our diets and cultural practices. However, behind this seemingly innocent staple lies a dark reality of animal cruelty and exploitation. In this blog post, we will uncover the hidden side of dairy production and explore alternative choices that promote compassion and respect for all beings.

The Dairy Industry: A Snapshot:

The dairy industry operates on an enormous scale, supplying our growing population with an abundance of milk and its varied derivatives. It's not just about satisfying our dietary needs; it's a multi-billion dollar industry that fuels economies and feeds traditional dietary habits. Despite its significance, we must examine the practices within this industry and question the ethical implications.

The Livestock Paradox: Deconstructing the Dairy Cow:

   Dairy cows are at the heart of the industry, yet their living conditions and treatment often go unnoticed. These bovine creatures are subjected to high-intensity milk production, placing tremendous strain on their physical and emotional well-being. The constant milking can lead to painful udder infections, lameness, and a shortened lifespan.

   Another distressing aspect of the dairy industry is the separation of mother cows from their calves. This separation causes immense emotional distress for both parties, as the natural and deep bond between a mother and her calf is abruptly severed. These calves are often sent to veal operations, while the mother cows are impregnated again to maintain milk production.

Factory Farms: Behind the Scenes of Dairy Production:

   The reality of modern dairy production lies in factory farms, where cows are treated as commodities rather than sentient beings. These farms prioritize maximum milk output, often at the expense of cow welfare. Forced pregnancies through artificial insemination are common practice, further exploiting these gentle animals.

   Within factory farms, dehorning and tail docking are routinely carried out. These painful practices are done without anesthesia or pain relief, causing immense suffering to innocent animals. The cramped, unsanitary living conditions in which cows are often confined are detrimental to their health, leading to various diseases and infections.

Alternatives to Traditional Dairy:

   Thankfully, compassionate options exist for those wanting to steer clear of traditional dairy. Plant-based milk alternatives have gained significant popularity in recent years, offering a wide range of choices like almond, soy, oat, and coconut milk. These alternatives not only provide vital nutrients but are also kinder to animals and the environment.

   Non-dairy options are no longer considered a niche product; they can be found in mainstream supermarkets and coffee shops. The shift towards plant-based milks highlights a growing awareness of ethical consumerism and a desire to make choices aligned with compassion and sustainability.

Animal Welfare in Dairy: Industry Reforms and Public Awareness:

   Recognizing the need for change, legislation and regulations have been implemented to improve animal welfare standards in the dairy industry. These reforms aim to address key issues such as space requirements, humane treatment, and access to outdoor areas. Additionally, animal rights organizations play a crucial role in advocating for the fair treatment of cows, pushing for stricter regulations and promoting ethical farming practices.

   However, change doesn't rest solely on legislative measures. Public awareness and education are essential components in driving industry-wide reform. By sharing the truth about the dark side of dairy, we can inspire more individuals to make compassionate choices and support farms that prioritize the well-being of animals.

Making Compassionate Choices: Tips for Consumers:

   As consumers, we hold the power to drive change through the choices we make. Here are some practical steps you can take to reduce your reliance on traditional dairy and support ethical alternatives:

Try different plant-based milks and explore the variety available to find your favorite.

Experiment with dairy-free recipes and discover new ways to incorporate non-dairy options into your meals.

Support local, ethical dairy farms that prioritize the health and welfare of their cows.

Spread awareness by sharing the realities of dairy production with friends, family, and colleagues.

Consider reducing overall dairy consumption, even if you're not ready to go completely dairy-free.

Conclusion:

The dairy industry might seem like an integral part of our lives, but it's crucial to understand the cruelty behind its production. By choosing alternative options such as plant-based milks, we can support businesses that prioritize the well-being of cows and help create a future where compassion and respect are at the forefront. Together, let's challenge our dietary habits and work towards a world where no living being is milked dry for our pleasure.

[acti-veg]

So I'm trying to get a better understanding of what Veganism is all about, from an ethical standpoint. So, my Grandparents keep chickens pretty much as pets and will regularly give eggs away to family members because they have tons of them. And I'm just curious what the Vegan perspective on that situation is? Like is the main problem with the cruelty of industrial farming or is using animal products in general just blanketly considered bad?

Like I know Vegans do keep pets, so I just wonder what the perspective would be on using eggs or wool or milk or something from an animal that you care for as a pet? Like, if I decided to rescue a sheep an name them and give them a home with me as like another member of the family, would it be considered unethical to use their wool to make yarn for crochet or something like that? Is it different depending on the situation?

The core belief to keep in mind here is that we as vegans oppose the exploitation of animals for human benefit. For welfarists (who tend to be meat eaters or vegetarians) the main issue with animal products is the cruelty involved, whereas vegans tend to be abolitionists, who want to abolish animal agriculture rather than simply improve treatment.

This is relevant for discussing backyard eggs, because those eggs are the result of exploitation. The hens themselves have been exploited because they have been bred into bodies that vastly overproduce eggs to the extent that it comes with a myriad of health issues, they also usually come from hatcheries where male chicks are brutally slaughtered on mass. To then take what their bodies have spent resources to produce, and therefore profit from that situation, is further exploitation on top of that.

Vegans are generally okay with pets on the basis that they're adopted, and that we aren't exploiting them to serve our own interests. You can adopt hens, but the responsible thing to do is to prevent them laying using implants, except in the USA where this is not allowed. In that case, I personally would prefer chickens were allowed to benefit from their own production and those eggs are fed back to them, which restores some of the enormous amount of energy needed to create them. Excess eggs should then be donated to food banks, fed to other rescued animals or donated to vulnerable people rather than thrown away.

Milk is clearcut, since no animal produces milk without first being made pregnant. To keep a steady flow of milk you have to continuously impregnate them, and generally remove the calf so they aren't drinking it all. Dairy cows once again have been bred to overproduce so there may well be excess, but you really shouldn't be allowing pregnancy in the first place, so this is a moot point in terms of what to do with it.

With sheep it is a bit different, while sheep have been purposely bred to over-produce wool, wool is still an incidental part of keeping sheep, they need to be sheared and there is no real way for them to directly benefit from their own production. It is essentially a waste product at that point, like manure. Views differ on this, but I've no issue with a non-profit organisation selling wool on the basis that 100% of the funds generated go towards the care of the animals in question, which is practiced by many animal sanctuaries. Otherwise I think it is fine if someone donating the wool to an animal shelter for blankets, or turning it into warm clothing for the needy.

As a general rule, animals should be allowed to benefit from what they produce, rather than us. In cases where they can't directly benefit, we certainly shouldn't seek to profit from them. The power dynamic between humans and non-human animals, between pet and owner, will always be imbalanced and to materially benefit from that relationship is taking advantage of that power for personal gain. As soon as you're personally profiting from an animal's body, you also have a vested interest in continuing to make sure the animal continues to produce whatever you are profiting from, opening the door to further exploitation or even abuse.

Things like eggs from pet chickens or wool from a rescued sheep certainly aren't the biggest animal rights issues on our radar, but thinking about it in an ethically consistent fashion means that we apply the same values to these situations as we would any human use of non-human animals. Animals do not exist to serve our interests, and we should respect their bodily autonomy in every way that is possible and practicable. In short, we just shouldn't be looking for ways to benefit from our relationships with animals.

[actiwitch]

some commonplace practices you probably didn't know about in the dairy industry that i wish i knew sooner

cows only product milk, like all other animals, when they are MOTHERS

they are forcibly impregnated as many times as possible through artificial insemination: trapped in place for a farmer to force one hand into her anus and the other to shove a pole into her cervix

calves are generally taken from their mothers the day they are born. mothers have been known to cry for them for days, and despite what farmers may try to tell you, are naturally great and caring mothers. In natural settings, they form deep familial bonds and friendships

male calves are killed for veal or fattened for beef

sent to slaughter around 5 years as their bodies give out from constant pregnancy and lactation (natural lifespan is 15-20)

No matter the conditions, dairy is inherently abusive. Even on the most wholesome family farm you can imagine, cows are repeatedly impregnated for human pleasure and will generally be sent to slaughter as it's greatly economically detrimental not to do so (especially for male calves).

No matter what, other living beings are ours to exploit.

[k00299935]

BRIEF TWO- DISRUPT

(Workshop 2- filo construction)

In this workshop we were shown how to sew on fabric using embroydary hoops. We first had to design what it was we wanted to sew, and I felt imspiration immediatley upon seeing the round hoop.

It made me think of a womb. And given the topic of my project is on the disruption caused to animals lives by humans, I wanted to design a cow fetus in the womb.

I felt inspired by the japanese artwork known as kintsugi, in which a broken piece of pottery is glued back together with glue and gold powder. Giving a once broken object new life and beauty.

In a way, farm animals such as cows are born broken. Not because they are animals, but because they are being born into a world that had already decided their fate. To be exploited, abused and then killed for their meat. While humans are born with an array of choices infront of them, animals do not get such luxury. Even in the womb their fates have been sealed. They will be broken the second they are born, so in a way they already are.

I wanted to explore this idea visually in this workshop, so I decided to make the cow fetus look like a piece of japanese kintsugi pottery.

I used blue thread and gold paint in the workshop to protray kintsugi, I got a bit done during the 2 hour workshop and then continued working on it during throughout the week.

Once I was finished the cow fetus I felt like I needed to protray more. I believe all humans and animals are equal, in my eyes the value of a tiny fish is just as important as a grown human. Yet we tourture them, use them and kill them. Just because we feel entitled, and superior.

But In the womb all creatures are all safe and nestled in the nest of our mothers. We are all connected in the sense that we were all in a womb once, but then our lives as humans and animals differ so much once we are born.

With that, I decided to sew a human fetus in opposition to the cow fetus. I protrayed the same kintsugi effect and used the same colours to protray equality in spirit and essence, that is ignored by millions every single day.

Perhaps they share the same struggle. If both fetus are female then they both shall be viewed as one thing. Baby factories. With the new laws on abortion in america, and many countries following in its footsteps, more and more women are losing bodily autonomy. Female cows are forcefully impregnated to produce more livestock for the meat industry, and more milk for the dairy industry. They do not get a choice. They do not get to decide whether they want to be pregnant or not, and once their wombs are used up and they can no longer reproduce, they are slaughtered for their meat. I cannot understand how some women fight for their right to bodily autonomy while funding the forceful impregnation of millions of cows everyday.

So perhaps both fetuses are connected not only in colour and design, but in mutual struggle over their right to choose what happens in their bodies. The difference however, is one fetus will be able to speak up and defend herself, while exploiting the fetus that will not be able to defend herself.

What about their choice?

[disgracedmilfman]

Btw if anyone says mochas "aren't a real drink" or "cover the real taste of the coffee" I will fight you bc iced mochas are like the pinnacle of indulgence.

If you don't make it yourself, you have the labor of another.

You have coffee, grown in exploitative conditions in a very specific mountainous equatorial climate, refined through many steps, and shipped far away .

You have chocolate, another blood delicacy product.

You have the richness of dairy. So much of global agriculture is done in a way that strips the environment to accommodate all the cows.

You have a sweet treat to deal with whatever weather, depending on if you get it hot or iced.

Mochas are incredible luxury and people are just kinda toting them around no big deal