GRAPHIC MEDIA: SLICE OF CRUELTY; Hidden-Camera Video Reveals Secret Pizza Topping – Disgusting Animal Animal Abuse

“This is my personal opinion, it should have been posted a while ago, but its taken a while to write, due to pain. If people want to eat meat & dairy, I can’t stop them. But I feel they have a duty as the consumer to demand the meat they buy, hasn’t been kicked, punched or shocked around its genitals to get it moving; so it can go to slaughter! It’s plain to see (on the video) that downer dairy cows, that simply can’t move unaided, due to illness or broken bones are moved by brute force; instead of being PTS on the spot! I want the consumers to demand CCTV around farms & slaughterhouses, at the end of the day, it’s the consumer who pays for the meat & dairy products, they should care how the animals are raised! Consumers should be assured the meat & dairy products, came from animals given the best welfare standards possible!! It has been well documented that stressed animals, like those seeing their buddies killed in front of them or those that have been beaten or abused; affects the quality of their meat!  Have you ever seen a joint of beef in the supermarket fridge, that looks like the skin is bruised? well it probably is bruising; caused by the neanderthals who enjoy kicking & punching the shit out of the animals; because there is nobody to stop them!!” Please read this, regards the above:-http://www.fao.org/3/a-x6909e/x6909e04.htm

“I have seen MANY undercover farm videos showing cruelty before…I find this, the most shocking. The public have a right & need to know how the animals they eat, are actually treated before slaughter!! If there is one video to make you ditch cheese & dairy products…hopefully it’s this one! I became a vegetarian years ago, because I didn’t want to be a party to the abuse, farmed animals suffer daily; although I know not all farms allow their animals to be treated this way! Then a few years later, I saw what happened to the dairy cows, it stopped me immediately drinking milk or eating cheese; all I could see was the images of the animals suffering. I now only drink plant-based “Alpro” milk, I prefer the Hazelnut variety which is made by taking the best whole hazelnuts & blending them with pure spring water (plus a few added vitamins & calcium of course) which I feel is far better for you than milk from a dairy cow; who has been abused her whole life!”

 “Many dairy cows suffer beatings or heinous bodily abuse, throughout their life, especially on the conveyor belt of large mega dairy farms, where cows will never feel the grass beneath their feet! The only thing you can be certain of, is that the poor cow (constantly kept producing milk by artificial insemination) has its babies taken away at birth!! These farmers want the last bloody drop out of these poor dairy cows; before they will let them go to slaughter. I should imagine the cows are actually grateful, for an end to their lives of appalling abuse!  I am a picky eater, but have found Quorn alternatives, to make any normal meat dishes! I love Linda McCartney’s burgers & sausages, they are tastier than the quorn versions….you name the recipe & there will be some produce, able to make it; without harming any living animal; which is the diet I choose to eat!!

Is your pizza topped with horrific animal cruelty? A new Mercy For Animals undercover investigation reveals shocking animal abuse at a milk producer for Leprino Foods – the world’s largest mozzarella cheese maker and major cheese supplier to Pizza Hut, Domino’s and Papa John’s.

PLEASE SIGN PETITION:-https://www.change.org/p/james-leprino-stop-sickening-animal-abuse-at-world-s-largest-pizza-cheese-supplier

Kicked, abused, electricity shocked in gential area, TORTURED BECAUSE THEY CAN!!!!

To maximize profits, the dairy industry keeps cows in a constant cycle of pregnancy, birth, and lactation. Typically, baby calves are dragged away from their mothers within a day of birth so that all of their milk can be sold for profit.

Female calves are either sold for meat or used as replacements for the “spent” cows in the dairy herd. Male calves, since they don’t produce milk, are often chained by the neck in tiny wooden boxes until they are killed for veal.

Like dogs, cats, zebras, and all other mammals, including humans, cows only produce milk when they are pregnant or nursing — and for the same reason: to nourish their young. The dairy industry steals this milk from calves for humans.

An undercover investigator with Mercy For Animals documented horrific animal abuse at Winchester Dairy in New Mexico, a milk supplier to Leprino Foods — the world’s largest mozzarella cheese producer. Leprino Foods is a primary cheese supplier to Pizza Hut, Domino’s and Papa John’s restaurants nationwide. The hidden-camera video footage shows:

• Workers viciously kicking and punching cows, and stabbing them with screwdrivers, causing bloody wounds and injuries
• Cows being violently whipped in their faces and bodies with chains and metal wires
• Workers maliciously shocking sick and injured cows and dragging them with tractors
• Sick or injured cows suffering from open wounds, infections, and injuries left to suffer without proper veterinary care

Expert Opinions

After reviewing the undercover footage, renowned animal welfare experts Drs. Bernard Rollin and Terry Engle and Mr. William Wailes from the animal science department at Colorado State University wrote: “Of all the atrocity videos I have examined on behalf of various animal advocacy groups, this one may well depict the most prolonged, and severest pain being inflicted on innocent, non-ambulatory dairy cattle. … It is clear that the workers enjoy this infliction of pain and suffering, and even make remarks to that effect. … Of equal concern is the overall lack of training in animal care husbandry practices as well as in the importance to the social ethic of these types of unacceptable animal abuse. We all hold the owners/managers equally responsible for this egregious behavior!”

Dairy’s Dark Side

Treated as mere milk-producing machines, cows exploited and killed for milk and cheese endure lives of near constant misery and deprivation.

In order to keep producing a steady supply of milk, the cows are repeatedly impregnated. Several times a day, dairy cows are hooked by their udders to electric milking machines that can cause them to suffer electrical shocks, painful lesions, and mastitis (an infection of the udders). Some spend their entire lives standing on concrete floors; others are crammed into massive mud lots.

Cows have a natural lifespan of nearly 25 years, but the stress caused by factory farm conditions leads to disease, lameness, and reproductive problems that render cows worthless to the dairy industry by the time they are four or five years old.

These highly intelligent and social animals suffer unimaginable abuse from the time they are born and ripped from their mothers’ sides until they are so physically worn out from repeated pregnancies and constant milk production that they are sold for slaughter.

Although unconscionable cruelty and violence are standard practice in the dairy industry, caring consumers can help end the needless suffering of cows by choosing vegan alternatives to milk, cheese, and ice cream. Please visit ChooseVeg.comto learn more.

VIEWER DISCRETION STRONGLY ADVISED

SLICE OF CRUELTY

Published on 16 Sep 2014

Is your pizza topped with horrific animal cruelty? A new Mercy For Animals undercover investigation reveals shocking animal abuse at a major pizza cheese supplier — Leprino Foods. Workers were caught viciously kicking, punching, and stabbing cows with screwdrivers, and violently whipping them in their faces and bodies with chains and metal wires. Take action at SliceOfCruelty.com

News Link:http://www.sliceofcruelty.com/

Cruelty Critics:-

“The video shows workers hitting, kicking and punching cows with hands, boots and sharp objects to get them into the milking parlor. The workers are clearly abusing the cattle and causing distress for no reason.” Dr. James Reynolds

“The handling of the dairy cows and calves by workers in this facility is unacceptably rough and overtly abusive. … This facility should cease operations due to severe animal welfare deficiencies and overt animal cruelty.” Dr. Debra Teachout

“Of all the atrocity videos I have examined on behalf of various animal advocacy groups, this one may well depict the most prolonged, and severest pain being inflicted on innocent, non-ambulatory dairy cattle.” Dr. Bernard E. Rollin, William Wailes and Dr. Terry Engle of Colorado State University

“The handling of the cows in this facility is inexcusably harsh, vicious and inhumane. The cows are kicked, beaten, jabbed with electrified prods and struck with sharp objects. … This behavior is gratuitous and unnecessary, as the workers go out of their way to beat the cows…” Dr. Lee Schrader

“I recommend that charges of animal cruelty be brought against the workers and managers involved, and that the facility be shut down. Such despicable cruelty to animals is beyond sickening and must not be tolerated.” Dr. Armaiti May

“The actions of the barn staff in this video are unacceptable, willful acts of abuse. … The callous acts depicted in this video footage do not meet expectations for humane animal handling.” Dr. Sara Shields

“The use of the hip lifter to drag and hoist a cow above the ground was definitely abusive. … Management should be partially to blame for the abusive handling because they failed to provide both training and appropriate equipment for moving downer cows.”  Dr. Temple Grandin

“Seriously after watching this, I just don’t understand how any humans with a heart, can contribute to this torture; by purchasing the meat or milk?? It actually breaks my heart that the public don’t know or if they do, don’t want to watch this…but these poor animals suffer from the day they are born…FOR GODS SAKE… PLEASE HELP THEM BY SIGNING THE PETITION BELOW: OPEN YOUR EYE’S!! PLEASE ONLY PURCHASE ORGANIC DAIRY PRODUCTS OR THOSE WITH THE RSPCA LOGO ON, STAND UP FOR THOSE THAT GIVE THEIR LIFE FOR YOU, TO STOP THE ABUSE…IT’S NOT A LOT TO ASK!!!

TELL WORLD’S LARGEST PIZZA CHEESE SUPPLIER TO STOP ABUSING COWS:- http://www.sliceofcruelty.com/

PLEASE SIGN THIS PETITION…IF NOT FOR YOU, THEN FOR THE ANIMALS THAT SUFFER DAILY…SIGN AT THIS LINK:- http://www.sliceofcruelty.com/#petition

 “Seriously, if you have had the balls to view this video or any other farm animal video (good for you); can you truly eat or drink animal products, knowing what happens?? Knowing they are tortured throughout their short lives?? Please just give it a go, swap your normal diet slowly, i.e milk, swap it for Alpro (probably the Almond milk is the easiest to try first) Look for enriched soymilk, too, which is also fortified with calcium and vitamin D. Then use Quorn mince to make a spaghetti Bolognese, lasagna, shepherds pie & other meat dishes. Try the Linda McCartney sausages & burgers…I’m sure you will be surprised, at how good they actually taste!!!”

10 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Went Vegan:-

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/matt-frazier/vegan-diet_b_3996646.html

Top 10 Eco-Friendly Reasons to Buy Organic Meat & Dairy

Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/why-buy-organic-dairy-meat.html#ixzz3EkMTxdct

GRAPHIC VIDEO: MFA Undercover – Confined, Chained And Abused, Canadian Veal Industry Exposed. Petition To Sign

“I can’t deny shedding tears for these little ones, chained up in tiny boxes, they can’t even turn around in; before their short lives end at the slaughter plant! These sentient beings may be, just a by product, but they still deserve to be treated with kindness & respect…it doesn’t cost anything to show empathy etc. Animals are far more humane than humans are & always will be!

“As with all animals, especially those that are raised for human consumption; at the very least, surely they deserve to have the 5 Freedom acts adhered to. The five freedoms that no animal kept by humans for whatever reason; should ever be without, it’s not much to ask for, is it?

1. freedom from hunger and thirst
2. freedom from discomfort (shelter from heat and rain)
3. freedom from pain, injury and disease
4. freedom to express normal behaviour (without inconveniencing or harming others)
5.  freedom from fear and distress.

Please sign petition: http://www.cratedcruelty.ca/

NONE OF THE ABOVE FREEDOM ACTS APPLY TO THESE CALVES; NOR DO THEY FOR OTHER FARM ANIMALS RAISED FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION. THE  CONDITIONS THEY ARE FORCED TO LIVE IN, ARE QUITE FRANKLY HORRIFIC, DESPICABLE & APPALLINGLY CRUEL…THIS IS 2014! CRATED CRUELTY….SIMPLY TORTURE CHAMBERS FOR BABIES; WHICH SHOULD HAVE BEEN LEFT IN THE DARK AGES….PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION & SHARE WITH ALL…WE MUST JOIN TOGETHER & RAISE OUR VOICES; WE MUST HELP CHANGE THE WAY FARM ANIMALS  ARE KEPT & SLAUGHTERED!!

EXPOSED, CANADIAN VEAL INDUSTRY

Please sign petition: http://www.cratedcruelty.ca/

From December to February 2014, a Mercy For Animals Canada investigator worked at a Délimax veal factory farm in Pont-Rouge, Quebec. Our hidden camera captured horrific animal cruelty and neglect, including:

• Calves crammed into feces-covered wooden boxes barely larger than their own bodies
• Baby animals chained by the neck, unable to even turn around or lie down comfortably for their entire lives
• Animals driven mad from boredom and stress, denied even their most basic natural behaviours
• Workers violently kicking, punching, and tormenting baby animals
• Animals painfully stuck in the wooden slats of their crates
• Sick and injured animals left to suffer and slowly die in their own filth without proper veterinary care

EXPERT OPINIONS

After reviewing the undercover footage, Dr. John Webster, Professor of Animal Husbandry at the University of Bristol, and Europe’s leading expert on dairy cattle welfare, stated: “In all my experience, this is the worst, cruellest system that I have ever seen, in every sense, housing, health and stockmanship. [T]he system as seen on the video is now illegal in Europe, both in regard to individual housing, and denial of access to solid feed containing sufficient digestible fibre.”

Dr. Sara Shields agreed, concluding: “Veal crates are the epitome of a poor animal housing system, and it is almost shocking to see them still being used… Studies have shown that calves tethered in stalls have higher physiological stress responses than those kept in groups or in pairs.”

DITCH VEAL, DITCH DAIRY

Veal is a direct by-product of the dairy industry. Since they will never produce milk, male calves born into the dairy industry are ripped away from their mothers’ sides shortly after birth and end up in veal factory farms like this one.

These calves spend their short, wretched lives languishing in their own waste inside a tiny wooden box. They never get to see the sun, breathe fresh air, feel the grass beneath their feet, walk, run, play, or do anything that makes life worth living. Their short lives are filled with misery, violence, and deprivation.

Although cruelty and violence are standard practice for Canada’s veal industry, caring consumers can help end the needless suffering of calves and other farmed animals by choosing a compassionate vegan diet.

“If you cant go fully vegan then help by trying to be a vegetarian & don’t drink milk (It’s made for animals offspring, not humans) drink soya milk instead. I drink Soya milk, Almond & Hazelnut are my favourites. They taste great to drink when cold & have quite a sweet taste (ditch the sugar) so it’s great in coffee & on cereals. Think about it, do you really want to be a party to the horrific & abusive ways, theses sentient little babies are kept in? Would you deny them the right to be with their mother’s??  Many people think being vegetarian means eating nut cutlets, rice & beans; personally I hate that type of stuff. Whatever recipes that require meat, can be made just as well with Quorn.  Go to my Pinterest site to see recipes made with Quorn & also the pre-made Quorn burgers, mince, chicken etc. The Linda  McCartney range of meat free foods are also delicious, especially the sausages! My daughter isn’t vegan or vegetarian like me; but she eats what I do; with no complaints because she finds it so tasty!

MY Vegan & Vegetarian Pinterest site:-http://www.pinterest.com/presciousjules/vegan-vegetarian/

Please sign petition: http://www.cratedcruelty.ca/

CRATE CRITICS

“In all my experience, this is the worst, cruellest system that I have ever seen, in every sense, housing, health and stockmanship. [T]he system as seen on the video is now illegal in Europe, both in regard to individual housing, and denial of access to solid feed containing sufficient digestible fibre.”

John Webster, PhD

“Cows are highly intelligent and sentient, feeling beings, and it’s clear that the calves in this video are suffering. Deep fear and pain can be seen in their eyes and in their behavior. Calves are just as sentient as dogs – we would never tolerate such abuse inflicted upon a dog.”

Marc Bekoff, PhD

“Psychologically, the isolation and restricted movement [of veal crates] thwarts the calves need to suckle from their dam, prevents social interaction with their mother and with other calves, severely limits mental stimulation and investigative behavior, and disallows any sort of play.”

Debi Zimmermann, DVM

“Veal stalls… we need to get rid of, plain and simple.”

Temple Grandin, PhD

“This video provides clear evidence of deliberate institutionalized animal abuse in Canada’s veal industry. Veal calves are shown imprisoned in narrow stalls on slatted floors. Many animals are chained so tightly that they can barely move or can only perform a few short movements, which they do repeatedly.”

John Sorenson, PhD

“No animal should be so physically limited in its’ movement. The calf can stand or lie in one place only. He can’t turn around, lick his back, or stretch out. The chain around his neck ensures that he can’t lie down flat (something that calves do naturally). Not surprisingly, stereotypies are common. ”

Mary Richardson, DVM

Please sign the petition: http://www.cratedcruelty.ca/

 Please view at your own discretion – WATCH: Baby Calves Kicked, Beaten, and Chained in Crates for Veal

Published on 19 Apr 2014

Sickening cruelty to animals at a veal factory farm was captured on hidden camera by an investigator with Mercy For Animals Canada. Workers violently kick, punch, and torment baby calves who are crammed into filthy wooden crates so small they can’t even turn around or lie down comfortably for nearly their entire lives. Learn more and take action at: http://www.CratedCruelty.ca

Related articles

• Calves killed because of ‘wrong sex’
• Viewers’ outrage over harrowing scenes of day-old calves being lined up and shot DEAD just because they’re male
• Male dairy calves are killed, but why the surprise? People have no right to complain if they don’t inform themselves about food

GRAPHIC VIDEO: Disgusting Digiorno MFA Investiagation, Cows Being kicked, Punched, Beaten And Stabbed

“This set of low life imbeciles need to receive the same inhumane treatment they dished out! I’m sure I wouldn’t be the only one who would love to whip them across the face, kick & poke them, then hang them upside down by a tractor!”

“Do you think if someone committed this horrific cruelty & abuse to a dog out on the street; they wouldn’t be arrested & charged for animal cruelty?? Of course they would!! I see no reason why it should be any different for workers who abuse farm animals.”

Petition Link to sign. Text of mail inc. (for those who do not wish to view the video):-http://www.sliceofcruelty.com/

Dear DiGoirno,

I was disgusted to see undercover video footage of workers kicking, beating, and stabbing cows at a DiGiorno cheese supplier in Wisconsin called Wiese Brothers Farms. The video also shows cows who are too sick or injured to even stand being callously tortured and dragged by their fragile legs and necks with a chain attached to a tractor.

DiGiorno should not tolerate this blatant animal abuse.

DiGiorno has the power and the ethical responsibility to ensure the cows who produce milk for your cheese are protected from needless violence and suffering.

It’s time for DiGiorno to adopt meaningful animal welfare policies for its dairy suppliers, including:

* Zero tolerance for animal abuse
* Requirement that suppliers provide a clean and sanitary environment for cattle
* Proper care and transportation for sick, injured, and downed animals
* Elimination of mutilations without painkillers, including tail docking, a cruel and outdated practice that involves
cutting through the skin, nerves, and bones of cows and is opposed by the American Veterinary Medical Association

Until DiGiorno decides to do the right thing, I will be taking my business elsewhere.

Sincerely,
[Your name]

Graphic Video; Please use Viewer Discretion

 “The video captures workers engaged in numerous serious acts of direct physical abuse and overt brutality—they whip, beat, slap, kick, stab and yell profanity at the cows. … There is a culture of serious neglect and mistreatment of animals in this facility, and the animals are suffering. This must stop.”

Dr. Debra Teachout

“There is no question in my mind, as a veterinarian experienced with farmed animals, including cows, that much of what was being done to the cows was inhumane, brutal and almost certainly a violation of the anti-cruelty statutes of many if not all states.”

Dr. Nedim Buyukmihci

“Dragging live cows, and completely suspending them with the cow lift is severe animal abuse. The actions of these people went beyond rough handling and escalated to the level of cruelty. Kicking, beating, and hard whipping of downed cows is abusive.”

Dr. Temple Grandin

“Rejoice it’s Christmas, go vegetarian; drive past all the cows & other farm livestock in the fields, look them in the eye & say “I don’t eat your family”…It feels GREAT!!!”

Cows are highly intelligent and friendly animals who can form long-lasting, deep bonds of friendship with other cows and even their human caregivers. Cows have extremely complex social groups and tend to choose the herd leaders for their intelligence, experience and good social skills.

Versus:-

Researchers have shown that factory farmed cows kept in groups of more than 200 become stressed and will continually fight for dominance. Having bonds of friendship broken whenever cows are sold to other farms or slaughterhouses also heightens their stress.

============

Much like humans, cows mourn the deaths of those they love. They even shed tears over the loss of friends who are separated from them. The bond between a mother cow and her calf is particularly strong and cows are widely known to cry out for their calves if they go missing.

Versus

Like humans and other mammals, cows only produce milk when they are pregnant or nursing, so the dairy industry keeps cows in a constant cycle of pregnancy and lactation. Newborn calves are dragged away from their mothers within a day of birth so that all of their milk can be sold for profit.

============

Cows are smart and sophisticated animals who can even understand cause-and-effect relationships, which is a sign of advanced cognitive abilities. Not only do cows swiftly figure out solutions to problems, they find the challenge wonderfully exciting.

Versus

The only thing cows on dairy farms learn is that they are likely to be kicked or beaten on their way to the milking parlor two or three times a day. A study by the dairy industry indicates that nearly 40 percent of cows are lame because of intensive confinement, filth and unnaturally high milk production.

News Link:-http://www.sliceofcruelty.com/

Choose Veg:- http://www.chooseveg.com/

Why?? SEE FOR YOURSELF:-

This eye-opening video takes you behind the closed doors of America’s factory farms, hatcheries, and slaughterhouses— revealing the journey that animals make from farm to fridge.

Uploaded on 3 Feb 2011

Mercy For Animals presents Farm to Fridge. Narrated by Oscar-nominee James Cromwell, this powerful film takes viewers on an eye-opening exploration behind the closed doors of the nation’s largest industrial farms, hatcheries, and slaughter plants — revealing the often-unseen journey that animals make from Farm to Fridge.

Learn more at:

http://www.MeatVideo.com
http://www.ChooseVeg.com
http://www.MercyForAnimals.org

Inspire Others:-

One of the most effective techniques for educating others about the health and ethical benefits of a plant-based diet is distributing literature in public places with heavy foot-traffic.

A great thing about leafleting is the lack of preparation time required. Also, at the right time and place, just one person can hand out hundreds of brochures in less than an hour.

We recommend passing out 25 Reasons To Try Vegetarian brochures which you can order from the MFA Literature Store.

Another great idea is to take MFA’s powerful new “Ask Me Why I’m Vegetarian” T-Shirt Challenge — designed to spark crucial discussions about the ways animals raised for food are treated and our moral obligation to alleviate needless suffering.

Here’s how it works:

1. Order a men’s or women’s cut “Ask Me Why I’m Vegetarian” t-shirt
2. Order a packet of 25 Reasons to Try Vegetarian brochures.
3. Wear your new “Ask Me Why I’m Vegetarian” t-shirt with pride.
4. When someone asks about your shirt, smile and give them a 25 Reasons brochure from the packet you’ve been keeping in your purse or backpack.
5. Have a friendly discussion about the reasons you went vegetarian.
6. Pat yourself on the back. You’ve just inspired someone to move toward a compassionate diet.
7. Wash your shirt.
8. Reorder literature.
9. Repeat.

That’s it! By starting conversations and planting seeds of compassion, you’ll be helping to spare countless animals unimaginable suffering. Simple. Effective. Vital.

Click here to order an “Ask Me Why I’m Vegetarian” t-shirt for $25. Your t-shirt order will include a free 10-pack of 25 Reasons brochures. Click here to order more 25 Reasonsbrochures.

While individual vegetarians save lives every time they sit down to eat, we can exponentially increase the number of animals we help by encouraging others to try vegetarian living too.

Since young people tend to be very interested in vegetarianism—and open to change—college campuses and concerts are particularly good places to leaflet.

Need some inspiration? Consider the math:

Let’s be really conservative and assume that only 1% of the people who receive a brochure decide to go vegetarian after reading it. If you pass out 200 leaflets in an afternoon, that’s at least two new people who became vegetarian.

200 leaflets x 1% = 2 new vegetarians

Based on annual slaughter statistics, the average vegetarian saves over 50 animals per year (about 27 land animals, and many more aquatic animals).

If we assume that, on average, those who do go vegetarian stay vegetarian for at least one year, that equates to at least 100 animals saved from just a few hours of leafleting.

2 new vegetarians x 50 animals per year = 100 animals saved per year

Link:-http://www.mercyforanimals.org/action-center.aspx

Utilize the Power of the Pen

Don’t underestimate the power of the pen — or keyboard and mouse! Writing letters to the media, businesses, and legislators is a great way to speak up for animals.

Check out these resources below to get started:

• The Complete Guide to Letter Writing
• DawnWatch
• Animal Legal Defense Fund alerts
• Animal Rights Action alerts
• Humane Action Alerts

The animals are counting on you. Your actions, your voice, and your volunteering makes a difference. Thank you for having the courage and moral strength to act for animals and be the voice of the voiceless. With your help, we will create a more compassionate world for all beings.

See other investigation videos & news:-http://www.mercyforanimals.org/investigations.aspx

Emily Deschanel’s PETA Ad Targets Troubling Dairy Farm Practices (Video)

Bones’ star Emily Deschanel has joined with PETA to highlight controversial practices within the U.S. dairy industry.

Emily Deschanel Reveals Shocking Dairy Farm Cruelty (Some Distressing Scenes)

Published on 6 May 2013

Emily Deschanel has the joy of raising her son every day, but mother cows on dairy farms have their calves torn away from them just hours after they’re born. Removing dairy products from your diet helps cows and keeps you and your family healthier. Find out how to cut dairy products out of your diet:https://secure.peta.org/site/Advocacy…

The ad was released in advance of Mother’s Day and criticizes the separation of dairy cows from their young, tail docking and other controversial practices faced by themore than 9 million dairy cows in the U.S.

Large-scale factory farms are facing scrutiny as reports of animal cruelty have emerged over the past few years. Some dairy farms are particularly problematic due to the forced production of milk and unsanitary living conditions, often inside feed lots without grass, the Humane Society reported in 2008.

Animal rights organizations have received some star-studded endorsements recently,including those from Ke$ha and Ryan Gosling.

News Link:-http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/12/emily-deschanel-peta-ad_n_3240370.html?utm_hp_ref=green

Horrific Cruelty Towards Babies: The Unwanted Male Dairy Calves

“This is an update on a post I did several months ago; however this contains more information. So please read the information at the links, sign the petitions & watch a new video recorded February 2013 by Animals Australia!!”

“Don’t you find it appalling that we force animals into pregnancy, then steal their babies & if that wasn’t bad enough, we then steal their babies milk! FFS people…please…I know I’ve written a lot; but only because I feel so strongly on the this subject. These animals have very little rights, or protection from harm…yes there are rules in place…but there all just about broken; as we have seen so many times before on undercover videos. Ok, these are just animals to some, but that doesn’t, nor shouldn’t put them beneath us, nor give us the right to treat them in such appalling ways, should it??

These young, vulnerable animals suffered not only because of illegal cruelty — but, crucially, because they were not wanted by the commercial dairy industry. Hundreds of thousands of Australian bobby calves are slaughtered each year as ‘waste products‘ of the dairy industry. The terrible treatment at this abattoir is not the first, nor will it be the last time that calves will be thrown, dragged and abused.

Their inability as babies to comprehend what is required of them, whether during loading for transport or up the races of slaughterhouses, requires them to be treated with compassion and patience — two human traits rarely witnessed when it comes to dealing with unwanted and ‘worthless’ animals.

Hidden Cameras – The Unwanted Dairy calf Investigation – Does not show slaughter!

(What you probably knew, but didn’t want to see; is a better title)

Published on 1 Feb 2013

Using hidden cameras, this investigation into the fate of unwanted dairy calves (bobby calves) in Australia reveals what the dairy industry doesn’t want you to see. LIKE & SHARE this video to help expose this. For tips on going dairy-free visit http://AnimalsAustralia.org/dairy-inv…

Young calves pushed, shocked with electric prods, hit and dragged up a metal ramp to be slaughtered… Some, too weak to stand, are thrown into the slaughter chute.

This shocking footage, provided to Animals Australia, was taken at an abattoir in Northern Victoria.

Upon receiving the footage, Animals Australia lodged a formal complaint with the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) for breaches of Victorian animal cruelty laws and the illegal use of an electric prod on a calf. A formal complaint was also lodged with PrimeSafe for breaches of the Australian Standards governing welfare at abattoirs; PrimeSafe ordered the practices cease immediately. Investigations have now concluded — incredibly, no charges have been laid.

Instead, the abattoir owners and several workers were issued with formal warnings by DPI. “Formal warnings for beating, shocking & brutally abusing babies…does that seem right or fair? Those heartless bastards should have been EXPOSED to all & at the very least; then BEEN FINED & DISMISSED!”

This exposure of abattoir cruelty, the latest in a string over the past 15 months, further demonstrates the urgent need for constant monitoring by Government veterinary officers and CCTV in all abattoirs.

“OK…this is my rant! Don’t we kill enough animals? slaughtered in appalling ways, just to satisfy the human hunger for all things meat?? Please…these are babies, yet they are thrown around, stunned, hit, poked, prodded etc. from the day they are born. This is 2013; we don’t need to be eating baby calves to maintain a healthy diet, any more than we need to be stealing their milk…it’s all just a preference!”

 “For the cow’s, nature normally decides the sex of an animal, but there is such a thing as specific “sexed semen” in the farming industry. It’s mainly only used on heifers for their first born, after that, it isn’t so predictable. So “sexed semen” isn’t widely used. A dairy cow is impregnated every year, so she continues to produce a steady supply of milk for humans to drink.This is usually done through artificial insemination which will give a 50/50 chance as to the sex of the calf. Most cows in the regular dairy industry are also given growth hormones, causing their udders to become unnaturally big and heavy, resulting in frequent infections. The Bovine Growth Hormone (BGH) also increases birth defects in calves.

Female cows have the same gestation period as women, 9 months! When the calf is born, it is normal dairy practice to remove the calf. Generally, the female calves are reared to join the milking herd but for male calves, it’s a very different story! The average modern dairy cow will produce about 100 pounds of milk per day, which is 10 times more than it would naturally produce. Normally cows can live an average of 25 years. Dairy cows are slaughtered and made into ground beef after about 3-4 years.

For the poor males calves born, a small percentage can either be reared for beef, if suitable, or sold for veal. After being removed from their mothers, veal calves are loaded onto trucks and often sold at auctions. These small and fragile calves are often treated very roughly. If they are unable to walk, they will be dragged by their legs or ears (as seen in the video)

 For the places that still use veal crates, the calves are confined in crates measuring about two feet wide. To make their meat more “tender”, their movements are restrained by chains around their necks. To give a white colour to their meat, the calves are fed an all-liquid milk-substitute, purposely deficient in iron and fibre  After about 16 weeks, these poor calves are slaughtered and their meat is sold labelled as “white” veal. They don’t even get to taste their mothers milk, let alone be with their mothers!”

 “Bob” veal comes from calves who are slaughtered when they are only a few hours or days old! SORRY….that just isn’t right…in fact, it makes us no better than our earlier neanderthal man, who would eat any meat, just to stay alive! WTF are we doing, eating baby calves…isn’t the meat from a cow good enough???

There is no getting away from the fact that humans developed this heinous life for young calves, purely so that their meat would taste nice to a certain clientele ! How f-ing wrong is that??? Doing so makes us no better than the people in Asia that eat puppies, dogs or cats! How many of you have signed numerous petitions to put an end to the cruel torture & eating of puppies, dogs or cats?? Some regions of china, beat the animal before it is slaughtered, because those eating it believe it makes the meat taste better.! Well what the hell are we doing??? putting babies into small crates to restrict their growth; so their meat tastes nicer!!! We are no f-ing better then them, we cause baby calves pain by putting them into crates with chains around their necks, not letting them move, feeding them poor diets etc. TELL ME…WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE???”

“Sadly, I’m more than aware, that where no other viable options exist, some farmers have no choice but to cull their bull calves, i.e. shoot them shortly after birth!! Perhaps this is the better end, than being dragged from their mothers, forced into trailers, degraded at sale rings…starved in veal crates, then violently tossed onto a slaughter belt & probably concious whilst their throats are cut!

“Female cows are in the dairy business for one reason only, for humans to steal their milk! Milk they produce because they are continually kept pregnant, because being pregnant means their body gets ready to produce milk for their babies, just like women; which is why female cow’s have their babies then are made pregnant again!  Artificial insemination especially in intensive dairy farming, cows are genetically engineered and fed growth hormones to force them to produce more milk.”

All female animals produce milk just like humans do, for their babies…unless your born a male calf…males don’t don’t get to have their mothers milk or be nurtured & feel safe; because they were sadly born MALE & not wanted by the commercial dairy industry.“

 “YOU CAN HELP BY SIMPLY NOT EATING VEAL or drinking their milk…Wouldn’t you feel a lot happier knowing you were not contributing to this?? I don’t eat any meat & only have Soya as my dairy substitute; even if I wasn’t vegetarian I still couldn’t stomach the thought of eating any baby animal;especially after seeing how they are treated!

“The link below also offers other ways to help this appalling cruelty”

Link:–http://animalsaustralia.org/investigations/dairy-calf-cruelty-investigation/

“These babies, including, pigs, cows, chickens, lambs, foals & often other animals around the world, are seen in the farming industry as cattle, livestock or property…therefore allowed to be killed & abused dreadfully, as is being seen! Why are we letting this happen??

What You Never Knew About Dairy

Uploaded on 24 Jan 2011

The treatment of bobby calves has been a long-held secret of the dairy industry. For the sake of milk products, the Australian dairy industry discards some 700,000 unwanted week-old calves as ‘waste products’ every year. You can help these vulnerable animals at http://www.animalsaustralia.org

Pledge to go Dairy Free:– http://animalsaustralia.org/take_action/pledge/dairy-free-pledge/

Demand animals not be treated as ‘waste products‘:-http://animalsaustralia.org/take_action/bobby-calf-cruelty/

Go deliciously dairy-free!:-http://animalsaustralia.org/features/dairy-free-shopping-list.php

“Of course there are those that don’t want the public to see how animals are treated or slaughtered on farms etc. So they are trying to introduce Ag-Gag bills…WHY?? If a farm has nothing to hide; why be so paranoid? We need these people to go into places the public are not allowed, so they can document all stages of cattle processing etc. Personally I think all places were animals are reared or slaughtered should have CCTV made available to 3rd parties at any time. For workers who, for want of a better word “enjoy causing & inflicting pain on another living being” farms & slaughter houses are perfect for them to carry on their diabolical & heinous rituals of hurting animals! Without undercover films or CCTV…how the hell are we going to know how the animals are kept & handled??”

Dangerous bills in five states would criminalize whistle-blowing on factory farms, chilling the ability of the American public to confront animal cruelty, unsafe working conditions, and environmental problems. See if your state has such a bill pending. Then learn more about these troublesome pieces of legislation in the link below.

In 2013, these states have introduced anti-whistle-blower bills:

• New Hampshire (HB 110)—pending: Live in N.H.? Take action now!
• Wyoming (HB 0126)—passed House; pending in Senate
• Indiana (SB 373/SB 391)—pending
• Nebraska (LB 204)—pending
• Arkansas (SB 13/SB 14)—bill pulled by sponsor

Link:–http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/campaigns/factory_farming/fact-sheets/ag_gag.html

If You Have To Eat Veal – Please Buy British veal

By rearing these calves for British veal, we believe they are given a life worth living. The calves are reared in groups and must be provided with bedding which gives them a comfortable floor surface. Young calves are supplied double the amount of fibrous food compared with EU requirements, and older calves have greater space allowance than stipulated in EU law.

And, last but not least, these calves have not endured long distance transport to reach the rearing units.

And finally, if it doesn’t specify on the menu that the veal is British, assume that it isn’t  Retailers, restaurants, butchers and deli’s should be proud to offer this higher welfare alternative.

Read how you can help & watch the video by Compassion In World Farming:- http://www.ciwf.org.uk/what_we_do/calves/uncovered_veal_confusion.aspx

HOW CAN I HELP?

You can help to improve the welfare of calves in a number of ways: please visit:- http://www.ciwf.org.uk/what_we_do/calves/take_action/default.aspx

“Go milk free, many people now use almond, soy, rice, coconut or hemp milk. I use Soya milk & to me it taste like creamy milk; delicious!”

Maternal Deprivation – A HSUS guide to the welfare of veal animals

The routine early separation of cows and their calves in the dairy and veal industries is distressing for both. 

Hudson and Mullord found “that 5-min contact with a calf immediately post partum is sufficient for the formation of a strong, specific maternal bond with that calf.”

 Calves separated from their dams at birth, as observed by Lidfors, were less active and vocalized and licked themselves more than calves remaining with their mothers. Marchant-Forde et al. reported that calves separated from their dams 24 hours after birth recognized and responded to recordings of their dams’ calls 24 hours after separation, with the cows’ vocalizations eliciting cardiac and behavioural responses in their calves. 

In its 1995 Report on the Welfare of Calves, the SVC concluded: “The best conditions for rearing young calves involve leaving the calf with the mother in a circumstance where the calf can suckle and can subsequently graze and interact with other calves.” Newborn calves have no antibodies against infections and are entirely dependent on immunoglobulin in mother’s milk for immunological protection.

Colostrum, the milk dams produce during the first few days after calving, is especially high in immunoglobulin. Adequate intake of colostrum is critical for the future health of the calf, as those with low concentrations of absorbed immunoglobulin are more susceptible to diarrhoea.

The routine practice of removing newborn calves from their dams within a few hours of birth may jeopardize this important transfer of immunoglobulin.  Although colostrum is collected from recently calved cows, in top dairy-producing states such as California, it is often sold to facilities specializing in raising female calves for the dairy industry,as their long-term health is considered to be of greater value than that of male calves reared for veal.

Surveys of U.S. veal farms confirm that many calves do not receive adequate colostrum.

Link:-http://www.humanesociety.org/assets/pdfs/farm/hsus-the-welfare-of-animals-in-the-veal-industry.pdf

What about veal crates?

“Confining calves to crates prevents them from performing all of their natural social and psychological behaviours, purposely prevents healthy growth and development. At the end of their short lives, many calves are not able to walk properly to slaughter, due to the under-development of their leg muscles.

“Humans do this on purpose so that their meat tastes better…FFS….this makes us no better than the people in parts of China, that beat dogs to death; under the impression it makes their meat taste better!! Well, we might not intentionally beat the animal to “make it taste better” but we keep it confined in crate so it doesn’t grown normally!! Not that much difference is there??”

“Crated calves are fed a poor substitute as opposed to their mothers milk; which actually causes them to become anaemic, which creates the very pale meat; the seller wants & the buyers need…it disgusting!”

While some animal advocates work to ban the use of veal crates, the slaughter of any animal for food is antithetical to animal rights, regardless of how much room the animals have when they are alive.

Read more at the link below:-

Link:–http://animalrights.about.com/od/animalsusedforfood/g/What-Is-A-Veal-Crate.htm

Veal crates have been banned in the UK since 1990, however veal is still produced in the UK under certain requirements, for example, calves must be able to turn around, they must be fed a diet containing some iron and they may not be kept in individual stalls or pens after the age of eight weeks. As of 2006, similar requirements will be law in the European Union; at present they are only applicable for holdings that have been newly built or rebuilt as of January of 1998.

Here’s a quick look at some of the HSUS’s work to free calves from crates.

State Laws

The HSUS has helped pass laws to ban veal crates in several states, including Arizona,California, Colorado, Maine, Michigan, and Ohio.

Investigations

Our undercover investigation of a “bob veal” slaughter plant shined a bright light onto the abuses that male dairy calves can endure.

Corporations

After working with The HSUS, retailers such as Wolfgang Puck no longer serve veal from calves confined in crates. Strauss Veal, the largest U.S. veal producer, and Marcho Farms, have both converted their veal operations to crate-free housing.

Individuals

The HSUS offers materials that make it easier for consumers to avoid supporting veal crates—and that’s one of the ways you can help! Some include our guide to meat and dairy labels, our list of dairy-free and delicious products, and dozens of delicious, humane recipes.

Link:–http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/confinement_farm/facts/veal.html

A brief guide to labels and animal welfare

The Humane Society of the United States

An abundance of labels on meat and dairy products make such claims as “grass fed,” “cage free” and “natural.” What exactly do these labels mean, especially in terms of animal welfare?

Some of the claims represent better conditions for animals than those suffered by the billions who are raised on standard factory farms, while others don’t relate to the animals’ welfare at all. So, how meaningful are these labels?

The following are the most common labels, decoded:-take a look so you know what your buying:- http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/confinement_farm/facts/meat_dairy_labels.html

More information & petitions to sign:-

• http://forcechange.com/10605/stop-the-torture-of-veal-calves/
  
• http://forcechange.com/28381/ban-confinement-of-cows-and-pigs-in-massachusetts/

“Why can’t they all be like the farmer below,who genuinely loves & cares for his cows even after their milking days are over!!”

“Eastleigh Farm says goodbye to Framingham herd matriarch”

FRAMINGHAM —

As dairy owner Doug Stephan’s first milk cow, Peaches was Eastleigh Farm’s grande dame. With a beautifully coiffed top-knot crown and way of communicating with farmhands, the brown Jersey girl commanded respect.

“She’s always been extraordinarily regal,” farm worker Georgette Jowdy said.

As the 22-year-old bovine laid her tired legs on a bed of hay Friday morning, her large brown eyes showed that she seemed to know her reign as matriarch was over.

Stephan planned to put Peaches down Friday afternoon, 10 years after retiring her to his home pasture on Grove Street, around the corner from Eastleigh on Edmands Road.

Stephan choked back tears as he sat beside his beloved cow in the barn beside his house, talking about her seemingly psychic abilities, the seven calves she delivered and how she got her name from the vocalist duo Peaches & Herb.

He planned to bury Peaches near his late father’s ashes in the yard, and near a plaque for farm manager Edgar Pless, who died last summer.

“It’s a tough day,” said Jowdy, Pless’ wife, who raises the farm’s calves and had a close bond with Peaches after working there for 14 years. “It’s especially tough for Doug.”

As Peaches put her head on his lap, Stephan recalled bringing the cow and her cousin, Cream, to live at Eastleigh when they were four- or five-day-old heifers.

Cream later died, and the “extraordinarily sharp” Peaches went on to rule the herd. “She was always the boss cow,” Stephan said. “She would show up, get unloaded off the trailer and everyone would clear the way. She was in charge,” Jowdy said.

“She has an aura about her,” Stephan said. “I mean there’s a little crown.” Eastleigh retires its cows instead of slaughtering them after their milking years. It lets them graze in the home pasture, or gives them away to be “lawnmowers,” Jowdy said.

“They give their whole life to give us food,” she said. Strong-willed Peaches lived a long life for a cow and couldn’t stand up at the end, Jowdy said. “They get arthritis, like we do,” she said. “They get bone loss, they get muscle loss.” Peaches, she said, “gave milk for a long, long time and babies – a lot of babies.”

A lineage chart in the barn shows that Peaches delivered Patches, Elsie, Beth, Herbie, Plum, Samantha and Beulah. Apricot, Emma and Elke joined the family tree as future generations. They are among the hundreds of cows that Stephan raises.

Resting in her stall before the veterinarian arrived, Peaches enjoyed lots of snacks in addition to her grain: whole wheat bread, croissant and, a special treat, doughnuts.

“We’re indulging her a lot,” Jowdy said. Jowdy said she was comforted by the fact that Peaches would be joining her late husband. “I like to believe because it’s comforting that he’s there waiting for her,” she said.

“Why can’t all farmers have the compassion & love for their animals as the above man does?  I really take my hat off to this farmer for his loyalty & love of his animals. He appreciates that they give their milk & their babies; in return they get to be cow’s, retired & munching on grass!”

News Link: http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/news/x1522319540/Eastleigh-Farm-says-goodbye-to-Framingham-herd-matriarch#ixzz2KnHdqXsL

Video of Jowdy saying goodbye to peaches.

http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/multimedia/video/x898127804/VIDEO-Saying-goodbye-to-Peaches

Human Branding To Protest Animal Cruelty

ANIMAL rights activists in Britain plan to brand themselves in a painful public protest against the dairy industry.

Volunteers will line up to be scarred for life by a searing hot iron in a symbolic act against cruelty which they claim plagues the global dairy sector.

“If one person goes away and researches a vegan lifestyle because of this it will have been worth it,” demonstration organiser Becky Folkard, 34, told Britain’s Daily Mirror newspaper.

“We’re taking a huge risk because so many people will see what we’re doing as extreme but in the past you had suffragettes, which was hugely controversial.”

Ms Folkard, who will not be branded herself, said two women and a man had so far volunteered to be branded, to object to the dairy industry which she described as an “animal holocaust”.

 On March 21 in London the trio will be permanently marked with the number 269, which represents the ear tag sequence on calves featured in a pro-animal film documentary.

A similar protest has already been staged in Israel, the Mirror reported.

News Link:-http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/breaking-news/human-branding-to-protest-animal-cruelty/story-e6freoo6-1226558573507

Cow Proves Animals Love, Think, And Act

“This just proves that animals, in this case cows; do have similar feelings to our’s. The bond between mother & baby, the instinct to nurture, to keep safe from harm, empathy & the intense feelings of heartache when they are separated. This had me in floods of tears; spread it far & wide to let people know that animals are indeed…cognizant, responsive, perceiving, receptive, aware, sensitive understanding, knowing, conscious & sensitive beings! So think how they feel, when at the slaughter house!!”

(TOUCHING TALE) A dairy cow made the tough choice to hide one of her calves after giving birth to twins. As her fifth birth, the cow remembered her previous agony and knew that both of her babies would be taken away, unless she tried to save one.

The intelligence and care displayed by this mothering cow is both heartbreaking and breathtaking. Read this touching tale, told by a veterinarian, about an amazing display of motherly love that proves animals love and feel. — Global Animal.

By Holly Cheever, DVM, reprinted from Action for Animals

I would like to tell you a story that is as true as it is heartbreaking. When I first graduated from Cornell’s School of Veterinary Medicine, I went into a busy dairy practice in Cortland County. I became a very popular practitioner due to my gentle handling of the dairy cows. One of my clients called me one day with a puzzling mystery: his Brown Swiss cow, having delivered her fifth calf naturally on pasture the night before, brought the new baby to the barn and was put into the milking line, while her calf was once again removed from her. Her udder, though, was completely empty, and remained so for several days.

As a new mother, she would normally be producing close to one hundred pounds (12.5 gallons) of milk daily; yet, despite the fact that she was glowing with health, her udder remained empty. She went out to pasture every morning after the first milking, returned for milking in the evening, and again was let out to pasture for the night — this was back in the days when cattle were permitted a modicum of pleasure and natural behaviors in their lives — but never was her udder swollen with the large quantities of milk that are the hallmark of a recently-calved cow.

I was called to check this mystery cow two times during the first week after her delivery and could find no solution to this puzzle. Finally, on the eleventh day post calving, the farmer called me with the solution: he had followed the cow out to her pasture after her morning milking, and discovered the cause: she had delivered twins, and in a bovine’s “Sophie’s Choice,” she had brought one to the farmer and kept one hidden in the woods at the edge of her pasture, so that every day and every night, she stayed with her baby — the first she had been able to nurture FINALLY—and her calf nursed her dry with gusto. Though I pleaded for the farmer to keep her and her bull calf together, she lost this baby, too—off to the hell of the veal crate.

Think for a moment of the complex reasoning this mama exhibited: first, she had memory — memory of her four previous losses, in which bringing her new calf to the barn resulted in her never seeing him/her again (heartbreaking for any mammalian mother). Second, she could formulate and then execute a plan: if bringing a calf to the farmer meant that she would inevitably lose him/her, then she would keep her calf hidden, as deer do, by keeping her baby in the woods lying still till she returned. Third — and I do not know what to make of this myself — instead of hiding both, which would have aroused the farmer’s suspicion (pregnant cow leaves the barn in the evening, unpregnant cow comes back the next morning without offspring), she gave him one and kept one herself. I cannot tell you how she knew to do this—it would seem more likely that a desperate mother would hide both.

All I know is this: there is a lot more going on behind those beautiful eyes than we humans have ever given them credit for, and as a mother who was able to nurse all four of my babies and did not have to suffer the agonies of losing my beloved offspring, I feel her pain.

Holly Cheever, DVM

Vice President, New York State Humane Association Member

Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association’s Leadership Council

News Link:-http://www.globalanimal.org/2012/04/13/cow-proves-animals-love-think-and-act/71867/

The ‘cruel’ goat farm where activists claim animals have the tips of their horns burned off with a metal tool to save money as demand for milk and cheese grows

With a healthy, organic image, cheese and milk from British goat farms have become popular items on our shopping lists.

Now scenes we might imagine of free-range herds grazing on lush fields have been rocked by claims of animal cruelty.

Undercover filming at two of the largest goat farms by animal campaigners Viva, shows images of kid goats having the tips or buds of their horns burned off with a metal tool. The painful procedure stops horns growing, so avoiding injury during clashes in adulthood.

But animal welfare rules state this should be done by vets under anaesthetic.

One of the farms, Upper Enson Farm at Sandon, Staffordshire, which has around 2,000 goats, does not take these safeguards. The farmer said he did not have the cash to use vets because the goat industry was ‘on its knees’.

The farm supplies a dairy which sells products in major supermarkets including Waitrose, Sainsbury’s and Co-op.

Footage from the farm also showed the carcasses of dead nanny and kid goats. The farmer later admitted the farm had suffered an outbreak of cryptosporidiosis, which can kill younger goats.

Viva warns that cramped conditions can encourage diseases to spread.

Filming at another business, Bromes Farm, near Taunton in Somerset, which supplies Tesco among other retailers, revealed some conditions in which the animals are not free to go out into the fields.

Ranks of goats were also shown connected to milking machines at the farm. Viva condemns industrial-style milking parlours, which can cause the goats to suffer from sore udders because of the high quantities of milk produced.

Bromes Farm did not respond to requests for comment.

Viva said the raising of goats increasingly involved factory farming techniques. Director Juliet Gellatley said: ‘Ethically minded consumers who have been shocked by increasingly intensive methods of production in the dairy cow industry have been switching to goats’ milk under the mistaken belief that it is more humane.’

Nick Brandon, owner of Upper Enson Farm, admitted he was operating outside the rules on removing or disbudding horns. He said: ‘The disbudding is not quite as it should be and we are consulting with our vet to decide how to move forward.’

Asked why he has not used a vet, he said: ‘It is not economical for the number of goats we have got.

‘The industry is on its knees. Goats’ milk and cheese is becoming more popular, but the price people pay in the shops is not filtering back to farmers.’

He added: ‘Our milking goats and older youngstock graze outside for eight to nine months of the year and have access to their shed in rain.’

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2160065/The-cruel-goat-farms-Activists-claim-animals-mistreated-demand-milk-cheese-grows.html#ixzz1xyG206QG

 

Published on 15 Jun 2012 by vivaorg

Think today’s dairy goat farming is benign and mostly small-scale? Think again. Watch our film to find out more.

Through a series of ground-breaking undercover investigations Viva! has shone a light on the rapidly expanding goat’s dairy industry in the UK — including farms that supply the UK’s biggest supermarkets.

Behind the pastoral image often portrayed our exposé has found potentially illegal and other routine mutilation of baby animals, disease outbreaks, piles of dead carcasses, intensified zero-grazing farming practices and Billy goats increasingly sold for the ethnic food market. It is this intensification that has allowed the industry to surpass the production of 2 million litres a year in Britain for the first time.

In May 2012, we filmed undercover at Upper Enson Farm (Britain’s largest grazing goat herd) in Staffordshire, who milk around 1,800 goats for Delamere Dairies — who supply M&S, Waitrose, The Co-op, Sainsbury’s and a number of other major UK retailers. In September/October 2011, we also filmed at Bromes Farm in Somerset, which farms around 1,200 zero-grazed goats and supplies Tesco.

For more information and free advice on how to go dairy-free, visithttp://www.milkmyths.org.uk/goats

Male dairy calves are killed, but why the surprise? People have no right to complain if they don’t inform themselves about food

By CLIVE ASLET

I am baffled by the response to the Channel 4 documentary showing the fate of male dairy calves. Why the shock?

What did people think did happen to them? Most of the audience will drink milk. How did they think it was produced?

I agree with one thing: it’s a terrible shame that this massacre of the innocents should take place. In a thrifty society, it wouldn’t.

If you farm animals to eat, you owe it to them – and to your conscience – not to waste the meat they furnish. In my view that includes throwing away food from the fridge which has been allowed to pass its sell-by date: if you buy meat, the least you an do is to make sure you consume it.

We should also make better use of male calves. As I write this, on a train to Kent, I am sipping a cappuccino.

At the outlet in the railway station, I watched the barista carry half a dozen huge plastic containers of milk to the fridge. Milk has become an industrial product.

It bears little relationship to the creamy liquid that froths out of the cow. It’s sold in petrol station and other places that have no obvious connection with food. It’s ubiquitous.

Produce: A female farmer milks a cow. Unfortunately there’s no market for their bobby calves

The retail system has driven down the price to a level where thousands of dairy farmers have had to pack up over recent years. The family farm, as it exists in many people’s imagination, is now a thing of the past. 

Put all these factors together, and it’s hardly surprising that harsh economics and ruthless efficiency have risen above sentiment.

I didn’t see the documentary in question but I bet the farmers on it cared deeply about the welfare of their herds. In a sense, that’s the surprise.

Farmers, despite all the financial pressures that they’re now under, still want to do their best for their animals. They’re as sorry as anyone that there’s no market for their bobby calves. 

In part, this was destroyed by the animal rights brigade. Traditionally, Britain’s male calves were exported to the Continent. Some years ago, campaigners blockaded the ports and put a stop to it.

I wasn’t wholly sorry that they should have done so. The calves often had to travel long distances in dreadful conditions, and were then bred for veal. In order that a wiener schnitzel or Blanquette de veau is the correct order of whiteness, the veal calves are kept in darkness, and fed on milk.

As a consequence, white veal is one of the few things I won’t eat. Where the campaigners were wrong was in failing to establish an alternative destination for the British calves.

Without one, a bolt from a humane killer was the only alternative. Some retailers attempted to establish a taste for pink veal in Britain – veal from young animals which have been allowed to see the outdoors – but it didn’t really take off.

We live in a largely urban society, and unfortunately most town dwellers are too lazy to find out about animals, even when they say they care about them.

Life for many dairy farmers has been made all but impossible by the badger explosion.

We all want to have badgers in the countryside, but when was the last time you saw a hedgehog dead by the side of the road? Squashed hedgehogs were something of a sick joke in the 1970s.

Now, I’m told, hedgehogs are eaten by badgers, along with the eggs of skylarks and other ground nesting birds.

Urbanites hardly think about the consequences of badger preservation on other forms of wildlife, much less the impact on dairy farms. In fact, many of us close our eyes to farming practices altogether.

If consumers choose to exist in a state of wilful ignorance about the production of what they eat, they really don’t have the right to complain at what goes on, when they suddenly find out.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2152608/Baby-calves-shot-C4-documentary-People-right-complain-dont-inform-food.html#ixzz1wRylYCEI

Viewers’ outrage over harrowing scenes of day-old calves being lined up and shot DEAD just because they’re male

“I’m sorry people found this distressing, but I”m glad it was done. People have to realize whats happening to these & other farm animals, TV programs should air more programs like this, it’s the only way to get people to notice!”

“These veal calves actually got a better way to die, most are left to starve to death or cruelly treated & exported to slaughter….if only the public knew the half of it, many would become vegetarians!”

• Three Jersey calves were filmed being killed on the Channel 4 programme featuring farmer Jimmy Doherty
• Nearly 60 people complained about the graphic scenes aired at 9.30pm on Tuesday
  

  Shocking: Graphic scenes of a ‘knacker man’ pointing his gun to the head of the calves and shooting them in their brains was too gruesome for some

Harrowing scenes of newly-born dairy calves being lined up and shot dead simply because they are male have left television viewers sickened.

The images of three Jersey calves being killed were filmed to highlight the grim reality of the dairy industry.

The Channel 4 programme, featuring farmer Jimmy Doherty, was explaining how more than 90,000 male dairy calves are shot at birth every year because there is no market for them.

But graphic scenes of a ‘knacker man’ pointing his gun to the head of the calves and shooting them in their brains was too gruesome for many.

Last night Channel 4 said it had received 58 complaints about the first episode of Jimmy and the Giant Supermarket, while the media regulator Ofcom had received more than ten. Viewers described the footage as ‘sick’, ‘horrific’ and one of the most upsetting things they had seen on TV.

Channel 4 showed the slaughterman creeping up beside the calves, who were about a day old or younger, before pulling his trigger. One of the animals was seen collapsing, then the camera cut away to the face of the presenter as the other two were killed.

They were then taken away to be rendered down to tallow to fuel a Belgian power station. Mr Doherty was later seen planning to make his own range of meatballs in an attempt to tackle the ‘huge’ problem in the dairy industry of unwanted male calves.

The TV farmer suggested slaughtered animals could instead be raised for veal.

He said British rose veal was ‘high welfare’ but because of previous cruelty concerns around this kind of meat, male calves were still viewed as a ‘waste product’.

The scenes, which aired at around 9.30pm on Tuesday, shocked many animal lovers.

One tweeted:‘Harrowing scenes of male calves being euthanised on Jimmy and the Giant Supermarket.’ Another said: ‘Had to turn that Jimmy programme over, they were shooting male calves who were only a day old! Beautiful creatures, so sad! Feel sick.’ A third added: ‘One of the most upsetting things I’ve seen in ages. Just awful.’ Others described the scenes as ‘pretty horrific’ as another said the calves ‘looked like Bambi’.

Support: Animal charities backed the decision to show the scenes. The RSPCA said it was important to raise awareness about how food and drink is produced

But animal charities backed the decision to show the scenes. The RSPCA said it was important to raise awareness about how food and drink is produced.

A Channel 4 spokesman said: ‘We feel it is important to show the reality of this practice to offer viewers a rounded perspective of the issues the programme touches on.

‘The programme went out after the watershed, was preceded by a warning and the animals were killed humanely by an expert.’

Link to Video:Viewers-outrage-harrowing-scenes-day-old-calves-shot.html

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2152402/Viewers-outrage-harrowing-scenes-day-old-calves-shot.html#ixzz1wRqwb720

 

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