The process of artificial insemination is distressing, as she is forced into a confined space where a farmer inserts an inseminating gun in her vagina to deposit sperm. While doing this, the farmer inserts one arm in the cow’s anus to manually manipulate her reproductive organs. Not only that, but the dairy industry is pushing our planet to its limits. Like all animal agriculture, it is a driving force behind species extinction, deforestation, water scarcity, land overuse and global antibiotic resistance. Producing a glass of dairy milk every day for a year needs land as large as the size of two tennis courts - that’s ten times the land needed for oat milk. Typically only a few hours after giving birth, a cow’s baby is taken from her so that the milk intended for her calf can be bottled and sold. Some of the most common health problems that cows develop are metabolic starvation, mastitis and lameness. Around 2.6 million cows are used for their milk every year in the UK and a growing number of them have never stepped foot on grass and will never see a pasture.

Cows In Action Books - Goodreads Cows In Action Books - Goodreads

Once a cow becomes pregnant, she carries her baby in her womb for nine months before giving birth. Just like us. Dairy farming is responsible for suffering on a huge scale. Over 2.6 million cows are used for their milk every year in the UK. On every single one of the 8,000 UK dairy producers there is a cycle of suffering taking place. Another common disease resulting from continued milking over a period of several years is mastitis, an infection of the udder which causes secretion of pus. Up to 50% of cows used for their dairy suffer from mastitis. Shooting bull calves is potentially a massive own goal when we are talking about showing how great our industry is National Farmers (NFU) Union dairy chairman Michael Oakes (Jan, 2020)The majority of cows in the UK are stunned with a captive-bolt pistol. Once stunned they are hung upside down by one leg, lifted onto an overhead conveyor and moved to the ‘bleed area’. Here their throats are cut and they are left to bleed out. Stunning can be ineffective and some cows have their throats cut while still conscious. Dairy Fact 4: Cows In The Dairy Industry Could Never See A Pasture Hello Yellow - 80 Books to Help Children Nurture Good Mental Health and Support With Anxiety and Wellbeing - Below are some of the abuses cows are subjected to throughout their lives. Practices that are part and parcel of typical dairy production and, most disturbingly, are perfectly legal right here in the UK. Dairy Fact 1: Thousands of Cows are Slaughtered While Pregnant Every Year In The UK This tragic fate has been defined by many as the ‘dairy’s dirty secret’ and long criticised by animal protection organisations, as well as the general public. The dairy industry even admits that this practise is extremely problematic, calling it an ‘own goal’:

Cows in Action 3: The Roman Moo-stery (Cows In Action, 9)

This draining cycle of pregnancies, births and milk production is extremely hard on them, which is why often they develop severe diseases or physical ailments. Many die from these diseases or are killed as a result. However, in dairy farms – whether small-scale, certified organic or intensive – the milk she produces will not be given to her baby, as it will instead be bottled up for human consumption. And so, her calf is separated from her and swapped for a milking machine which is attached to her teats. Armistice Day: A Collection of Remembrance - Spark Interest and Educate Children about Historical MomentsDue to increasing pressure from the public and animal welfare organisations, retailers have started to implement new rules to limit the killing of male calves, which were planned to come into force by the end of 2021.

Cows In Action Book Series | LoveReading4Kids Cows In Action Book Series | LoveReading4Kids

Currently, an estimated 16% of UK dairy farms have adopted the zero-graze system and the number, sadly, is expected to grow. Animals trapped in factory farms are being silenced, but you can lend your voice to speak up for them. Please help by sharing this petition with at least three people who also care about animals.

And some don’t even get six months outside. Because the industry is constantly looking for ways to increase profits, a new system – referred to as ‘zero-graze’ – has been introduced in the UK and it is being used more and more frequently. According to a 2020 report, every year in the UK an estimated 60,000 male calves– approximately 15% of all male calves born in the dairy industry – were shot on-farm. Just like humans, cows only produce milk for their babies. For this reason, once a cow is around 15 months of age, she is artificially impregnated – for the first time. In a zero-graze system, a cow is not allowed to graze or be outdoors on the grass. Instead, she is fed silage (wet, fermented grass) and a high concentrate mix of cereal, soya, sunflower meal and maize.

Cows in Action: The Battle for Christmoos - Scholastic Cows in Action: The Battle for Christmoos - Scholastic

In 1975, a cow used for her milk produced around 4,100 litres of milk per year. Today a cow will produce double that amount: 8,200 litres of milk per year, which is an average of 22 litres per day. Male calves are not the only babies to be killed by the dairy industry (more about this later), as some calves are killed while they are still in their mother’s womb. Stop cow and calf separation Dairy Fact 7: Mastitis and Lameness Are Common Health Issues that Cows DevelopHelp us stop this: sign the petition Dairy Fact 2: Male Calves Born In The Dairy Industry Are Sent to Slaughter Cows in the dairy industry are bred specifically to produce far larger quantities of milk than they would ever produce naturally. This unnatural milk production, combined with repeated forced pregnancies, takes a toll on their bodies. By the time they are a few years old, they are seen as ‘unproductive’ – because they’re so exhausted and their milk production has declined – and no longer profitable to the industry. With 1 in 3 Brits now reported to be consuming plant-based milks on a regular basis, the nation is stepping away from supporting this industry. This is unsurprising, since the UK prides itself on being a nation of animal lovers and the world is all too aware of the climate catastrophe that is already rearing its ugly head.