Baby Calves in veal crates

[Playinghardball]

Boycott Veal!!

These poor babies are only days old and full of fear and longing for their moms. They are surrounded by people petting them, laughing and taking pictures of them while eating ice cream made from the very milk they are being denied and is their birth right from their mothers. You can see just how desperate the one calf is to suckle. They will remain on the farm for about a week before they will be taken away for veal and slaughtered as babies only 6 months old or raised for slaughter as beef products. Despite this, the dairy operators say that these animals are not suffering and enjoy a natural life! There is nothing more contrary. You can stop this horrific violence. You can refuse to purchase or consume dairy products. Humans have no need of dairy products. Despite what you have been told, dairy is toxic to your body. Choose alternatives like soy, almond, oat, hemp and other milk beverages which are healthy and delicious. Animals are not here for us, they are here with us and the bare minimum we owe them is not to exploit them.

[bunnies]

1. Its horrifically cruel.

As are the majority, if not all, factory farming practices. Sad thing is - most people just don't care.

[anniebelle]

23. 'most people just don't care'

sad to say, but most people go to their grocery, see meat, vegetables ~ all that goes in their bellies and have not a clue where it comes from, how it gets to their market, what they're going to do when it's not available to them when we have so over-consumed, there is not enough for all,
nor do they care. Meat consumption uses more resources than any other product we consume. I love this cavalier attitude "I'll eat what I please, it's a free country". Well, we don't have infinite resources to handle our selfish, over-consuming attitudes, so humans better get a grip on how their children and grandchildren are going to survive on this planet ~ or do you care about anyone but yourself?

[ciaobaby]

2. Thanks for posting

More and more people are beginning to face the ugly truth. This is simply animal cruelty. The healthy and humane choice is NO DAIRY.

[Elmergantry]

3. "Veal Crates?" Seriously?

City slicker ignorance is a hoot. These are calf shelters. These calves will be raised as replacement cows, or beef. Calves set aside for veal would not be housed this way; they would already be in a facility dedicated to such productiuon. Here is a word for you: "weaning" look it up. If they were left with momma all the time, it would defeat the purpose of having dairy cows as there would be no milk left to market. Here is another word: "milk replacer" Which is fortified powdered milk these calves are given in lieu of mothers milk since they cant eat anything else until a certain age. Also dairy farms often feed them excess, unmarketable cow milk that oftenis on-site pastuerized.

[GGJohn]

19. Yup, that's exactly what they are.

When a calf is born on our farm, it's immediately separated from it's mother and placed in a calf shelter and fed the necessary vitamins and supplements needed.

[mucifer]

24. Very cruel in my opinion. Separated from the mother then steal the milk intended for the baby.

[GGJohn]

28. City folk?

Ever lived and worked a farm or ranch?

[Kali]

4. I am not into veal and don't have as intimate knowlege of dairy cattle as I do for beef

but the "narrator" of that video is wrong about a couple of things, mainly that those calves are in a state of fear. I am very knowledgeable about cattle behavior and I have raised dozens of calves on bottles for one reason or another (mothers died, abandoned or were otherwise unable to raise their calves) and I can promise that almost all healthy orphans take to humans and bottles in less than one day, usually the very first feeding.

some breeds (and individuals) have a much better drive to suck than others, as well. some need to suck for 20 minutes whether they are full or not, others fill up and quit right away. (hell this is probably true of all mammals, it was with my sons! LOL) the fact that those calves are calm and not trying to run off or run AT "perceived danger" while bawling, shows that they are not afraid. a calf that is in fear either flees or attacks. the little one standing in the shed was not afraid and the other was obviously comfortable with humans as it hunted a bottle or other version of a cow's teat.

there are plenty of problems with veal and dairy and even confined beef production, but anthropomorphizing animal behaviors is ignorant at best and is probably more dishonest and deceitful in practice, when trying to bring change.

[Elmergantry]

5. Thanks for the added input

I remember as a kid weaning the calves and teaching how to drink vs sucking. Bucket of milk replacer with hand in the bucket submerged in the milk. Calve sucks on the hand, eventually drinking instead...funniest sensation. Fond memories.

[ciaobaby]

6. cows milk is for cows - period.

[Kali]

8. that thinking is equivilant to saying fruit is for seed growth and you should just let it all drop

to the ground. dairy animals (that includes sheep and goats as well as cattle) have been bred and selected to produce excess milk that humans use for food - and many/most humans are well adapted to it as well. it is a mutual benefit to both species.

[ciaobaby]

10. for your reading pleasure

http://nutritionstudies.org/12-frightening-facts-milk/

[Kali]

11. linked, linked, may play a role, might be linked, implicated, ...

lots of almost-correlation, not a speck of causation. sorry not really a single fact in the 12 claims, not even enough correlation to make me consider cutting down, much less giving up dairy.

[Elmergantry]

14. Well if you dont like milk,

then dont drink it.

[ciaobaby]

15. and if you don't like facts.......

"like" has nothing to do with it. Health has everything to do with it.

[Elmergantry]

17. If you are convinced milk is bad for you

Then by all means, abstain. Its a free country.

[GGJohn]

20. I've been drinking milk and using dairy products my whole life and, according

to my doctor at my last physical check up, I'm healthy as a horse, no medical problems at all.

If you don't want to drink milk, then don't, it's a free country.

[StoneCarver]

30. And Almond Milk

is made from a trees baby almonds. And soy milk is made from a soy plants babies too I'm not sure which is worse cow milk or plant milk -in the grand scheme.
Stonecarver

[Kali]

7. we had straight Herefords when I was a kid

when we had a dogie to bottle feed we actually had to enlarge the hole in the nipple. after we started crossing our cattle the first time I raised a Brahma cross calf I realized the difference! at one point we had 3 calves in the yard, and they would suck each other's ears if they didn't get enough time on the bottle. finally figured out to just use the pin hole and let them work a little harder.

oh yeah and you can use that sucking reflex to lead them around. I found a dogied calf on a hike once and got it back to the headquarters of that ranch by letting it suck my fingers and walking off a few times - after a while it followed me the whole way back. not sure owner was all that happy about having to feed a dogie, but I know I would prefer it to a total loss, and they do make good gentle cows when the heifers grow up. we still have 3 grown bottle babies on the place.

[Elmergantry]

12. fingers get sore?

Sounds like a lot of sucking! Rewarding though wasnt it? We just had a couple milkers. the one was so easy going and gentle-"Lucy". Dad had a hard time sending her to the livestock auction when the time came.

[bvar22]

9. That photo is of a Cow Condo.

The Veal Crates I have seen didn't even have enough room for the calf to turn around.

[Elmergantry]

13. Exactly. Those are calf "condos"

Nowhere near a "veal crate"

[GGJohn]

16. And there are some here on this very board that condemn hunters.

I will not buy any meat from any supermarket, we hunt, grow most of our own food, we have a small herd of cattle for our dairy products and beef, we have free range chickens for eggs, hogs for pork, etc.

[Elmergantry]

18. Had my own hogs for pork for a couple years.

Milk fed. DARN good pork! But too much BS when kept confined. Hope to have pastured pigs in the future.

[stonecutter357]

26. John i owe you an apology, I had no right to tell you to f off in a post about guns.

I have no idea why i did that I have Hunted and fished my hole life .

Please accept my apology.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10141242873 link.

[GGJohn]

29. No problem.

The issue of gun control is a very contentious issue and more often than not, gets quite heated and things are said in the heat of the moment that weren't meant to be said, I've done it on numerous occasions.

Have a great day and a great life.

[roody]

21. I can't watch this but I have never eaten veal and never will.

[tecelote]

22. We need to add insects to our diets.

http://www.bugsfordinner.com

Our population is going to grow 50% in most of our lifetimes. There just isn't enough room on the planet for that much meat if we remain at our current consumption levels.

Just as much protein as beef or chicken with all the essential amino acids. High in B12 and Omega 3, insects use less land and way less water to grow.

Whether you eat bugs or not, it's inevitable that your kids and grandkids will.

Just like much of the world already does.

[stonecutter357]

25. weaning google it.

[whathehell]

27. I haven't eaten veal or pig products (pigs are also kept in tiny crates) for twenty years. n/t

[PeoViejo]

31. Something to think about.

Drink your Milk, so the 1% can have their Veal Cutlets.

[IHateTheGOP]

32. Maybe someday a more advanced life will visit earth and turn the tables on us.

They may call our babies "fryers" like we do young chickens.

[Kang Colby]

33. I didn't care much for veal...

then I tried the parmigiana.