Home Sweet Home...and missing the farm already!

Hi, everyone!

Boy oh boy did a month fly by fast!

I'm so sorry that it has been so long since my last post! As I mentioned, I had pretty unreliable internet at the house, so I figured I would just wait to do one final post when I got home.

First of all, for those of you wondering if I ended up going on the stock yard trip or not, it didn't actually end up happening. So I didn't even have to make the decision.

I did get to be on Checks again! This time with the pigs, which was very interesting.

I could type forever about all the details of the last couple weeks of my internship since my last post, but I suppose I'll leave it at: If there is anything you want to know specifically, let me know! My head and heart are both spinning with everything I experienced.

I drove home after my last day of work on May 30th. It was definitely bittersweet. I was glad to be going home to see my family and animal friends back home, but sad to leave, for sure.

I don't know exactly why, but I cried for practically the whole 4-hour drive home. I had so many mixed emotions. I felt exhausted, overwhelmed, stressed, amazed, in awe, loved, thrilled for the lives we saved, devastated for those we could not. My internship at Farm Sanctuary was the most rewarding thing I have ever done, as well as the hardest work. I met so many wonderful and compassionate people and animals. Farm Sanctuary has served as a loving home to thousands and thousands of animals over the years. It is truly incredible. It was so hard to say goodbye to my hundreds of new friends, humans and animals alike! But I will definitely go back soon, hopefully to show some of my family and friends around.

In all honesty, it's really tough to be back in the "real world." I truly cannot sit at a table with someone else eating animal products. Think of it as sitting there seeing your friend dead on a plate and then watching them being gnawed on. That is really how I feel. I've worked my butt off caring for, saving and rescuing animals and to see people nonchalantly munching on them to satisfy their taste-buds is mortifying. I have always been an animal lover and activist, but I see the world so differently now. It really is a cruel and scary place we live in...in my eyes. People tell me to focus on the lives I've saved. But my focus is on all the lives I have YET to save.

A quote of Andrew Boyd's really resonates with me: "Compassion hurts. When you feel connected to everything, you also feel responsible for everything. You cannot turn away. Your destiny is bound with the destinies of others. You must either learn to carry the universe or be crushed by it. You must grow strong enough to love the world, yet empty enough to sit down at the same table with its worst horrors."

At this time, I would like to acknowledge all of the animals who passed away in the month of May alone. The hardest part of this internship by FAR was having to say goodbye to say many beautiful animals who were victims of the beef, pork, poultry, veal, foie gras, dairy, and egg industries that simply couldn't be saved no matter how hard we tried, and many ultimately died from health complications due to their previous terrible treatment.

Rest in compassionate peace and paradise chickens Tango, Adelle, Emma Bunton, Owen, Jocelyn, Trinity, Cecelia, Heaven, Kimora, Merrily, Melanie, Haley, Danya, Bailey, Brenna, Diamond, Mel C, Guatamela, Jamaica, Donna Gee, Cocoa Chanel, Butternut, Fern, Sergei, Edwina, Evangelica, Chickadee, and Breeze, goose Paddles, duck Riverboat, and turkeys Eileen and Van Gogh. I am so glad that your final memories were of love and compassion. <3 XOXO

I have my personal facebook page set to private, but I decided to make my Farm Sanctuary photo album viewable to the public in case we are not facebook friends. Unfortunately, I don't think there is a way to make the album viewable to someone without a facebook account, but I'm trying to figure that out, as well! I also think that the more people who see photos of these beautiful animals, the better! Feel free to share them with your friends and family!

Some of the photos in the album are ones I have already posted here on my blog, but now there are TONS more and they all have captions. Enjoy!

Mikaela's Farm Sanctuary Photo Album

Thank you all for "following" me through this journey. If you have ANY questions about the farm, the animals, animal rights, veganism, or anything at all really, I would be absolutely delighted to answer them! If you do not have a way to post responses to my blog, feel free to email me at mikaela.holmes@yahoo.com and I would be happy to chat with you!

I will leave you all with a few final quotes:

"Teaching a child not to step on a caterpillar is as valuable to the child as it is to the caterpillar." --Bradley Millar

"The question is not, 'Can they reason?' nor, 'Can they talk?' but rather, 'Can they suffer?'"
--Jeremy Bentham

"Life is life's greatest gift. Guard the life of another creature as you would your own because it is your own. On life's scale of values, the smallest is no less precious to the creature who owns it than the largest."
--Lloyd Biggle Jr.

"The ten billion animals that are killed every year for meat and the virulent consequences of contemporary animal agricultural practices remain conspicuously absent from public discourse. How often have you seen media exposés on the violent treatment of farm animals and the corrupt practices of carnistic industry? Compare this with the amount of coverage afforded fluctuating gas prices or Hollywood fashion blunders. Most of us are more outraged over having to pay five cents more for a gallon of gas than over the fact that billions of animals, millions of humans, and the entire ecosystem are systematically exploited by an industry that profits from such gratuitous violence. And most of us know more about what the stars wore to the Oscars than we do about the animals we eat."
--Melanie Joy

"All beings tremble before violence. All fear death, all love life. See yourself in others. Then whom can you hurt? What harm can you do?"

--Buddha

Update & Photos

Hi, everyone! I'm sorry it has been so long since I blogged. I've been really busy and the internet hasn't been working. 

I cannot believe that it is already May 20! Since I'm off today and tomorrow, two days next week, and have one travel day, I really only have seven work days left which is just insane!

Today I am going to the Watkins Glen State Park to hike and see some of the beautiful gorges with one of the other interns who is also off. I'm also going to shop in Ithaca, take lots of great pictures of the animals with my camera since I've just been using my phone, and check out the gift shop today and tomorrow.

There isn't much to report since I've just been on Projects, mostly. Yesterday I was on Hospital Extra with two other interns on Projects, so we got everything done really fast and had lots of time to spend with the animals which was great. The other day I also hiked a trail with my roommate and we climbed the fire tower which was nice.

There is an optional stockyard trip next Thursday...I really don't think I will be able to get myself to go. I guess Thursdays are calf auction days. I know I would be completely devastated, angry, disgusted, and want to rescue all of the animals there. Some interns I've spoken to who have gone in the past said it was really difficult but it is helpful to have that reminder of why we work so hard doing what we do and why we are vegan. I don't need that reminder, though. I have reminders every day. The only reason I'm considering going is because they also said there are so many animals in tiny little stalls and you can stick your hand in and let them suckle your fingers...and the reason I would go and do that is to make sure that all of the animals there get a sense of love and compassion for at least one brief moment in their lives. 

Anyway, I thought I would share some photos just from my phone with you. 

This is Ormsby, who is probably the oldest sheep on the farm. He is also almost fully blind, I believe. He feels like a teddy bear, is so sweet, and I love him SO much:

Marley, one of the cats at Melrose helping with laundry:

 Some chicken and sheep friends:

 Two of the baby goats, Maxie and Ingrid, playing, jumping, and eating my hair!:

 Some scenery and cows grazing in the background:

Bunny friends:

I love the big heart on Michael's head!:

What can YOU do?

The other day I was talking to my mom on the phone and she had a great idea for me to post various ways that you can all help animals without it seeming like I'm pushing you all to drop everything and go vegan this second! She definitely shed some light on the fact that while I am personally very passionate about animal advocacy, I need to realize that such a big change in diet/lifestyle can be a bit trickier for some people.

Even I used to eat meat! It disgusts me now to think back on it...but it didn't take me long to say "Hey, this just isn't right" (for me, at least) and go vegetarian. And I have not been vegan for very long at all. I only started the transition a few months ago, actually. But now I will NEVER go back. I know that for a fact.

I think there are a lot of misconceptions about veganism. Vegetarianism, too. That all we eat is kale and salad. That we only care about animals, not people. That we hate anyone and everyone who isn't a veghead. That we don't get any protein. That we're all weird hippies. That we're scrawny and weak. That we don't eat any delicious food. The list goes on! But trust me, these are all ridiculous stereotypes and none of them are true.

In fact, I eat more yummy things than I EVER did before I became vegan. I am discovering so many delicious foods and recipes. It's wonderful! Also, I care a great deal about animals AND people. If you read one of my previous posts with 20 Reasons To Go Veg, you'll see that you help the environment and human beings in addition to animals when you go veg. I don't hate people who aren't vegans/vegetarians. In fact, some of my closest family members and friends eat meat. While I'm not crazy about their choice, I still love them. I'm certainly not scrawny or weak. Especially after this internship! And dancing. Haha! Did you know there are quite a few vegan bodybuilders? Look it up! Also, there are SO many ways to get enough protein and other nutrients and vitamins as a vegan or vegetarian. It's funny that no one ever cares about other peoples' protein intake, health, or nutrition until they hear that they're vegan or vegetarian...Then suddenly everyone is a doctor.

So once you get over the "vegheads are weirdos" mindset, maybe you'll be interested in giving it a shot! If not, I have come up with a list of tons of ways you can do little things to help! Trust me, every little bit helps.

-MEATLESS MONDAYS: Encourage your family to participate in meat-free meals every Monday! Eliminating meat even just one day per week can make a big difference.

-ONE STEP AT A TIME: Try cutting just one animal product out of your diet. Just chicken, just beef, just pork, whatever you think will be easiest for you to let go of. If that works, try eliminating another! Already vegetarian but interested in veganism? Go about it the same way; Start out by just cutting out milk, or just cheese, or just eggs.

-DONATE: There are tons of animal rights/rescue organizations that can ALWAYS use your help! Can't donate money? Donate your time! Don't have the time? Most groups are always appreciative of donations such as old blankets, towels, etc. for the animals. Check out their websites/send an email/make a phone call. Often times they have a Wish List and many of the items on it are things you might find lying around your house!

-RESEARCH: Do your research. Educate yourself and your family. Find out exactly what you are supporting. Not sure about a product or company? Make a phone call! It's really important to know where our food comes from. I have a previous post about the truth behind "humane" meat, milk, and eggs basically explaining that the labels about products being certified humane, cage-free, free range, etc. often don't mean anything. But many small, local farms treat their animals much better than large factory farms, and while I think that "humane slaughter" is the biggest oxymoron out there, at least some places have animals that are not constantly tortured and abused prior to their slaughters. Make a phone call. Make a visit. Find out where your food comes from and how the animals are treated. Avoid purchasing products from companies that use gestation crates and other horrors.

-THOUGHTFUL SHOPPING: If your big problem is giving up the taste of meat, there are other ways you can help! Did you know many shampoos, conditioners, makeups, and other toiletries/accessories/beauty products are tested on animals and also contain animal products? It is SO easy to find cruelty-free and vegan products. There are thousands, and you can find them at almost any drug store or grocery store. You don't even have to make a trip to a speciality store! I have found a lot of mine at places as simple as Hannaford. Check the backs of bottles to see if products say they were not tested on animals and/or don't contain animal products/are vegan. Also know that many brands have certain products that were not directly tested on animals, but they are owned by larger companies that DO test their products on animals, or that there are certain ingredients they test on animals. Once again, just doing a little research can help you find the answers to these questions.

-SKIP THE FAST FOOD: Avoiding places like McDonalds, Burger King, Wendy's, KFC, and all of those other fast food places is a great step towards benefiting animals, your health, and the environment. If you boycott fast food, you will be helping SO much!

-TRY ALTERNATIVES: It's truly amazing how many wonderful substitutes there are out there! It's really easy to replace dairy with something else tasty since there are so many options including almond milk (my personal favorite), soy milk, rice milk, hazelnut milk (which I need to try!), coconut milk, hemp milk, and oat milk in all different flavors! Do be careful when purchasing these products, as well. For example, I almost purchased Silk almond milk before discovering that Silk is owned by Dean Foods, one of the largest dairy manufacturers//distributors in the U.S. So now I get Almond Breeze, Trader Joe's, etc. Likewise, you can easily replace butter with Earth Balance (which I honestly think is tastier than butter, and it's way better for you, too!) Cream cheese can be swapped for Tofutti or Follow Your Heart. Other cheese alternatives include daiya (which I can't believe I have yet to try, since everyone I know loves it!), other types of tofutti, nutritional yeast, and various other products, some soy-based, some not. The amount of alternatives for eggs is endless! For baking and cooking: ground flaxseed mixed with water, mashed banana, applesauce, silkened tofu, soy yogurt, and EnerG Egg Replacer, to name a few. Another tasty dish is tofu scramble, which you can make like scrambled eggs minus the cholesterol and cruelty!

-PLANT-BASED PROTEINS: If you are concerned about getting enough protein as a vegetarian or vegan, fear not! Beans, nuts, quiona, seitan, tofu, and tempeh are all simple and affordable (especially beans and nuts!) options. There are tons of great brands like Gardein, Tofurky, Morning Star, Boca, Amy's, Garden Burger, and many more that offer a variety of frozen products, deli substitutions, and more.

-PICK A PARTNER: It can be tough to make big changes alone! Grab a friend, family member, spouse, or significant other and see if they will take the journey with you in trying new things!

-PINPOINT YOUR PURPOSE: If you are interested in making the veg transition, figure out why! Is it ethical reasons? Health? Environmental? All of the above? Listen to your heart and figure that out, and then you will be able to remind yourself why you have made this choice even when it seems tricky!

-MIND THE MEDIA: There are so many great resources out there; books, documentaries, cook books, websites, etc. about vegetarianism, veganism, animal rights/advocacy/liberation, cooking/recipes, health, environment, factory farms, etc. I would be happy to provide anyone interested with a great list depending on your interests!

-VOLUNTEER: Even if only for a day, volunteering for animal organizations makes a world of difference! If you can do it for even longer, great!

-PATIENCE: Be patient with yourself. It can be a tricky transition. When I first went vegan I would "cheat" and have cheese sometimes. I would get really mad at myself. Don't do that! It takes time. Every little bit helps! Don't be too hard on yourself. Just give it a try. :)

Quote of the day:
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."
-Margaret Mead

"So...what do you do?"

^ This is a question I've been getting a lot lately from family and friends who are interested in what exactly it is that I've been doing during my internship! My typical response is "A lot!" partially because I'm too exhausted to go into detail and also because it's true!

As a Shelter Projects intern at Farm Sanctuary, every day you are either assigned to Projects, Hospital Extra, Cleaning, or Checks. Some nights you are also on Sheds and/or Security.

The majority of our days are Projects. So let me break it down for you!

Projects starts at 7 AM, and there are typically two of us on. I would freak out and never get everything done if I was by myself which has happened to people before!

From 7 AM to 12 PM we check our voicemail at the hospital, start laundry, cook beans, defrost vegetables, feed the hospital cats, feed the birds in the hospital kitchen area and exam room, feed the animals in the hospital pens (which right now consist of turkeys, chickens, goats, and ducks), feed the Vegan House cellar cats, make up feed for the sheep and cattle, clean out the cages for the birds in the hospital and replace with fresh towels and kennel pads, sweep floors, switch out blankets for the goats, clean various surfaces and bowls, pick up food or continue feeding for free fed animals, put peanut butter on a lot of bread for all the pigs who get their medicine in it, go through medical kits and organize them, and clean syringes. Also, throughout the whole day we check/change feed and water bowls in the hospital area.

In that same time frame, we have a lot of outdoor tasks as well: collecting eggs on the main farm (I explained our use for the eggs in a previous post), sunscreening the pigs’ ears and bellies, checking the pigs’ mud puddles and refiling if needed, feeding the squirrels, giving treats to 4 groups of bunnies, and cleaning bowls in the sheep, goat, and cattle barns.

Then, back at the hospital, we continue laundry (this is really an all-day thing!), clean, dry, and put away dishes, clean sinks, dust the exam room, scoop litter boxes, straighten up for general upkeep, check dog and cat beds for cleaning, and (if there’s time) start tasks on the Projects Board and/or Daily Cleaning Project.

Right before lunch we clean more, check food/water for the animals and change where needed, and turn off/put away hoses for mud puddles.

Then lunch time! (Which is sometimes actually quick snack/nap time.)

Projects continue from 2 PM to 5 PM. We move feed from different barns/tack areas/silos to new locations, collect garbage and bring it to the dumpster, bring recycling to the Admin building, have another bird feeding, continue laundry/cleaning, boil and mash eggs, sweep, mop, and dust upstairs in the hospital including offices, break room, bathroom, and main area, pick up/compost food in the kitchen, take out dirty kennel pads, give new/top off water, clean final dishes and syringes and put away, wipe down counters and stove, sweep, mop, and dust the entire downstairs area and stairs, check the sheep barn for straggling bowls/buckets needing cleaning, and feed the VH cellar cats again.

To say it is a long and tiring day would be an extreme understatement. The day is even longer and more exhausting when you’re also on Sheds and Security.

I recently said that closing sheds is like tucking the animals in at night and the other interns laughed at me...because that makes it seem a lot more cute and peaceful than it is!!! If you’re on Sheds Closing duty, you start at about 7:40 PM. You have to get all the different birds inside, count them to make sure everyone is accounted for, close and secure doors, change fans/windows depending on the weather, turn off lights, hook latches, etc. You have to do this at Vegan House, Healthcare Hospital, Grey Shed, Red Roo Shed, Jersey Shed, R&R Barn, and R&R Kitchen. This can take anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour depending on how cooperative the animals are, if you can convince another intern to go with you and help, the weather, etc. 

When you’re on Sheds, you’re typically also on Security, which means you keep your radio on you until 9:30 PM and if anyone needs any help they call you to come down. 

Sometimes I end up laughing so hard I cry from how ridiculous Sheds can go...For example, the other night I went with Stephanie to close sheds and we literally spent 20 minutes just trying to get one group of chickens inside. It's this moment of "It's a Friday night and I'm spending it chasing chickens. What is my life?" And there is always that one little stinker that you can just NOT herd or catch. We're so exhausted by 7:40 that it just becomes hysterical. 

There are also a couple groups of geese and ducks that are just plain crazy. I have a theory that before we come in, they start planning what they are going to do to us. They literally work as a team to gang up on you...For example, one with chase you into a corner and the other will grab your boot, pants, shirt, skin, whatever he can and flap and bite and hold on as tight as possible and it's another moment of "It's a Friday night and I'm dragging a duck around a barn who won't let go of my boot and I have another duck attached to my butt." As scary as it can be, I still love them all. Any bumps, bruises, and cuts I've gotten from animals, gates, doors, etc. while I've been here have been well worth it. 

Checks I talked about earlier. You go around with Susie (awesome!) and whoever is on as a caregiver for the day and do health checks for certain animals. I've only been on it once and we did sheep and cows and I really hope to be on again! Checks is 8 to 5 or sometimes to 4:30.

Hospital Extra is different every day, depending on what needs to get done. There is a binder that says what you should be doing depending on the day of the week, but I was on Hosp. Extra on Thursday and there is no Thursday in the book...so I pretty much just helped with Projects and cleaned. 7 to 5 like Projects.

It's funny that there's a duty called "Cleaning" when really all of the tasks involve some sort of cleaning...I haven't been on Cleaning yet (even saying that sounds silly!) but I guess you just help out the paid cleaners with mucking, raking, putting new hay down, etc. in all of the different barns and pens. Cleaning is 7-3 but with a shorter lunch.

So there you have it! Of course, there are always different and new things that happen every day that change the schedule a bit, but those are the things that have to get done every day no matter what. :) 

Thoughts...

I just got back from my first Ed. Lunch. Becky, our absolutely fabulous Intern Coordinator made a delicious vegan mac & cheese, scrumptious salad with homemade ranch dressing, and delectable cookies. I'm sad she'll be leaving for California tomorrow to work at one of the sanctuaries out there, but I'm so glad I got to know her for a brief time. We also watched the documentary "Vegucated," which I had seen clips of years ago but never watched straight through. 

Since today was my third day off in a row since I simply wasn't on the schedule, Ed. Lunch was really all I did today. I was going to go out and explore, cuddle with the animals, and take pictures, but it's pretty cold and rainy out and those of you who know me know I easily feel frozen--ha! So I'll do that on my next days off, because I definitely want to spend as much time with all of the animals as I can.

Right now I'm just going to curl up and reflect, read, and write. I am in a very pensive mood right now...

There is something that is so very inspiring, amazing, and practically magical about living at a sanctuary in the middle of nowhere surrounded by beautiful animals, gorgeous scenery, and extremely compassionate people with the biggest hearts I've ever known. 

Yes, it's incredibly hard work. Yes, I've cried almost every day because of something extremely sad that has happened on the farm, documentaries viewed, or information received. But this is by far one of the most unbelievable experiences I have ever had.

I have no idea what I'm going to do when I go back to the Albany area where I'll be surrounded by all of the crap I've had the luxury of escaping while here. I've been working directly with the victims (some being "the lucky ones") of the beef, poultry, pork, veal, egg, dairy, and foie gras industries. So while I haven't been able to escape knowing all of the horror that occurs day in and day out, I have had the privilege of escaping the people who just don't care, and instead be in the company of likeminded individuals. 

If you thought I was a crazy animal rights activist before...just you wait. I honestly don't think I'll even be able to sit at a table with other people eating meat...eating my friends, eating the animals that I am currently working my ass off to protect, nurse back to health, and rescue. There is no possible way I could ever crave cheese or any of the "tough to give up" products again. If you give it a chance, you'll find that our bodies and taste buds are extremely adaptable. Same with our minds and hearts. Choose compassion. Better the lives of animals and people all over the world, the environment, and your health. Go veg.

The Truth Behind "HUMANE" MEAT, MILK, AND EGGS

The Truth Behind "HUMANE" MEAT, MILK, AND EGGS:

With growing concerns about the cruel treatment of animals exploited for meat, milk, and eggs, some food sellers are now labeling products to suggest that farm animals are being treated humanely. But while some animals may suffer less than others, they still suffer, and the claims made on these labels can mislead consumers about how well the animals are actually treated. The way animals are raised for the "humane" market vary widely, and they may not be consistent with what consumers envision.

"FREE-RANGE" AND "CAGE-FREE" EGGS

Labels such as "free range," "free roaming," and "cage free" provide no assurance that animals are treated humanely, and animal suffering is common despite labels suggesting otherwise:

-Overcrowding: Egg laying hens in cage free operations are typically crowded by the thousands in large barns, with approximately one square foot of space allotted each bird. "Cage free" laying hens are not required to have access to the outdoors, and for "free range" and "free roaming" hens, access to the outdoors can be severely restricted and poorly designed. Under these labels, there are no limits on flock size and their outdoor area may be little more than a barren dirt lot that is difficult for them to access.

 -Debeaking: Virtually all hens slated for egg production have the ends of their beaks removed without anesthesia, causing both acute and chronic pain.

-Inhumane culling: Commercial hatcheries supply hens to both factory farms and smaller egg farms, and the male chicks are unwanted and treated as a waste product. Common methods of killing and disposal include suffocation and being ground up alive. When egg laying hens' productivity declines and they are no longer profitable to the egg industry, they are sent to slaughter or otherwise killed.

"FREE RANGE" POULTRY

"Free range" birds raised for meat may lead lives very similar to their factory farmed counterparts. To sell their meat as "free range," producers need only apply for a US Department of Agriculture (USDA) "free range" label with a description of the birds' housing stating that they are able to have continuous free access to the outdoors for more than 51% of their lives. There is neither a definition of "access" nor independent verification of the statements producers make, and the USDA relies solely on producer testimony:

--Birds are often packed together by the thousands, and like the egg industry, poultry producers are not held to any requirements on flock size or the amount of outdoor space given to birds. 

--Chickens and turkeys have been genetically altered through selective breeding to grow twice as fast and twice as large as their ancestors and suffer various physical maladies as a result. There is no prohibition on the use of these breeds in "free range" operations.

--Even if birds are raised under conditions that consumers associate with the term "free-range," they can still end up at the same slaughterhouses that kill factory raised birds and experience cruel handling, ineffective stunning and botched kills that prolong suffering before death. 

HAPPY COWS? HUMANE MILK? GUESS AGAIN.

Regardless of the size or type of the operation, there are inherent problems with commercial dairy production.

--Just like humans and other mammals, cows must give birth to produce milk. Their calves are taken away after birth, usually immediately. This is known to cause psychological trauma for both cow and calf.

--About two months into their lactation cycle, dairy cows are typically re-impregnated to ensure ongoing production. Carrying a baby and producing milk at the same time is physically taxing. 

--Pushed to their biological limits, dairy cows' bodies commonly wear out after just a few years in production, and they are sent to slaughter. Most become ground beef.

--Male calves born on dairies are of little value to the industry. Some are slaughtered for cheap (bob) veal shortly after birth, while others may be kept alive for four to five months and chained inside dark crates, before they are slaughtered for "white" veal. Others are raised and slaughtered for beef.

HUMANE SLAUGHTER?

Finally, all animals raised for meat, dairy, or egg production - whether factory farmed or otherwise - meet the same cruel end at the slaughterhouse, where their throats are cut and they bleed to death. Poultry, who comprise more than 90% of animals slaughtered, are excluded from the federal Humane Slaughter Act.

Regardless of the welfare standards followed at any farm, all animals raised for food are slaughtered at young ages - broiler chickens at around 42 days when they could live four years or more, pigs at 6 months when they could live 9 years or more, beef cattle at less than two years when they could live 20 years or more, dairy cows at 4 to 6 years when they could live 25 years, and veal calves at only five months. No matter how well they are treated, these animals' lives are cut drastically short.

When animals are seen primarily as production units or commodities for sale (whether on factory farms or on so-called "humane" operations), the animals' welfare tends to be secondary to economic concerns.  According to Webster's Dictionary, "humane" means "characterized by kindness, mercy or compassion." Commodifying and slaughtering sentient animals is incompatible with this definition. 

The Truth Behind DAIRY

The Truth Behind DAIRY:

To meet consumer demand for milk, most dairy cows in the US are continually impregnated, fed unnatural diets and intensively confined - their short lives plagued by painful infections, calcium-depletion and lameness. Far from being the “happy cows” the dairy industry markets them to be, these animals endure immense suffering on factory farms. 

A VICIOUS CYCLE

Like all mammals, dairy cows must become pregnant or give birth in order to produce milk. Most cows are artificially inseminated once a year and, following physically demanding nine-month-long pregnancies, are almost immediately separated from their calves. The cows’ milk - meant for their babies - goes to the dairy industry. Milking begins as soon as the cows’ calves are born and continues for about 10 months. During their second month of milking, the cows are usually re-impregnated. The impregnation-lactation cycle normally continues for three to five years. When the cows’ overall milk production declines, they are typically slaughtered.

RAMPANT ILLNESS AND DISEASE

Today’s cows have been bred to produce unnatural quantities of milk - the amount per cow more than quadrupling since 1925. The enormous strain of commercial milk production quickly makes healthy cows sick. When these animals become so ill or injured that they are no longer profitable to the dairy industry, they are pulled from the herd, and sent to slaughter. The top three reasons why cows are slaughtered include: mastitis (an extremely painful udder infection), lameness and reproductive problems.

--Many dairies inject cows with recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBST), a genetically-engineered hormone used to boost milk production. This hormone contributes to the suffering of millions of animals, and even the FDA admits that it increases cows’ risk for mastitis, severe reproductive problems, digestive disorders, food and leg ailments, and persistent sores.

--Production requires maximum energy from cows. Most producers compensate for energy loss by feeding the animals high-calorie, grain-based diets. Cows, however, have difficulty digesting grain, and these diets can lead to bloat, stomach ulcers, liver abscesses, metabolic disorders, and deadly bacteria growth.

--Milk fever, another common and potentially fatal illness that afflicts dairy cows, is caused by calcium deficiency - a result of their having to produce an excessive amount of milk while pregnant.

HOW NOW, DOWNED COW?

Due to the grueling conditions in which they are raised, dairy cows become “downed” more than any other kind of livestock. Weak, calcium-depleted dairy cows often slip and fall en route to slaughter, or are so badly injured or sick that they are unable to walk or even stand on their own. Many of these “downer” cows languish without food, water or veterinary care for hours, sometimes days, as they await slaughter.

Finally after years of investigations detailing the improper handling, neglect, and abuse of downed animals - especially instances in which animals were dragged with chains and pushed with tractors or forklifts - the USDA announced a new rule prohibiting the slaughter of all disabled non-ambulatory cattle, and mandating that those animals be humanely euthanized.

BIGGER FARMS, BIGGER PROBLEMS

Most small dairy farms have been replaced by factory dairies that operate on dry lots, huge enclosed areas that confine hundreds or thousands of cows. The animals raised on these lots live on dirt instead of pasture and have little shelter from the elements. Dry lot dairies in western states now produce more than half of the US milk supply.

--Between 2000 and 2006, the number of farms with less than 200 cows decreased by more than 40%, while the number of farms with at least 1,000 cows more than doubled.

--In 1925, there were 21.5 million dairy cows in the US, each of whom produced an average of 4,200 pounds of milk a year. By 2007, the number of dairy cows dropped to around nine million, while milk production per cow quadrupled to an average of 20,260 pounds of milk annually.

--These large facilities give rise to big problems for the environment. Waste from dairy farms is funneled into massive lagoons or cesspools. These pits, some the size of football fields, emit huge amounts of greenhouse gases and can leach into the soil, contaminating groundwater and damaging local ecosystems. Worldwide, dairy cattle generate more than 20 million tons of methane gas through normal digestion and manure production alone. 

VEAL DEPENDS ON DAIRY

Nearly every dairy cow produces three to six calves during her lifetime. The cows’ female calves may grow up to join the milking herd. Males are commonly slaughtered for veal - some at just a day old. Other veal calves are isolated from other animals and chained by their necks inside small crates for about 20 weeks. Here, the calves cannot turn around, stretch their legs or even lie down comfortably. Veal producers feed the calves a liquid milk substitute, purposefully deficient in iron and fiber. The calves’ complete lack of exercise, combined with an inadequate diet, results in the pale-colored, anemic flesh sold as “white,” “milk-fed,” “special-fed,” or “fancy” veal.

RETIREMENT = SLAUGHTER

Contrary to public perception, there are no green pastures where dairy cows go to retire. When they are no longer profitable to the industry, they are typically crowded onto trucks and sent to slaughter - their overtaxed, diseased and injured bodies made into hamburger and other low-quality beef products. While cows can live to be 20 years or older, these sensitive, intelligent creatures are normally killed at just four to six years of age.