Photo of Newborn Calf Drinking Milk From a Hose Will Make You Rethink Dairy (*Warning graphic photo)

[cynatnite]

8. The mother may have died during childbirth...

This specific photo has little context. It will never tell the complete story.

I do take issues with stuff like this mainly because of my own experience. While growing up in Oklahoma we have taken milk from other cows to give to calves who were either too weak to suckle from their mom's teat or if the mom wasn't doing well or able to provide it herself for whatever reason. It's not uncommon for cows to have more than one calf as well.

We used hoses like this to feed them, too. It looks terrible, but it gives nourishment pretty quickly to a newborn who has likely been exerting a lot of energy trying to be born.

You all would hate to see other things we've done to newborn calves. A few times we've had to use chains to pull them out of their mom's bellies. We've hung them upside down from the barn rafters if the newborn calf isn't breathing. Never lost one doing that.

That's not to say cruelty does not exist anywhere else. It does. That much is obvious.

The reality is that we're an overpopulated planet of billions and this country has hundreds of millions to feed, too. The demand is high and to get the product out to a country full of hungry people means doing it quickly as possible. It's messy and it's ugly. It will be cruel, too.

Maybe someday someone will figure out a way to meet this demand in a way that everyone will be happy with, but I wouldn't bet on it.