Ethics
The Core Argument
- 1. It is unethical to cause unnecessary suffering to animals
- 2. The production of animal products inherently causes suffering to animals
- 3. Animal products are generally unnecessary (for health or survival)
- ∴ It is unethical to produce (or support the production of) animal products unless absolutely necessary
Or, to put that another way:
Problems Inherent In Dairy Production
The production of milk requires that the cow be in lactation, which is a result of the cow having given birth to a calf. This birth/lactation cycle must be repeated endlessly in order to sustain economic levels of milk production.
Pregnancy
Lactation
Conflict Of Interest
Every drop of milk that a calf suckles from their mother is a drop that is not able to be collected by humans, and vice versa. The longer a calf stays with their mother, the more stressful it is for both of them when they are separated.
Small & Commercial Farms
All calves are separated from their mother, usually within a day after birth.
1 calf
separated
every 3
seconds
in the U.S.
Unwanted Males
Bull calves are useless to the dairy industry as they do not produce milk.
Small & Commercial Farms
Bull calves born to the dairy industry are sold to the meat industry to be raised and slaughtered for either beef or veal. The veal industry has been shrinking, but the dairy industry is still the primary source of new veal calves.
1 bull calf
born
every 6
seconds
in the U.S.
(1 in 8 of those will
be slaughtered for veal)
Spent Cows
Milk production declines as cows age, and eventually it costs more to feed them than is returned in milk value. This usually occurs at around 5 years of age (after 3 birth/lactation cycles), yet a cow’s natural lifespan is 20 years.
Small & Commercial Farms
Spent cows are slaughtered for beef once they are no longer economically viable.
1 dairy cow
slaughtered
every 11
seconds
in the U.S.
Problems Inherent In Egg Production
Spent Hens
Egg production declines as hens age, and eventually it costs more to feed them than is returned in egg value. This usually occurs at around 2 years of age, yet a chicken’s natural lifespan is 5-10 years.
Small & Commercial Farms
Spent hens are slaughtered at 2 years of age and the carcass is either exported, used for low-quality processed foods/pet foods, composted, or landfilled.
Backyard Hens
Some people may allow their hens to live out their lives while producing fewer eggs. Others may butcher spent hens for home use.
8 layer hens
killed
every second
in the U.S.
Unwanted Males
Every egg that is hatched to create a replacement layer hen has a 50% chance of being male, whom are useless to the egg industry and unwanted by the meat industry (modern 'broilers' are a separate strain).
Commercial Farms
Once sexed (within days of hatching), males are 'culled' using one of the following methods: a high-speed grinder (maceration), asphyxiation, cervical dislocation (snapping the spine), electrocution, or suffocation.
Small Farms & Backyard Hens
Replacement hens are usually purchased from commercial suppliers (see above).
9 male chicks
killed
every second
in the U.S.
