The Mothers
In order to give milk, dairy cows must be pregnant or lactating continuously. They often have health problems such as retained foetal membranes and infections.
Dairy calves are taken away from their mothers in their first day of life, because their milk is destined for human consumption. The mothers bellow for days when their calves are removed.
If you were a mother, how would you feel if your baby was taken away from you as soon as it was born?
Modern dairy cows have been bred to produce extreme quantities of milk. The huge udders lead to painful stretching of their ligaments, and the cows are susceptible to painful infections of the teats and udders.
Dairy cows are at risk of laminitis, an excruciating condition of their feet, caused by the weight of the unnaturally huge udders.
When a cow is past peak milk production, she doesn’t get to ‘retire’ …. She is slaughtered