Ivy Pepin
Looking at labels—“cruelty-free,” “happy cows,” or “friendly farm”—dairy products might seem perfectly humane. But at its core, there’s nothing humane about the dairy industry.
It’s a bright morning, and a mother cow is cleaning her newborn calf. She’s proud to see that he’s already beginning to walk, and she’s excited to show him off to the farmer who just drove up. Snuggled together in a grassy pasture—with the sun on their backs, ample space to roam, and no milking machines in sight—the mother and her baby are on what seems like a truly “humane” dairy farm.
Without warning, the farmer picks up the calf and loads him into a truck. Nervous, the mother cow follows, craning her neck to see what’s going on. As the farmer starts up the truck and drives off, she starts bellowing cries of distress, running after the truck as fast as she can. But she’ll never see her baby again.
In footage captured by Animal Equality, this heartbreaking separation happened on a dairy farm in the United Kingdom. But it happens every day on dairy farms around the world. For the entirety of their brief lives, mother cows on dairy farms are subjected to the anguish of losing their babies—over and over and over again.
Are there any humane dairy farms?
The vast majority of dairy cows live on industrial factory farms—a far cry from the grassy pastures pictured in the video above. But the question of whether humane dairy exists isn’t just about how dairy cows are raised. It’s a question of whether we’re entitled to exploit mother cows and their babies for milk at all.
Just like humans, mother cows need to be pregnant in order to produce milk. This means that, regardless of the size and scale of a dairy operation, its income relies on mother cows being forcibly impregnated and separated from their babies. This separation of mothers from their calves is one of the most heartbreaking practices that goes on inside factory farms. It’s also a succinct representation of the inherent exploitation and suffering involved in producing dairy.
On industrial dairy farms, most cows will never even step outside. Instead, they spend their lives in crowded indoor sheds that frustrate nearly all of their natural instincts—like grazing, nursing their offspring, and socializing with their herds. Female cows will be subjected to an endless cycle of forced insemination, birth, milking, and traumatic separation from their babies—all beginning when they’re just 14 months old.
How do cows produce milk?
The entire dairy industry is reliant on one thing: cows’ ability to produce milk for their young. So how does this process actually work?
When a cow becomes pregnant, her body goes through hormonal changes (just like humans’ bodies do) to prepare for the arrival of her baby. These hormones—progesterone, estrogen, and oxytocin—are what prepare the cow to produce milk and then kickstart her milk production process. Oxytocin causes the tissue in a cow’s udder to contract, stimulating the mammary gland to release milk. In order for oxytocin to be released, and for the cow to produce milk, her udder must be suckled by a calf—or, more commonly on a dairy farm, by a milking machine.
Do cows need to be pregnant to produce milk?
Yes. Like all mammals (including humans), cows can only produce milk after giving birth—because their milk is intended for their babies. To maximize production, today’s industrial farmers selectively breed cows to produce high levels of milk, much higher than the amount needed to feed their calves. While cows naturally produce about one gallon of milk each day, modern dairy cows are genetically selected to produce seven and a half gallons of milk daily.
What happens to baby cows on dairy farms?
In perhaps the most heartrending dairy industry practice, farmers tear baby cows away from their mothers at birth—an injustice so profound that Joaquin Phoenix even mentioned it in his stirring Oscars acceptance speech. This early separation is deeply traumatic for the mother and her baby. For hours or days afterward, farmers can hear cows calling out for each other.
Once babies are permanently separated from their mothers, their fate will depend on whether they’re male or female.
Male calves
The industry views male calves as useless, disposable byproducts. Some of them are shot on-site shortly after birth. Some are sent to feedlots, where they will be slaughtered for beef at around 13-14 months of age. The rest are transported long distances to be raised for veal—where they’re confined alone to a tiny space, intentionally malnourished to become anemic, and then killed by the time they’re just 16 weeks old.
The surplus of calves created by dairy farms directly supports the veal industry, making it an invisible partner to dairy. Hidden behind every package of yogurt, cheese, or milk are the baby cows born through the process of artificial insemination—malnourished, suffering in extreme confinement, and slaughtered at just a few months old. Purchasing dairy means supporting the veal industry, too.
Female calves
Female calves are trapped in individual pens and raised on formula milk, rather than the milk from their mothers. At around eight weeks old, farmers remove their horn buds in an excruciating procedure called disbudding. Female calves typically become dairy cows, where they endure the same torturous cycle that their mothers did.
Do cows feel pain when milked?
The actual act of milking probably doesn’t hurt cows. However, dairy cows’ lives are full of suffering—both physical and psychological. Here are a few of the standard procedures and painful conditions that dairy cows endure.
- Disbudding and tail docking: A few weeks after birth, female cows undergo painful procedures like tail docking and disbudding. In the disbudding process, farmers press a hot iron into a cow’s head to prevent her from growing horns.
- Mastitis: One of the most common reasons for reduced milk production in cows is mastitis, an infection of the mammary glands caused by bacterial infection. It’s usually triggered by unsanitary conditions in barns. Mastitis is extremely painful for cows, and some are killed if the inflammation is chronic—since the costs of treating it can outweigh the costs of lost production.
- Lameness: Rather than grazing on pasture with plenty of space to move around, as they’re meant to do, dairy cows spend their entire lives in crowded indoor sheds. Standing on concrete for long periods of time can cause pain, ulcers, and bone fractures. Cows standing in their own excrement are also susceptible to foot rot and digital dermatitis, which can cause painful lameness—one of the most serious welfare problems in cattle.
What happens to dairy cows after they stop producing milk?
The cycle of milk production places enormous demand on a cow’s body. Because of the immense strain of this constant milking/calving cycle, a dairy cow will likely only live a few years. While a cow’s natural lifespan can be up to two decades, industrial dairy farmers kill cows when they are “spent,” after just four to six years. Treated as nothing more than milk-producing machines, these cows’ entire worth is built on their ability to produce unnaturally high volumes of milk.
While cows can live up to 25 years, dairy cows rarely live past six years old.
These “spent” cows, whose milk production has slowed, are loaded onto transport trucks and brought to the slaughterhouse. Sadly, this final trip is also fraught with suffering. Millions of animals die during live transport—after enduring dehydration, starvation, extreme heat or cold, and intense emotional stress.
Many cows arrive at the slaughterhouse as “downed” cows, meaning they can’t even walk up the ramp to be slaughtered. It’s illegal to process these cows for human consumption—but in past controversies, the industry has been shown forcing these cows into slaughterhouses by beating, dragging, or kicking them.
Does ethical dairy exist?
Since dairy doesn’t directly require an animal to be killed, there’s a common misconception that it’s more “ethical” or “cruelty-free” than meat. But dairy is responsible for a great deal of death and suffering in its own right.
Is organic dairy more humane?
USDA regulations state that producers can label milk “organic” if they haven’t given cows any antibiotics or hormones, and if they put their cows out to pasture for 120 days out of the year. 30% of the cows’ diets must come from pasture grazing. Unfortunately, this doesn’t necessarily mean that all organic dairy farms are more humane. Babies are still torn away from their mothers, cows still suffer from mastitis, and living conditions can still be unclean.
What about “slaughter-free” dairy?
There’s been some discussion lately around slaughter-free dairy, meaning the calves produced in the process are not killed. While it sounds humane in theory, Erik Marcus points out that this model may not be economically viable, since the final retail cost of the dairy products must factor in all future living costs for the dairy cow and every calf she has. Former slaughter-free dairy farmer Andrea Davis agrees—noting that this model is still exploitative and also poses significant scalability problems. It’s also important to note that male calves are often subjected to forced labor, rather than living as they would at an animal sanctuary.
What about humane certifications?
There are a number of independent humane certifications that farms can apply for—including American Humane Certified, Certified Humane, and more. While it’s certainly better to seek out products with these labels, they can’t guarantee that no animals were harmed in the making of a product. In the case of dairy, for example, calves are taken away from their mothers on the vast majority of farms. And as The New York Times points out, these humane labels “may just as easily sow confusion or even mislead shoppers,” in a type of deception known as “humanewashing.”
Is grass-fed milk better?
Similarly to organic milk, grass-fed milk may be correlated with welfare improvements for animals, but it’s not a guarantee that products are cruelty-free. Even if dairy cows are free to graze on pasture for much of their lives, they are still subjected to the cycle of forced insemination, birth, and separation from their calves.
Wherever milk comes from and however it’s labeled, it’s been taken away from a baby cow for human consumption—meaning calves have been taken away from their mothers and killed, sold for veal, or sent back into the dairy industry.
Best dairy-free alternatives
The good news is, there are plenty of delicious “dairy” products made from plants! Not only are these alternatives cruelty-free, they’re also easier for humans to digest. (After all, cow’s milk is designed to help a small calf grow into an animal weighing 1000+ pounds—not designed to make our coffee taste better.)
While there’s a common misconception that we need to eat dairy for “strong bones,” there’s plenty of calcium in plant foods—like chia seeds, beans, lentils, and leafy greens. In fact, a 2018 study showed that lower risk of bone fracture was not associated with calcium intake from dairy sources.
One cup of cooked kale has the same amount of calcium as a glass of cow’s milk.
Plant-based milks
Whether you’re splashing it over cereal or pouring it into your coffee, there’s a huge variety of plant-based milks to choose from. Creamy, delicious, and cruelty-free! Try:
- Oat milk
- Almond milk
- Soy milk
- Hemp milk
- Rice milk
- Vegan coffee creamer
Vegan cheese
Looking for shredded mozzarella, sandwich slices, or an ultra-cheesy sauce? You're in luck! There are more dairy-free cheeses on the market than ever before. You can also try nutritional yeast! Rich in essential vitamin B12, “nooch” adds a salty, cheesy flavor to anything you sprinkle it on. (It’s especially good on popcorn.) Try:
- Nutritional yeast
- The cheesiest cheese sauce ever
- Dairy-free cheeses
Cruelty-free butter
Dairy-free alternatives to butter can add richness and flavor to any dish. Olive oil is great for sauteing vegetables, drizzling on pasta, or soaking into bread. For baking, many vegan butters will do the trick—and plenty of recipes call for coconut oil instead. Go for:
- Olive oil
- Coconut oil
- Margarine
- Vegan butters
Dairy-free yogurt
Often made with the same live and active cultures that are in dairy yogurt, dairy-free alternatives will provide the same probiotic benefits… without the cruelty.
- Coconut milk yogurt
- Cashewgurt
- Almond milk yogurt
- Soy yogurt
Conclusion
Each with their own unique personality, cows are incredibly social and intelligent animals. Research has shown that they can learn tasks quickly, show long-term memory, and experience a wide spectrum of emotions.
These sensitive, gentle beings deserve better. By leaving animals off your plate, you can be part of creating a world in which every animal is treated well—not just humanely, but with the love and care they deserve.
