What is the Vegan position on drinking animal milk?!
From what I've understood in the past, Vegans can't drink milk, but one of the arguments against it is that lactose intolerance is a sign that humans shouldn't be drinking cows milk!. But along those same lines of logic, that would make human breast milk more acceptable to drink!. Are there any Vegans who drink human milk!? And what about chimp milk!? Chimpanzees are much more close to us evolutionarily than cows, but is their milk any safer for us to drink!? Www@FoodAQ@Com
Answers:
Well, i've been posting this answer for about 2 years and it seems its still useful, i live in the middle of the dairy industry and I strongly suggest you get to see some of those dairy carousels and barns:
"when you milk a cow, usually it's rather pleasurable for both the cow and the farmer"
Well, only because we feed them with artificial foods that accelerate thier milk production and then take thier young away from them so they get RELIEF from being milked!.
Its a bit like a poisoner offering you an antidote!. Perhaps he shouldn't have poisoned you in the first place !?
Here are my other observations on the milk industry:
Artificial incemination every year
Cows would naturally calve every 2-3 years!. Dairy farms artificially inceminate them every 11 months!. This causes excessive stress on the cows body, increses the chance of prolapse and generally "wears them out" in a few years, rather than a natural 20 years!.
Protein enriched feed
The feed they are given is enriched with artificial growth foods!. these are generally made with cattle meat protiens!.
In the USA and some parts of Australiasia they use a hormone growth agent called recombinant bovine somatotropin!. Its brand name is POSILAC? and its made by Monsanto!. This increases milk yield and beef growth!. This is a synthetic hormone!. Its banned in the EU since 1988
The main mechanism these hormones work is by re-directing dietry nutrients from peripheral body tissue to mammary glands!. effectively, they are slowly killing the cow!.
70% of US cattle are injected with this growth hormone ( 2007 stats ) that the majority of the world will not entertain because they believe its too dangerous!.
Bribe/feed caged carousels
These suck!. They are large rotating carousels where the cows are caged in a space where they cannot move!. They have "black boxes" on thier legs which communicate with the main operating computer!. They are fed just the right amount of food depending on how much milk they gave yesterday!. They have added growth food if thier production drops
One person can milk about 400 cattle on a carousel so there is no time for checking the animals health - they just milk them dry and kick them out!.
killing bulls, excess calves and free martins at 1 week old
All bulls are killed at 1 week old, although some farms iin the UK started ( in 2006 ) shipping them to Continental Europe for veal again!. They do not keep any back for breeding as they bring in new blood lines!. In the UK we don't use dairy bull calves for veal anymore in country!. They are either killed, or shipped out!. Bull calves go to make low quality leather products such as cheap sofas!.
They kill all free martins as there is a good chance they will be barren!.
Strangly, they feed these animals with colostrum at birth to keep them alive, but then kill them a week later!.
excess feeding to produce 60 lites of milk per day
The growth food is all designed to produce excess milk!. Cows are naturally designed to produce about 15 litres!. The european targets for 2009 are set at 90 litres, i don't think it need me to tell you if this is heading the right or wrong direction!.
intensive rearing means low husbandry checks
As mentioned above, most automatic dairies have one milkmaid per session, thats it!. I know a dairy farm with 1200 cattle and 3 employees!. Tell me how they can ever check the cattle!.!.!.!.
removing calves from mothers after colostrum feed
This is stressful, cows bawl for weeks for thier young, calling them to be fed!. Obviously the calf cannot "run to mom" because its in dog food by now!.
killing the cow at 7 years old
Cows can naturally live to 20 years old!. Production dairy cows are killed after 4-6 births so are never kept after 7 years old!.
Hope that helps!.
Www@FoodAQ@Com
"when you milk a cow, usually it's rather pleasurable for both the cow and the farmer"
Well, only because we feed them with artificial foods that accelerate thier milk production and then take thier young away from them so they get RELIEF from being milked!.
Its a bit like a poisoner offering you an antidote!. Perhaps he shouldn't have poisoned you in the first place !?
Here are my other observations on the milk industry:
Artificial incemination every year
Cows would naturally calve every 2-3 years!. Dairy farms artificially inceminate them every 11 months!. This causes excessive stress on the cows body, increses the chance of prolapse and generally "wears them out" in a few years, rather than a natural 20 years!.
Protein enriched feed
The feed they are given is enriched with artificial growth foods!. these are generally made with cattle meat protiens!.
In the USA and some parts of Australiasia they use a hormone growth agent called recombinant bovine somatotropin!. Its brand name is POSILAC? and its made by Monsanto!. This increases milk yield and beef growth!. This is a synthetic hormone!. Its banned in the EU since 1988
The main mechanism these hormones work is by re-directing dietry nutrients from peripheral body tissue to mammary glands!. effectively, they are slowly killing the cow!.
70% of US cattle are injected with this growth hormone ( 2007 stats ) that the majority of the world will not entertain because they believe its too dangerous!.
Bribe/feed caged carousels
These suck!. They are large rotating carousels where the cows are caged in a space where they cannot move!. They have "black boxes" on thier legs which communicate with the main operating computer!. They are fed just the right amount of food depending on how much milk they gave yesterday!. They have added growth food if thier production drops
One person can milk about 400 cattle on a carousel so there is no time for checking the animals health - they just milk them dry and kick them out!.
killing bulls, excess calves and free martins at 1 week old
All bulls are killed at 1 week old, although some farms iin the UK started ( in 2006 ) shipping them to Continental Europe for veal again!. They do not keep any back for breeding as they bring in new blood lines!. In the UK we don't use dairy bull calves for veal anymore in country!. They are either killed, or shipped out!. Bull calves go to make low quality leather products such as cheap sofas!.
They kill all free martins as there is a good chance they will be barren!.
Strangly, they feed these animals with colostrum at birth to keep them alive, but then kill them a week later!.
excess feeding to produce 60 lites of milk per day
The growth food is all designed to produce excess milk!. Cows are naturally designed to produce about 15 litres!. The european targets for 2009 are set at 90 litres, i don't think it need me to tell you if this is heading the right or wrong direction!.
intensive rearing means low husbandry checks
As mentioned above, most automatic dairies have one milkmaid per session, thats it!. I know a dairy farm with 1200 cattle and 3 employees!. Tell me how they can ever check the cattle!.!.!.!.
removing calves from mothers after colostrum feed
This is stressful, cows bawl for weeks for thier young, calling them to be fed!. Obviously the calf cannot "run to mom" because its in dog food by now!.
killing the cow at 7 years old
Cows can naturally live to 20 years old!. Production dairy cows are killed after 4-6 births so are never kept after 7 years old!.
Hope that helps!.
Www@FoodAQ@Com
This country would be employing farmers to milk cows up the wazoo if you think that all the cows are milked by a gentle human hand!. This is a very informative and enlightening video on what cows have to go through - and this is the majority of milking cows in the great US of A!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
LOL, I don't think any adult vegans drink breast milk, child vegans may though!.
Chimp milk may not be lactose intolerant but I am sure it also has disease in it!.
also, MOST vegans don't use the lactose intolerance line because they do it for ethical reasons!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Chimp milk may not be lactose intolerant but I am sure it also has disease in it!.
also, MOST vegans don't use the lactose intolerance line because they do it for ethical reasons!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
the point is we do not have to drink milk and cause suffering just like we don't have to eat meat and murder!. the only reason i eat things with milk in them is because my parents refuse to buy me vegan foodWww@FoodAQ@Com
vegan's don't eat or drink or wear animal products they are against the exploitation of any animals including chimpanzees Www@FoodAQ@Com