Why do vegetarian drink milk if they are against factory farming or think meat is unhealthy or cruel?!
Cows are fed antibiotics and hormones in order to produce more milk. They are constantly artificially inseminated in order to lactate. to do this. When cows give birth, their young is immediately removed from her and are given milk ''replacements.'' The milk replacements are probably the same milk sold in grocery stores. The average lifespan of a dairy cow is merely 2-4 years because they are worn out and look ill and skinny. Their udders are also shriveled up and grossly infected. They never live the normal lifespan of 20-25 years as they should. Finally, where do think they go after the 3 or 4 years are up? The slaughterhouse.
Answers:
I am a vegetarian and i am aware of all the information you posted. the reason im not completely vegan honestly is my lifestyle. I am in college and being vegan requires more prep, cooking, and in many cases, money. I make vegan choices whenever possible. I never drink cows milk. Also i never put cheese on anything. If theres a little milk or cream or cheese already in something (like at a restaurant) i will eat that.
I'm new to this subject, but aren't there organic farms that do not treat their animals like you say. I have been to the stores and the price of their milk is like 3 times as expensive as the regular milk sold by the chains. Whole Foods and Trader Joe's sells organic milk from cows that do not use antibiotics and hormones Antibiotics are used because the cows are injected with hormones to produce a lot more milk. These cows do have a much shorter lifespan. Do some research.
For myself, it took a very long time to make this connection. Once I accepted that cows were being killed to produce milk, I gave up dairy and went vegan. However there are many reasons to be vegetarian. Someone who wants to reduce their risk of digestive cancers might not feel the need to quit dairy, as it makes no difference to this risk.
Milk has to be free of antibiotics if it is to be sold. Any milk tested with antibiotic residues will be traced back to the producer and the producer will lose their milk selling license.
You are obviously very uneducated regarding dairy cow production. Please visit my website: http://livestockeducationsociety.webs.co…
http://wheremeatcomesfrom.webs.com
This might be a stupid question, but are you aware of the fact that there are small family farms (and cooperatives thereof) that put their cows out to pasture, avoid antibiotics/hormones, and give the calves milk? Sure, they charge more, but folks are willing to pay for it.
It could be for a variety of reasons such as:
1. They are not aware of the information you posted.
2. They are vegetarian for other reasons other than moral, such as health, religion, or personal taste.
3. They need to drink milk for nutritional reasons.
There are all types of vegetarians, not all are the same and they are broken down into about 7 categories. Lacto-vegetarians will consume dairy products, including milk.
I get mine from a local farm. I know the farmers and they treat their cows well.
Lack of will? Eh. The fact that being vegetarian is easier too.
Hmmm. Perhaps because they know what you say is not true?
The only real reason why vegetarians accept taking i milk (and eggs) is because the "rules" say it is okay to do so. Ask any vegetarian and they will say because it is within the definition of what is "acceptable" as a vegetarian, the so called "ovo-vegetarian, lacto-vegetarian, or ovo-lacto vegetarians. As with vegetarians and their definitions, vegans also do what they do in accordance with the "rules" of what constitutes a vegan.
Put "bacon" in the list of what vegetarians/vegans "can" eat or "allowed" to it and they will still be able to justify it because it is within the "definition". As you will see, if someone God forbid uses his/her own mind and eats something debatable within the definition of what is "vegetarian/vegan", the puritanical fanatics will immediately jump on him/her ans vehemently demand that "you cannot call yourself a vegetarian/vegan because.." then follow it with the various "rules" and definitions that say so. I find, in this forum anyway, that sticking to the definition is the more important aspect than the actual implications of the act itself. Conformity is more important than common sense.
To straighten you out on a few facts: dairy cows are not constantly impregnated. A dairy cow will give milk for up to two years. The frequency of the impregnation is no more than the frequency of a bovine getting pregnant in the wild. Wild buffaloes (the closest to what dairy cows are since there are no wild dairy cows) get pregnant every year. Antibiotics are not given to dairy cattle to produce milk. They are given to prevent/control disease. Hormones are given to increase milk production. On average, dairy cows produce milk for 6-8 years not 2-4. No wild cattle lives up to 20-25 years. That's the lifespan of a farm cow that was not slaughtered. A well fed, well housed, well treated medically cow. The average lifespan of wild oxen is 6-7 years. Wild calves don't even live a day since they are eaten by predators or die of disease. The veal industry is a " natural" product consequence of the veal industry not the dairy industry. People eat veal and if the dairy industry does not "supply" calves, then the veal industry will get them from beef cattle.
The FDA and USDA also regulates crop/plant foods. If they are corrupt with their information about milk, then it would be logical to assume that they are also corrupt with their information about the health benefits of vegetables and fruits. The crop industry is even bigger than the dairy industry and thus need more "protecting" for economic concerns than dairy. More than 90 percent of federal agriculture subsidies go to farmers of five crops--wheat, corn, soybeans, rice, and cotton.
I allready knew every single thing you wrote in your second paragraph. To me the dairy industry is the worsed. That's why I don't support it. When my dad was going to buy me and my sister icecream from dairy queen I said no and didn't eat it. I refuse to eat eggs at resteraunts, I am very carfull when I get icecream with friends and I don't allow my self to eat pizza from various places. I'm 13 so I can't go vegan but I might do so as an adult.
Vegetarian