Dairy Leaflet:Dairy Leaflet 2/10/08 14:49 Page 1

This
little
calf...
Dairy Leaflet:Dairy Leaflet 2/10/08
Young calf shot in the head
Dairy’s dirty secret
The calves’ fate is one of the
dairy industry’s dirty secrets.
Many females replace their
worn-out mothers in the herd.
But the males are often regarded
as waste by-products because
demand is limited for the ‘low
quality’ beef for which some are
reared. Surplus calves are shot
in the head shortly after birth.
14:50 Page 2
... is taken away from his mother shortly
after birth, so that the milk meant for
him can be bottled for us to drink
Natural?
All female mammals (including humans
and cows) produce milk for their young
until they are old enough to eat solids.
But, unlike other mammals, we have
been conditioned to continue drinking
milk long after weaning. Odder still, the
milk we drink is not from our own mother
or even from the same species!
Milk-producing
machines
To feed our milk habit, cows are
continually made pregnant, invariably
by artificial insemination. Through
selective breeding they are forced to
produce as much as 50 litres of milk
every day – many times more than is
natural. Their swollen udders may
prevent them from standing and
walking properly, which can result in
lameness.
Zero-grazed cows
A worn-out cow leaking milk and blood from her infected udder
Disease
More than half of UK dairy cows
go lame each year and many
suffer from laminitis – an
agonising inflammation of the
feet. This is due to their unnatural
diet, the build up of faeces in
their hard cubicle housing and
other factors.
One in three British cows suffers
from mastitis – a painful infection
causing swollen, weeping udders.
Traces of pus from infected teats seep
into the milk. Current regulations
permit us to consume milk containing
millions of pus cells per litre!
Zero-grazed Overworked
Our desire for cheap milk products Cows would naturally live for as long as
means an increasing proportion of 25 years, but by the time they reach five
the total UK milk yield comes from on modern farms, they are likely to be
‘zero-grazed’ animals who are almost physically exhausted, lame and infertile.
permanently confined in barren sheds.
These worn-out animals are sent to a
slaughterhouse.
Goat and
sheep milk
Milk from other
animals, such as
goats and sheep, is
produced in a similar
way, with most goats
being zero-grazed.
Dairy Leaflet:Dairy Leaflet 2/10/08 14:50 Page 4

Healthy?
Just as human milk is designed for babies,
cows’ milk is designed for calves and
contains powerful hormones that spur
the calf into growing quickly. One growth
hormone in particular, IGF-1, is reported to
accelerate the growth of malignant cells in
people and is linked to the development
of prostate, breast and ovarian cancers.
Yes, I want to help
Dairy products are associated with a stop animal suffering
number of other human health problems,
including allergies, asthma, eczema, Please send me a FREE
juvenile-onset diabetes and Irritable Bowel dairy-free recipe guide
Syndrome. Milk contains high levels of
protein, which can cause calcium to be I enclose a donation of:
leeched from the bones. Countries whose
populations eat low levels of dairy (and £
meat) have lower rates of osteoporosis (cheque payable to Animal Aid)
and hip fractures.
Name: ................................................
There are no nutrients in milk
that cannot be obtained from Address: ............................................
non-animal sources. And cruelty-
free alternatives are available to ..........................................................
all dairy products, including milk, ..........................................................
margarine, cheese, ice cream,
yogurt, custard and cream. ..........................................................
Investigate your local health food Postcode: ..........................................
shop and supermarket ‘free from’
sections, or contact Animal Aid Email:.................................................
for advice.
Some of the many dairy-free products Please return this form to:
available in high street shops
Animal Aid
The Old Chapel, Bradford Street,
Tonbridge, Kent, TN9 1AW.
• Tel: 01732 364546
• info@animalaid.org.uk
• www.animalaid.org.uk

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