Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
News
Original poster

Please sign the petition to stop US style cow factory farms in the UK.

77 replies

Lotster · 17/12/2010 16:43

Big agricultural companies plan to build US-style 'mega dairies' in Lincolnshire. Cows in these huge factory farms never see a blade of grass and remain in an industrial shed their whole lives. Experts warn that these cow factories would be bad for climate change, bad for cows, and bad for other farmers.

Lincolnshire councils have the power to stop these farms being built, and stop this US-style farming spreading to the UK. Help build the pressure - add your name to the petition now.

sign here

and give it a bump!

OP posts:
VallhalaLalalalalalalalaaaaaa · 18/12/2010 21:49

Signed with pleasure.

VallhalaLalalalalalalalaaaaaa · 18/12/2010 21:54

PS Callisto, bollocks to making money. Animal welfare is far more important than that.

Take a look at this - face the reality

begonyabampot · 18/12/2010 22:03

Callisto - i spent some time in this type of intensive factory dairy and saw it close up. There is no way you can compare the quality of life for these cows to those who get to roam in pastures the way it's done in the UK. Where do you stand on battery chickens - or do you buy your eggs free range? This farm also had a chicken factory and again the cost was everything - quality of life was non existent. Not really condemning them for it as was different country with fewer resources but it wasn't pretty.

LadyoftheHouseofLove · 18/12/2010 22:03

Signed and shared on FB

Callisto · 19/12/2010 09:18

Of course not, I wasn't even trying to compare the two. Merely pointing out that it isn't some kind of hell hole where cruelty is all.

Valhala - making money is very important for every farmer I know. Making money and animal welfare are not mutually exclusive.

Callisto · 19/12/2010 09:20

Begony - I buy everything free range and organic and find the idea of battery farming in any form beyond distateful. I just don't like hysteria and exaggeration and some of that Compassion in World Farming stuff was exactly that.

arentfanny · 19/12/2010 09:22

Oh and if you buy from M&S 40% of the milk is provided by us and others in our co-op.

VallhalaLalalalalalalalaaaaaa · 19/12/2010 11:01

"Making money and animal welfare are not mutually exclusive."

Not if you're an arable farmer, no. Otherwise, it's bollockas again. There is no connection between killing healthy animals and animal welfare, nothing at all.

Are you aware of the overbreeding of cows, the killing of cattle in the dairy trade, the veal trade, the killing of day of cockerals because they are not layers... and I could go on...?

bluebeach · 19/12/2010 12:48

done

pipsy76 · 19/12/2010 13:04

done

LeMarron · 19/12/2010 17:38

done

CarGirl · 19/12/2010 17:48

about to sign and have switched to organic milk in the hope that they won't employ these intensive farming methods.

NowThen · 19/12/2010 18:17

done

Callisto · 19/12/2010 18:31

Yes, Valhala I am aware of the killing of bull calves in the dairy industry and the killing of male chicks in the chicken egg/meat industry. In fact I probably have more of an idea of the realities of the food industry than most people so don't preach about animal welfare to me.

I take it that you are vegan, otherwise your last post was rather hypocritical.

Narketta · 19/12/2010 18:36

Done

Original poster
Lotster · 19/12/2010 18:48

I think Facebook must be really doing the business on the votes too, the barometer's shot up since yesterday Xmas Smile

OP posts:
Original poster
Lotster · 19/12/2010 18:50

p.s. good site for those interested in organic milk - sensible info and good FAQ section.

organic milk

OP posts:
VallhalaLalalalalalalalaaaaaa · 19/12/2010 20:40

Callisto, yes of course I'm vegan.

And when it comes to those who can't speak for themselves, I'll "preach", as you put it, until every bloody cowshed, every stall and every cage is empty.

VallhalaLalalalalalalalaaaaaa · 19/12/2010 20:44

Animal welfare????

Disclaimer - I'm terribly busy and as a result I have not viewed all this material but have just grabbed it as a quick example of "animal welfare" in the meat and dairy industries.

fluffles · 19/12/2010 20:46

when i first heard the news about bringing in these intensive large scale diary factory-farms i finally made the move to organic milk that i've been meaning to make for a long time.

it's expensive and inconvenient (only comes in 2l bottles here not 4ltr) but i think it's worth it as i already eat organic chicken and at least free-range but often organic eggs and frankly i care at least as much about cows as chickens.

Original poster
Lotster · 19/12/2010 22:02

Brilliant Fluffles!

OP posts:
begonyabampot · 19/12/2010 23:02

Callisto - I'm not involved in any animal rights organisations. If people want to buy battery eggs as they are cheaper then it's not illegal but nothing wrong with knowing what goes on behind the scenes - same with this kind of dairy. This thread caught my interest as I have personal experience of this kind of dairy and unless it's vastly different to what I experienced (it was 20yrs ago) than it is a shit life for the cows. No comparison to those in the UK who graze out in the fields.

Callisto · 20/12/2010 08:53

Valhala - I'm a meat eater so my priority is happy animals until they are slaughtered. Whilst I understand your viewpoint it is one that I can never share. And I do actually spend time on working farms where sheep/pigs/cattle are raised for meat. I don't know any industrial farmers and wouldn't want to, but please rest assured that both the organic and non-organic farm animals I see are extremely well cared for. I think that the hysterical 'I'll "preach", as you put it, until every bloody cowshed, every stall and every cage is empty.' attitude does the animal welfare movement no favours. Especially when you are aggressive towards someone like me who would rather go without than eat battery-anything.

Begony - was the farm you saw in the US? The feed-lot system is repulsive and massively damaging to the local environment. The beef produced tastes shite too. I'm guessing that the dairy unit you saw was along these lines? Certainly this happens in the US, but my point was that animal welfare in the UK is light years ahead of almost anywhere else so I find it very hard to believe the CIWF 'facts'. I think that the farmer in question will be doing everything in his power to assure people that his cows will be happy and well cared for. I don't agree with this form of farming, but until people stop buying cheap, shite food from the Continent/Asia then our farmers don't really stand a chance and to get bigger and industrialise is the only way for them to survive.

arentfanny · 20/12/2010 09:04

Callisto - it is light years ahead, friends of ours due to economics had to give up dairy farming and now priduce veal, raised to standards and kept inconditions inspected and inline with RSPCA guidelines. If anyone is interested then calves slaughtered for veal are older than when lambs are slaughtered.

Callisto · 20/12/2010 09:10

Arntfanny - I'm afraid that most people are amazingly ignorant when it comes to agriculture. It is very easy to make the farmers out to be bastards, but it is the consumer that creates market forces and farmers have to react to that to survive.

I hope that your friends do really well. Veal is becoming an acceptable thing to eat again, thank goodness.