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Panorama - Treatment of Dairy Cattle

128 replies

SplashinginPuddles1 · 14/02/2022 23:05

Anyone else watching Panorama tonight about the treatment of cattle on dairy farms? It’s shocking and heartbreaking. Cows being hit with spades, kicked, dragged. How is this being allowed to happen?

OP posts:
BrimfulOfBaba · 14/02/2022 23:32

This was so distressing to watch. Once I've used up the dairy we already have in I'm switching to oat milk until we can make some well researched choices.

Original poster
SplashinginPuddles1 · 15/02/2022 00:15

I was thinking the same thing. It’s dreadful to think this is going on for the benefit of us humans.

OP posts:
Scrowy · 15/02/2022 00:25

I've not watched it but rest assured the farming community is just as distressed about this as everyone else, I've heard so much anger about it on farming social media tonight I know how upsetting it must have been.

What you have described is not typical and sounds abusive. I have beef rather than dairy cows and anyone who treated them like that would be swiftly ejected from my property and badmouthed throughout the community.

I think the BBC have been extremely irresponsible in showing this if they have represented it as typical practice. I wouldn't be at all surprised if they don't come in for some criticism for it on impartiality reasons. If that is the case.

lovinglavidaloca · 15/02/2022 00:53

Watching now and some of this footage is absolutely shocking, I can’t believe what I’m seeing.

The misuse of that hip hoist!

I also don’t believe that things like this are commonplace or the norm though.

BrimfulOfBaba · 15/02/2022 06:27

@Scrowy it features members of the farming community, expressing that these practices with dairy cows is sadly not rare at all. The takeaway message from the dairy community in the doc is that milk needs to be more expensive so that dairy farms can invest in welfare. A strong message. Milk needs to be more expensive out of respect for these animals.

fairgame84 · 15/02/2022 06:30

I was more angry that the vet that watched the footage wasn't outraged. He seemed quite blasé about it.

Lovinglavidaloca · 15/02/2022 09:40

How the vet could justify what they did to that cow I really do not know. I wonder if there was a reason they used an old vet?

The Ethical Dairy on first glance does seem a good idea but actually is it more cruel to let them keep their calves for 5/6 months and then take them away? What would be easier for us as humans if we had to give away a baby? If you accept the sad fact that they cannot keep their babies long term.

I don’t see the correlation between milk prices and idiots mistreating animals tbh. Even if the farmer gets more money for their milk do we think that means they’ll pay it to better employees? I don’t see it!

BoodleBug51 · 15/02/2022 09:43

We should be paying far more for milk than we do. Paying farmers 30/35p a litre is obscene.

I've always drank oat or soya milk as I'm intolerant of dairy but everyone else in the house has Duchy Organic as I assumed the cows were better treated.

I had to turn over, I found it too distressing to watch.

Raven72 · 15/02/2022 09:50

Ive been vegan for 2 years and would never go back , the dairy industry is the worst, few people have commented that this is not common in the dairy industry ,, well I'm afraid to say it is , they maybe a handful of so called ethical farmers but saying that they still take the babies away , cows by nature are like elephants in the fact that in the wild there babies stay with them for life , they will mourn for there babies for weeks and weeks only for this to be repeated several times a year. Do you and your family a favour go vegan,
for the animals for yourselves , * the planet ,
Animals can't speak out they don't have a choice , end this barbariac cruelty .

purdypuma · 15/02/2022 09:56

Watched this last night, found it very distressing especially the calves being taken from their mother at hours old causing a lot of stress to both the calf & mother & the physical abuse of the dairy consumption. It came across also that the dairy cows bodies were under intense physical strain.

I have decided after watching this that I shall be looking at alternative dairy free alternatives.

Raven72 · 15/02/2022 09:56

Its not rare and I suggest you watch it , and I applaud the bbc for showing what really goes on I just wish they mentioned alternative plant based milks , before I was vegan I didn't have a clue either I thought cows produce milk all the time , alot of people are clueless of the realities of farming , it needs to change

Lovinglavidaloca · 15/02/2022 10:00

Do people really think that it’s common practice for farmers to physically abuse their animals like that? That’s like saying that because we see one Panorama with an abusive care worker that they’re all like that …

I’m purely talking about the physical abuse here and not the removal of calves because it’s two separate issues.

Original poster
SplashinginPuddles1 · 15/02/2022 10:30

I’d be happy to pay more for milk and any other produce if it would mean that animals were treated properly.

OP posts:
theneverendinglaundry · 15/02/2022 10:32

I haven't watched this yet, but.... I think rather than paying more for the milk we should just not drink the milk at all. Cows milk is for baby cows.

CherryBlossomCheer · 15/02/2022 10:34

I haven’t watched the programme but have seen similar. It’s appalling.

We shouldn’t also lose sight of the fact that drinking dairy is inherently cruel. Repeated forced pregnancy. Calves dragged away from their mothers. The milk is meant for the calves, not for humans to guzzle on. The wailing you can hear rurally when they are separated is sickening.

Raven72 · 15/02/2022 10:36

Taking away the calves is abuse , it causes stress for both the cows and their babies .
People no this is bad and yet carry on eating meat , eggs and dairy its not until you go vegan and research you realise how mad it all is , humans are the only species to drink another mammals milk , that milk is full of hormones and is meant to raise a calf into a full grown cow its not meant for us thats why most humans are intolerant. NOT YOUR MUM NOT YOUR MILK.

HoodieHoodie · 15/02/2022 10:43

I watched parts of this, and it’s very far from my own experience of working on dairy farms.
Perhaps I’ve been lucky to work for farmers who take welfare very seriously, but I’ve never seen this.
I’ve seen auction handlers treat animals roughly and without respect.
I’m not saying this doesn’t happen, but I’d say it’s rather like the exposés of nursing homes where old people are abused - shocking, but not the norm.

Scrowy · 15/02/2022 12:11

humans are the only species to drink another mammals milk , that milk is full of hormones and is meant to raise a calf into a full grown cow

Why do people keep peddling this nonsense when it is a easily proved not to be true.

Nearly all mammals and birds will happily drink the milk of other mammals if they have access to it.

The nursing home analogy is a good one. We don't watch stuff about care home scandals and decide every carer is like that.

Most of the farming community have absolutely condemned some or the behaviours shown in the programme last night but panorama chose instead to have a talking head that said it was normal.

I think an awful lot of producer bias has been allowed to influence the content and that goes against the bbc's impartiality mandate. I expect the complaints will be flooding in today.

Calamityjane1987 · 15/02/2022 12:21

I agree with lots of what’s being said but just want to point out to those saying that cow’s milk is for baby cows. You know that infant formula is made with cow’s milk? You know that Aptamil/Cow&Gate/Danone etc make one of the biggest industries in the world - the industry of infant feeding? Until human breast milk is normalised as the way to feed human babies and more support is put out there or we find ways to harvest that to use for mums who can’t feed, this problem isn’t going away. Adult humans drinking cow’s milk is not where the money comes from to keep using these animals. Infant formula is seriously big business worldwide and it relies completely on these animals.

Raven72 · 15/02/2022 12:58

As I said there are ethical farmers but still doesn't make it right , you are taking a sentient being and against its will forcing it to be impregnated again and again to then have its baby taken away just so you can have a nice capacino , its pretty much enslavement when you really think about it

Raven72 · 15/02/2022 13:04

There are vegan plant based formulas which will be far better for your baby.

Raven72 · 15/02/2022 13:08

Non vegans - " I love dogs , cats fluffy wuffy bunnies and anything cute .

Vegans - I love animals (all animals)

You cannot call yourself an animal lover if you know whats going on in the farm industry and also cosmetic and cleaning products that have been tested on animals and yet still buy these products .
The reason people hate on vegans is because they know and they feel bad .

TunnelOfGoats · 15/02/2022 13:19

It was awful footage in every respect. Horrendous enough that from my point of view I have committed to go totally vegan as a result, and will be sticking with it no matter what

Lovinglavidaloca · 15/02/2022 13:24

@TunnelOfGoats Is that based on the removal of calves or the mistreatment of the animals? It seems like a knee jerk reaction. I’d be interested to see how you find it though.

TunnelOfGoats · 15/02/2022 13:31

[quote Lovinglavidaloca]@TunnelOfGoats Is that based on the removal of calves or the mistreatment of the animals? It seems like a knee jerk reaction. I’d be interested to see how you find it though.[/quote]
I was veggie anyway, and a fussy one at that. I never liked cows milk, only ate 2 types of mild cheese and have also never eaten eggs, so to be honest it won't be a massive change for me. And in answer to your question, sadly I had quite ignorantly not looked for information about the dairy industry (as a townie!). I hadn't appreciated any of the suffering the cows actually go through, and I would be a massive hypocrite to be appalled by that whole programme last night yet continue to eat dairy products. I do have some ex battery hens who are lovely, and again until I got them and saw how bald and awful they looked when I collected them I knew very little about that dreadful industry either. I'm happy with mu decision, and it's a shame because vegans seem to get a hard time from lots of meat eaters. Hopefully that will change