Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Why Eggs and Dairy Are Bad For Babies

This is not a post about health. Well, not human health.

This is a post about the things that people don't think about when they buy eggs and milk. This is a post about why you, as a parent, should care.


Both industries have one unfortunate byproduct: boys.

Think about it. Eggs and milk come from female animals, right? And to keep the industry going, they have to keep breeding more animals. More egg laying hens and more dairy cows. Just like any other time, though, half of the babies will be boys, so what happens to them?

First, lets point out a fact that is often overlooked. Cows produce milk for their babies. You don't lactate when you haven't had a baby right? Well, cows are just like us, so they are kept perpetually pregnant to keep lactating. The male calves that result are most often used for veal. Maybe you don't realize just how cruel veal is, so I'll share. When I was an intern at Farm Sanctuary, Farmer Brown took us to visit a stockyard, so I was able to see firsthand. The calves are taken from their mothers as soon as possible, maybe a couple days old if that. They're put into a pen together and shuffled around with canes and electric prods. I saw the workers cracking them in the heads to get them to move where they wanted myself. They're scared. Then they are auctioned off and taken to a strange place. There, they are kept confined either in a crate or on a very short tether. They're fed an improper diet and kept from moving so that they don't develop any muscle tone. Then, they're slaughtered while they're still babies.

Veals in crates.

The egg industry is even more ruthless. As the chicks are sexed, the males are simply tossed into trash bags to suffocate or ground up alive. It's that simple.

Male chicks left to die in a dumpster.

That is why eggs and dairy are bad for babies.

Please, sign the pledge to go veg for one week, and consider making it a lifelong change.


3 comments:

  1. Its surprising to me how many people respond to posts like this with, "don't tell me, I don't want to know." Its even more surprising when we consider that egg, dairy, and meat consumption are something that we do entirely to satisfy our own pleasure and vanity. It is unnecessary and often detrimental to our health, contributes to pollution and anti-biotic resistant organisms and many other terrible problems.

    How much suffering are you willing to impose upon others for the taste of a McDonalds egg and cheese biscuit that is probably hastening your own death?

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  2. This is a fabulous post! I love it, thank you so much for getting this information out there to people (who may not otherwise look for it).

    I hope you don't mind, I linked to this post in my post today. :)

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    1. Thanks! It's so obvious that people don't even think about it. I'm happy to have you share it :)

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