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A new Mercy For Animals investigation exposes the heart-wrenching reality for cows in the dairy industry.
Our undercover footage reveals mother cows crying helplessly as their babies are forcibly separated from them shortly after birth; cows forced into the milking area with placentas hanging from their bodies; and animals suffering from mange and swollen, injured joints—some bleeding and leaking pus.
Bodies Exploited
Cows in the dairy industry are forcibly impregnated again and again to produce unnatural amounts of milk, never seeing their babies grow up. Studies confirm that mother cows and calves experience strong emotional bonds that form quickly after birth and that the natural weaning process can take several months.
Our footage shows calves being removed from their mothers’ care within minutes of birth. Mother cows and their companions watch helplessly as newborn babies are loaded into carts and wheeled away. The mothers chase the carts, bellowing desperately for their babies—the sound is haunting and heartbreaking. The babies call back, their quivering moos ignored as they are wheeled away.
Within minutes, mother cows who have just given birth are hooked up to machines that take their colostrum, the first form of milk released soon after delivery. Footage shows this thick, yellow liquid—which provides vital protein and antibodies to infant calves—pumped through industrial milking tubes. Instead of nursing from and bonding with their mothers, some calves are fed by bottle, while others are sent to auctions.
Harrowing Conditions
Our footage reveals cows forced to stand and lie on concrete floors covered in manure, often slipping as they attempt to walk through their own waste. In these filthy, hazardous conditions, it’s no surprise that many cows suffer from painful, swollen, pus-filled joints. Many can be seen limping toward the milking parlor, some clearly avoiding putting weight on an injured leg. Our investigator noted:
Cows were seen to kick, cough, defecate, and many had bloody sores near their hocks; some were scabbed over. One cow came in with blood pouring out of the back of her hoof and left a puddle of blood there when she finally filed out.
Many cows suffered from mastitis—an inflammation of the udders usually caused by an infection. Our investigator said:
Routine injuries were noted: limping; some cases of mastitis or quarter milkers; swollen udders; swollen joint areas—some open with pus coming out; chapped udders; one teat was noted to have a thick scab on the end where normally the milk would come out.
Lonely Babies
Footage also captures rows and rows of little stalls, each with a calf chained alone. For about the first week after birth, calves are kept in individual pens in the newborn area, many calling for their mothers. Given the staggering number of calves born at dairy farms each year, many of these babies are considered “surplus.” Males are useless to the dairy industry because they won’t produce milk, and only 30%–40% of females are kept to replace their mothers. Many male calves are sold to veal farms or at auction for meat.
Our footage also reveals calves with duct tape slapped on the tops of their heads after the babies were subjected to “disbudding,” a procedure to prevent calves from growing horns. A caustic paste is applied to the calves’ horn buds, and duct tape is sometimes used to cover them. No anesthetic is given to the calves when the disbudding paste is used. The resulting chemical burn causes pain and discomfort that can last for days and even weeks.
Take Action
A cow’s natural lifespan is 15 to 20 years, but cows at dairy farms live only four or five years. Once their bodies give out due to neglect, breeding, and relentless breeding, cows are sent to slaughter.
This is the reality of milk. This is the reality of dairy. This is their reality, but it doesn’t have to be.
Sign the petition to demand transparency and expose the cruelty the National Dairy Council is hiding. Together, we can promote compassion, honesty, and a dairy-free future!