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Animal Testing : Cows
Cows are exploited by humans for their meat, milk and skin; reducing these wonderful animals to nothing more than products for our use.
Most beef cattle aren't taken care of on the ranges where they live. They don't get the necessary veterinary help and aren't adequately protected against the changing weather. Some cows die of dehydration or freeze to death. To identify their cattle, ranchers will burn brands into their skin with hot irons. When cattle is rounded up by the ranchers, they can get very scared and are often injured. When they are injured to the point that they can no longer stand or walk, they are called "downed". Some downed animals are neglected and left to die while others are beaten and dragged on their way to slaughter. Other stressful events in the life of cattle are the many transportations they have to endure. They are forced to travel in extreme heat or freezing temperatures. While traveling they urinate and defecate right in the trailers.
Before slaughter, most beef cattle are brought to feedlots where they are implanted with growth-promoting hormones and given unnaturally rich diets to fatten them up. In the slaughterhouse, the cows are 'stunned' by a mechanical blow to the head. This method is very inadequate and a lot of cows are hung upside down while still conscious. Whether conscious or not, they will end up having their throats slashed with knives. A sad ending to a very sad life. Cows for Dairy TestingDairy cows are exploited by humans for their milk. The milk that their bodies make in order to feed their own babies. To get dairy cows to start producing milk, they are artificially inseminated each year. Like humans, their pregnancies last nine months, which makes it physically very demanding to give birth once a year. Dairy cows are also given growth hormones causing their udders to become unnaturally big and heavy, resulting in frequent infections. The Bovine Growth Hormone (BGH) also increases birth defects in calves. The average modern dairy cow will produce about 100 pounds of milk per day, which is 10 times more than it would naturally produce. Normally cows can live an average of 25 years. Dairy cows are slaughtered and made into ground beef after about 3-4 years. Because of the intense abuse wrought upon their poor bodies, dairy cows - like beef cattle - also frequently end up being unable to walk or stand, causing them to be severely mistreated. Calves are separated from their mothers within 1-2 days, sometimes even right after birth. Female calves will be raised to become dairy cows and male calves will be raised and slaughtered for meat. Most male calves are killed for beef, but some will end up in the awful veal industry. After being removed from their mothers, veal calves are loaded onto trucks and often sold at auctions. These small and fragile calves are often treated very roughly. If they are unable to walk, they will be dragged by their legs or ears.
Veal calves are confined in crates measuring about two feet wide. To make their meat more "tender", their movements are restrained by chains around their necks. To give a white color to their meat, the calves are fed an all-liquid milk-substitute, purposely deficient in iron and fiber. After about 16 weeks, these poor calves are slaughtered and their meat is sold labeled as "white" veal. "Bob" veal comes from calves who are slaughtered when they are only a few hours or days old. Cows for Animal FleshThe meat industry doesn't only profit from the animals' flesh. By-products of the meat consumption include heart valves (used in the pharmaceutical industry), fats and blood (used in livestock feed, paints, tires, explosives and cosmetics), organs (used in pet food) and most importantly skin (used to make leather). Leather is the most profitable by-product. It is made from the skins of both beef cattle and dairy cows. Calfskin comes from the hides of veal calves. For more information, please check out the following links:
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