Do you know what happens to male diary cows?

That’s the question my good friend and client, Linda, posed to me today. It has been such a fun adventure for me to have gone vegan 6 months ago and continue to inspire others to look at their food differently each and every day. Linda is amazing! She is continually reading and learning more and more just the way I have over the years. This makes for good conversation.

So today she asks “Do you know what happens to male dairy cows?” I do but it was fun to hear her express her sorrow over the terrible fate the majority of male cows face in the dairy industry. I love when people come to their own “a-ha” conclusions. I could talk to people about the benefits of veganism until I’m blue in the face but it won’t do any good until they learn for themselves that the decision is right for them. So wonderful Linda has now decided to phase out dairy where possible in her diet. How fantastic is that?!

So what does happen to male dairy cows … they become veal. Yep … it’s not something I wanted to know either but that’s the reality. You see the dairy industry can only use females. Only female cows produce milk. So where does that leave the males? They’re not the finest “angus beef” so they are instead sold to veal producers who put them in confining crates where they can’t move or see light for 18-20 weeks. They can not turn around, stretch their legs or even lie down. Then of course they are slaughtered for their pale, grey meat. So sad!

For more about dairy factory farming visit http://www.farmsanctuary.org/issues/factoryfarming/dairy/.