Cattle
Contents
- 1 General Information
- 2 Injustices and Suffering
- 3 Humane Labels and Certifications
- 4 Sentience and Cognition
- 5 Environmental Consequences
- 6 Human Health, Nutrition
- 7 Social Consequences of Cattle Production
- 8 Footnotes
- 9 Meta
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This article provides summarized information about cattle that should prove useful to those advocating for animal rights, as well as to those exploring the rationale for veganism.
It covers various aspects of cattle in the context of animal rights, including injustices and suffering, humane labels and certifications, sentience and cognition, the environmental consequences of cattle framing, the health risks of beef, and impacts to communities and workers,
<-- Use Pigs as a model for this article. Deviations are allowed, of course. The books Slaughterhouse, and Eating Animals can help in running down primary sources, if you have those books or can get them. -->
<-- Reminder: don't be hyperbolic, but it is not an exaggeration to use graphic, persuasive language that represents reality. -->
General Information
Definitions
Cattle are "domesticated quadrupeds held as property or raised for use," or more specifically "bovine animals on a farm or ranch."[1] We use this word reluctantly because of its etymology from property,[2] but related words, as shown below, don't adequately describe our topic, while cattle does.
Bovine is sometimes used as a synonym for cattle, but zoologically means "any of a subfamily (Bovinae) of bovids including oxen, bison, buffalo, and their close relatives."[1]
Cow is sometimes used generically to refer to male and female cattle, but technically is "the mature female of cattle (genus Bos)."[1] The word can also used for females of other species, such as elephants and whales.
<-- use the same MW reference for all definitions, unless good reason not to -->
Heifer refers to...
Steer
Bull
Oxen
Lineage
Numbers
<-- when referring to numbers slaughtered, link to this table instead of using a footnote. -->
Injustices and Suffering
Template:Jfatext-injustices-because-commodities
As shown below, the injustices and cruelties that cattle must endure are many and often draconian. The life of a dairy cow is particularly egregious because the cycle of artificial insemination, separation of offspring, and mechanical milking repeats for 4 or 5 years until she is slaughtered, often for hamburger meat.
Loss of Life
To take the life of any sentient being is to harm that being by depriving them of opportunities for fulfillment, even if it is done suddenly and painlessly (which it is not, as explained below).
We have no nutritional need for beef, so denying cattle their lives is unnecessary, as are the other forms of suffering enumerated here. Not only are we taking their lives—we are doing so after allowing them to live only about ??? percent of their natural life spans. Dairy cows are slaughtered after living ??? of a ???-year natural lifespan, while cattle used for beef are slaughtered after living ??? of a ???-year natural lifespan.
Slaughter
<-- discuss methods of slaughter, for example: USDA inspecter testimonials, slaughter speed lines, and the cruelty involved. The books Slaughterhouse" and Eating Animals can help if you have them or can get them. —>
Method 1, etc.
<-- for each of the following cruelties, but only as applicable: to what extent is it performed?; when (what age, repeating?); how painful?; pain relief given?; lasting damage? -->
Mutilations
Dehorning and Debudding
<-- point out it is performed on cows, not just bulls; try to find out the extent to which this doesn't occur because of selective breeding to eliminate horns. -->
Castration
Other 1, etc.
Living Conditions
Feed Lots / CAFO
Mechanical Milking
<-- for how long at a time?; how many times a day?; cover discomfort and infection here, mention mastitis and say it's covered later -->
Other 1, etc.
Denial of Natural Behaviors and Conditions
Nuturing and Being Nutured
<-- include at least these ideas: Mothers are separated from their calves soon after birth. Cows have strong maternal instincts and have been known to grieve and bellow for weeks after separation. Calves will never know the love of nurturing of their mothers. -->
Sex
Social Behaviours
<-- friendships, grooming, etc, how is it that these are denied? There may not be a strong case here, and if so, omit -->
Other 1, etc.
Reproduction and Breeding
Artificial Insemination
Semen Collection
Teaser Bull. To artificially inseminate a cow, semen must be collected. This involves a teaser-bull, usually a male, and an involuntary donor bull. In the process, female pheromones are released to get the "donor" bull aroused, compelling him to mount the teaser bull. In the process, the teaser bull often, to put it mildly, suffers tissue damage, as semen is collected in what the industry calls a loving cup.[3]
Electroejaculation. <-- describe the process; how much is it used in comparison to the Teaser Bull method? -->
Veal
<-- point out that veal is a product of the dairy industry and would not exist with it; point out here that sometimes males born to dairy cows are sometimes slaughtered for waste soon after they are born, as veal is increasingly unpopular; -->
A separate article on veal will be available at some future date.
Other 1, etc.
Handling and Transport
Forced Movement
<-- beating, prodding, shocking, etc -->
Other 1, etc.
Cruel Transport
Disease and Mortality
Matititis
Downers
Other 1, etc.
Humane Labels and Certifications
<-- These should be US-centric, but feel free to include other certifications/labels as well, particularly if they are widely used across multiple countries. -->
Template:Jfatext-humane-labels-and-certifications-meaningless Template:Jfatext-collapse-extra-suggested-script-for-discussing-humane-labels-and-certifications
Label or Certification 1, etc
<-- It's ok to lean heavily on and copy from https://justiceforanimals.org/?curid=88 -->
Sentience and Cognition
While we are not suggesting that the degree of moral consideration given to an animal be based on their cognitive capacity, it seems that most people are not fully aware of the rich cognitive, emotional, and psychological lives that cattle experience.
Trait 1, etc.
A Sense of the Future
Environmental Consequences
The breeding, confinement, and slaughter of cattle have a profoundly negative impact on the environment.
Global Warming
Deforestation
Eutrophication
Species Extension
Other, etc.
Human Health, Nutrition
Food Safety
Food Safety Topic, etc.
<-- each topic could be meat or milk related, or a single topic could relate to both. -->
Deseases and Conditions =
Disease or Condition Risk Topic 1, etc.
<-- each topic could be meat or milk related, or a single topic could relate to both. -->
Animal Protein Risks
All animal protein, including the protein found in cow meat and cow milk, carries risks that are not associated with plant protein. Template:Jfatext-animal-protein-risks
Social Consequences of Cattle Production
Worker Injustice 1, etc
Community Injustice 1, etc
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 “Dictionary by Merriam-Webster: America’s Most-Trusted Online Dictionary.” Accessed November 12, 2019. https://www.merriam-webster.com/.
- ↑ “Cattle | Origin and Meaning of Cattle by Online Etymology Dictionary.” Accessed November 12, 2019. https://www.etymonline.com/word/cattle.
- ↑ citation needed
Meta
This article was originally authored by Bethany Chester with contributions by Greg Fuller . The contents may have been edited since that time by others.
