So why are you raising and selling any cattle if it is cruel to break up the families, if it is cruel to castrate and cause any stress and pain to these animals? If you are getting so much money for the animals you are selling, then you are contributing to the stress and emotional pain they are feeling as they will surely know that they are going to be killed to be "BEEF" for someone to eat. Unless you are a total vegetarian, then you cannot actually promote this article in psychology today... If that is the case, then you should not have more than a few to graze the grass where they can live out their life in peace and freedom. You should not have a bull or breed AI (as that is unnatural) because if you increase the number of animals then you will soon outgrow the natural available feed for them. And if they breed, there will be a certain percentage of bull calves, but it is cruel to band or castrate them.... so then you will have breeding going on unchecked. So where do the cows draw the line in incest with their sons breeding back their sisters and the fathers screwing the daughters????
I never said that the cows didn't feel the loss of their calves. But you are putting human emotions and REASONING on animals that for the most part, are acting on instinct alone. Instinct will have any male breeding any female that is in heat.... where are your human emotions and feelings and reasonings?
And for every act of CRUELTY, I can show you acts of kindness towards animals that have gone above and beyond....
So everytime you sell an animal to someone for beef; or a heifer to someone who can breed her to raise their own beef, stop and think about this article that you are so enamored of. And then go ahead and sell it anyway for the money it will bring you to help pay for you to raise more "healthy, naturally raised animals for consumption".
I also wonder about the chickens that you raise for the eggs, are they also all happy, loose and free ranging hens? How do you think they feel about knowing that their eggs are going to get cracked open and people are going to eat them instead of their poor undeveloped babies never getting a chance to develop and hatch and do "chicken things"???? How would they like to be out in the "natural world" with having to defend themselves from the predators that are out to get them at every turn??? Okay, they are not a "mammal"....
And for all the article did about bashing Temple Grandin.... she has done alot to improve the handling of the animals going for slaughter. She is quite a tribute to people overcoming difficulties in their own life, and having met her in person, I am humbled by her accomplishments.
Maybe I am such a terrible person to like to eat my beef. I would prefer to have traveling abattoirs that would come to the farm and do the killing in more familiar surroundings; but I also realize that there are some things we can control and some we can't. I also do not promote the sale or use of any mind altering substances.... and if it is medically beneficial then there should be some allowance for it.... but too often it is abused. As is alcohol, so I am not saying that should be excused. But I do not believe that a person that raises their livestock in a fitting manner, with care for their well being, should be criticized because they are not meeting a standard that you think should be met. And although it has been said here, by people that have been in both the dairy and beef industries, that the animals do present different attitudes towards their calves, I am not going to project human emotions and attitudes and feelings onto these animals. It is still instinctive for them to look for a lost calf, to want to try to "raise one from the dead" and to miss that calf when it is taken away.....but give them a little time, and they will no longer feel any pull towards that missing animal. And although there are exceptions to every rule.... most cows will not welcome back a "family member", as a human would, that can think and be able to have reasonable thoughts.
This may be a little out of line, and I am sorry if it offends anyone. I have about had my fill of people telling us how to raise our animals in a "humane" manner, then turn around and see the insanity of how people are acting out their "rage" and frustrations in public today. There is no RESPECT for other human beings, or for their right to own something they have worked for....but we are supposed to have respect for cows "feelings" ???? We are supposed to sit and take the garbage that is being dished out by spoiled brats that have never worked their butts off to have a little peace and security in their lives, because they think that their "ancestors" were wronged???? And now we are supposed to listen to some expert on cow's feelings, when he is not out there doing the day to day work; Sorry. When that person has walked the walk and talked the talk, then I will give credence to their "expert opinion".
