Cows are emotional and intelligent beings who each have unique individual personalities. They form socially complex relationships within their herds. They create very close friendships with other cows that grow and develop with time. In fact, when separated from close friends, cows—just like humans—will act agitated, distressed or depressed.

Mother cows form an especially deep bond with their young and are extremely nurturing and devoted to them. Mothers will put themselves between any threat and her baby, willing to fight to protect her young. Calves will stay with their mothers within the herd for years, grazing together as friends.

Cows’ memories are strong and they have been known to hold grudges against other cows, as well as humans after a negative experience. One of the residents of Barn Sanctuary, Henry, will hold a grudge against our caregivers and staff for days—avoiding us angrily—for weeks after a hoof trimming. This is just one of the many examples of their intelligence and sensitivity.

Cows have distinct names for one another and are able to recognize others’ voices. In fact, they actually have regional accents! Cows are naturally curious and understand the cause and effect relationship; in studies they used a lever to get a drink from a water fountain and press a button to get food. In fact, cows even express excitement when they have solved a problem in this way.

When given the opportunity, cows can live on average of 20 to 25 years, though some can live much longer. Cows enjoy spending their day grazing, chewing, taking naps and grooming each other. Our residents enjoy spending time with each other and also seek out the attention, and neck scratches, of the staff and volunteers. They are gentle and beautifully diverse.

Cows that are raised for meat or dairy within the animal agricultural industry only get to experience a fraction of what could have been a long and emotionally rich life. Each year, roughly 250 million cows are being used for milk production, and approximately 300 million cows are slaughtered, globally.

Cows Used for Dairy

Cows that are raised for dairy production experience a cycle of violation and torture for several years before they are eventually sent to slaughter. Just as with humans, and all mammals, milk production only occurs during or after pregnancy. Therefore, all cows raised for their milk are subjected to a continuous cycle: being forcibly impregnated, having their baby taken within the first 24 hours of birth, and an increasingly mechanized system of milking in order to sell the milk for human consumption.

Like humans, cows have a nine month gestation period – during that time they bond with their baby and hone their maternal instincts. Once the calf is born, handlers usually remove the calf from their mother within 24 hours of birth. There is ample documentation of mother cows fighting to prevent their calf being taken, crying out, and even chasing the vehicle taking her calf away. Instead of their mothers’ milk, calves are fed an artificial formula.

Modern dairy cows have been genetically modified and selectively bred over time to increase milk production. These cows used to produce about 1 gallon of milk per day, the appropriate amount to raise her newborn calf. Today, cows raised for milk are producing about 10 to 12 gallons of milk per day. The increased production, along with the mechanized process of milking, often leads to painful infections and injury. In the US, the FDA allows up to 750 million pus cells in every liter of milk.

The majority of dairy farms keep their cows indoors and in tight confines. This causes stress and physical ailments, and denies each cow the opportunity to graze amongst other cows, groom herself and her friends, or nurture and raise her calves. After about 3 to 5 years of this constant cycle, cows used for their milk start to experience reproductive issues, their milk production declines, and the stress their bodies’ have endured takes its toll. At this point, the cows are considered “spent” and are sent to slaughter – usually the meat from spent dairy cows becomes fast-food burgers.

Cows for Veal

Male calves born on dairy farms are slated for a short and traumatic life. Because male dairy cows cannot produce milk, they are useless to the dairy industry. They are rarely raised and sold later for meat, since this breed of cow does not typically get to a weight that is profitable enough for a farmer to fattened and sell. They are given an artificial formula, and have their activity limited for the remainder of their abbreviated lives.

Instead, they are taken from their mothers and forced into incredibly small living spaces, or sometimes “veal crates”, which restrict the calf from even turning around. Veal crates are banned in 8 states, including Michigan, because they have been deemed too cruel. Calves raised for veal are then slaughtered, usually at just a few weeks old, and sold as a delicacy. Many people do not realize the direct relationship between dairy and veal industries.

Cows for Meat

Cows that are raised for meat usually begin their lives in pastures or on ranges, and are often permitted to nurse naturally from their mothers, unlike calves in the dairy industry. Calves raised for meat get to experience a somewhat natural life for about six months; at which point, they are transported to facilities intended to rapidly encourage weight gain.

These facilities are called concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOs, and are defined by the USDA as an “intensive animal feeding operation (AFO) in which over 1,000 animal units are confined for over 45 days per year.” One animal unit is defined as a “1,000 pound beef cow with or without a nursing calf”. This terminology alone devalues each individual cow’s life.

Before or just after their arrival at a CAFO, cows are subjected to a variety of painful mutilations and modifications that can lead to chronic pain, infection and sometimes death. These procedures include castration, dehorning and branding – none of which are performed with anesthesia. These modifications are intended to “protect” the other cows, create more “desirable” meat, and to identify ownership of the cows.

Once mutilated, the cows are now fattened on these feedlots. CAFOs can contain tens of thousands of other cows, where they are crowded together on packed dirt with no ability to graze naturally and with no protection from the elements. It is not rare for cows to pass away on these feedlots due to intense heat or frigid temperatures.

The cows are fed an unnatural diet that causes rapid weight gain – getting them to their “market weight” in just 6-8 months. In the US, it is estimated that 90% of cows raised for meat have hormones added to their food to encourage growth – a practice that has been outlawed by several other countries.

Once the cows reach the desired weight, usually at 14 to 16 months of age, they are sent to slaughter. The transportation process can be grueling and dangerous, as cows can be shipped far distances with little to no protection or access to food and water. Although cows are protected by The Humane Slaughter Act, or the Humane Methods of Livestock Slaughter Act (P.L. 85-765; 7 U.S.C. 1901 et seq.), which states that they must be “rendered insensible to pain” prior to slaughter, investigations have discovered that this is not the case in many instances.

Protecting Lives

The best way to protect individuals like Cora, Mike, and Whitney, is to choose not to participate in the beef and dairy industries. Increasingly, healthier and more sustainable options are becoming readily available and are allowing more people to decrease the demand for beef and dairy products. By choosing alternatives, you can give cows like Dwight and Charles the chance to live a cruelty-free life.

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