$JES 921 Book of Compassion Reverence For All Life Reference Book

Author(s): Pramoda Chitrabhanu, Pravin K Shah
Publisher: JAINA Education Committee

Page 10

1.- MY VISIT TO A DAIRY FARM
generally own 10 to 40 cows and they do not use machines to milk the cows.
However, they keep cows pregnant all the time for continuous supply of milk. Every year each cow delivers a baby. The local cowherds cannot absorb all the baby calves that are born every year in their business. Hence, they sell the baby calves (70 to 80% of them) to the beef industry where the calves are raised for beef and are slaughtered in three years or sold to an illegal veal industry where they are being slaughtered in six months. In the holy city of Pälitänä, I found a newly born calf lying dead in a field close to my cousin's home. After investigation, I found that the cow delivered a male baby calf in the field and the owner left the newly born calf in the field and carried the cow to his place.
Also after about three to four deliveries, the milk yield of an adult cow drops significantly and hence the cowherd replaces the old cow with a young one and sells the old cow to a slaughterhouse for cheap meat. Only few cows (2% or less) end up in a cow shelter place called Panjaräpol. In comparison, it seems maximum cruelty lies in the following actions, which are the same in India, USA, and the rest of world:
• To keep cows pregnant continually
Slaughtering 70% to 80% of the babies within six months by the veal industry or within three years by the beef industry or let the baby die right after birth
• Slaughtering the mother cows after five years of their fertile life while their life expectancy is 15 to 20 years
Organic Milk: The Organic dairy farm is generally smaller than the huge factorystyle farm. It does not use antibiotics, pesticides, and hormones for the cows. There are no milk additives added into the milk. However, there are no legal regulations that prevent dairy farmers from engaging in similar abuses such as keeping the cows tied in stalls and using electric milking equipment, etc. Only few organic farms treat cows properly during her milk producing life. Also, to ensure steady milk production the organic dairy farms:
THE BOOK OF COMPASSION