Unlike humans, nature is not biased, and it is to be estimated that 50% of the babies born to a mama cow will be male, and the other half will be female.
However, we all know how dairy is scary and what happens to the female cows, and they are trapped in this loop of misery. But what happens to male dairy calves? What’s their fate?
One of the most well-known, though disturbing, facts about the dairy business that vegans share is that male calves are regarded as a “by-product” and are frequently slaughtered within hours/days of birth.
According to dairy industry figures, 60,000 male calves were slaughtered on dairy farms in only one year. Moreover, for the first time, the Animal Justice Project reported that in the year 2020, a startling 65,000 male dairy calves less than one-month-old were slaughtered inside slaughterhouses.
And that’s not all there is much more to this misery that is beyond our imagination.
Male Dairy Calves: The Inherited Misery
Humans have stooped to a level where no humanity is left. However the natural life span of a cow is almost 30 years, but a dairy cow hardly lives past 6 years of age.
Moreover, in the case of male calves, most of them are slaughtered within a few days or months after being born. All of this is just to bring a bottle of milk to your table.
Furthermore, just like humans, cows also have maternal, and they are forced every year to give birth to a baby so that they can turn into milking machines for dairy farmers.
Within a few hours of giving birth, the babies are taken away from their mothers, so not even a single drop of valuable milk will get wasted.
The dairy industry has snatched away the birthright of these animals just to add flavor to your taste palate.
Moreover, after taking the baby away from the mother, if it is a male calf, then it is of no use to the Dairy Industry and will be sent to slaughterhouses so it can be traded for their meat.
Moreover, there are some special units where male calves are reared for beef. Furthermore, there are some retailers that are encouraging an alternative market for bulls.
Beef and Veal Industry
These innocent Male calves are worthless to the dairy industry. Hence, they are sent to be traded for Beef and Veal. There are three fates for these animals:
- They are killed right after their birth
- Reared for Beef
- Reared for Veal
If the industry can’t take advantage of their reproductive cycle, they will make a profit by selling their meat. Let’s talk through what happened in these rearing units.
After taking the male calf away from the mother a few hours after being born. Furthermore, these calves are deprived of their mother’s milk and are given a diet that has low colostrum, which makes these babies more susceptible to malnutrition and severe diseases.
The most shocking part is that calves over just 7 days of age can be sold as livestock in a market that has filthy and stressful conditions.
Moreover, these babies are just treated as an object, and these traders feed them concentrates so that they can make more profit by selling their meat. Furthermore, the usual age at which these male calves are slaughtered is just 13 months.
Dairy and Meat industries are interlinked, and both of these industries rely on each other. So if you are consuming any products from these industries, you are unintentionally contributing to the slaughter of innocent animals.
Other Alternatives
Ask yourself, is this misery worth it just for a slice of cheese or for a hamburger? After knowing these innocent babies are facing the consequences of your choice.
However, there are many delicious alternatives that are cruelty-free, and you don’t even have to compromise on taste.
Moreover, dairy farmers are also opting for sexed semen so that more female calves are born. However, those female calves will also go through the same misery as their mother.
So eventually, we have to be responsible and make responsible decisions for a better future. Moreover, there are many organizations that are putting their best foot forward and fighting for the right of animals.
The Bottom Line
I am falling short of words to describe the miserable life of these innocent animals. Although there are many organizations that are putting continuous efforts to stop this circle of cruelty.
However, we all can do our bit by making conscious choices and also understand the consequences of our choice.
Being vegetarian is not enough, as both the dairy and beef industries are linked. Hence, by investing in dairy products, you are adding fuel to the meat industry.
Moreover, it’s high time we should realize that we need to put an end to this cruelty and start coexisting.
So now you are well aware of what happens to male dairy calves. Understand that even a single step in the right direction can become the biggest step of your life.
