Questions to Ben & Jerry’s
Ben & Jerry’s ice creams advertise that their milk comes from well treated cows in the Netherlands.
You can see what they say here: http://www.benjerry.co.uk/caringdairy
I was curious to find out some information that they didn’t really talk about on their website, so I sent them some questions.
1- Are the cows free to roam most of the day? how long is she milked for in a 24 hour period?
Outside grazing is an important part of Caring Dairy and all our dairy cows are able to leave the barn in the summer time. In the winter however, most of them stay in the barn, since it is too cold and wet outside for them in the Dutch climate. In the winter time they are housed however in free stalls where they can walk around.
Sadly she didn’t answer the second question.
2- When the cows give birth to the calf, how long does it stay together with her?
To prevent the spread of diseases like para tuberculosis, calves are advised to be separated from their mothers 1 day after birth.
Scientific research has shown that separation so soon after the birth is less stressful for both the mother and calf than separation after a couple of weeks or months.
Rather than going for “less stress” it would be great if they went for “no stress” and left the mother with her baby until he grew up. Imagine how horrible it must be for a mother to get her newborn baby taken away from her? And how horrible it must be for the newborn to grow up without a mother?
3- Does the calf have full access to drink milk when he/she wants to?
That depends on the farming system. In farming systems with automatic feeding systems for milk the calves have free access to milk 24h. In other farming systems the calves are fed twice a day (after milking in the morning and the evening). Calves have always unlimited access to water and feed.
4- If it’s a male calf, where does it go after it grows up?
Male calves are raised on the farm for two weeks and then go to a bull calf farm for at least another 6 months. This is based on strict regulations in the Netherlands regarding calf housing and animal welfare.
So male calves are taken away from their mother after 1 day, stay in the farm for 2 weeks and then 6 months later is slaughtered for their muscles.
5- How often do the cows give birth to a new calf?
On average once every 13.5 month (starting from the age of 2)
A cow’s gestation period is 9 months. So 4.5 months after she has a calf she is forcefully impregnated again.
6- What happens to the cow when she is old and no longer able to produce milk?
On average dairy cows in the Netherlands live for around 6 years. Part of the Caring Dairy programme is to increase the average age of the cows by preventative health care measures e.g. close observation of cows to promote a healthy well-being as opposed to just treating symptoms when they are already ill. This is good for the cows (longer healthy life), the farmer (longer source of income from one cow) and the environment (less replacement of cows). When cows are no longer able to produce milk they are sent to an abattoir.
A cow’s normal life-span is of 20 to 25 years, yet their cows only live for 6 years. In that time period they’ll have had 4 babies taken away from them. Then they are killed.
April 24th, 2011 at 7:08 pm
So sad. I am truly ashamed to be a part of the human race when I read this (though, I am a vegan activist and try to do my part). Human beings really lack compassion and respect for other living beings, and Ben & Jerry’s really make it all too clear. Breaking the strong bond between mother and child in the name of profit is just absolutely disgusting and distasteful.
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June 13th, 2011 at 4:46 am
Just for funsies, I’d like to respond to your responses.
1) Sadly, there is no good figure to answer the second half of your question. The best answer would be “It takes as long as it takes.” Some cows can milk out in 5 minutes, some in 20. All cows vary in production depending on reproductive cycle stage. For two months a year, cows are not milked. Most farms milk twice a day, some milk 3 times, and a few even have “volunteer” set-ups where the cow just wonders in as often as she likes. So our average time would be anywhere from 0-60 minutes being milked each day depending on farming style, reproductive status, and individual productivity. Of course, I am also ignoring hand-milking operations, which would obviously play a role in this as well…
2. I don’t think they notice. Especially the calves. Really. God bless them, but they don’t have a concept of “mother.” Adult cows might moo for a day (stress on the word MIGHT) but they don’t display anything that resembles heartbreak or outrage at the situation. They don’t refuse food. They don’t act aggressive. They don’t become lethargic or depressed. Calves generally don’t even moo after they’re separated. They take a nap. Later, they get bottle fed and learn to like people. Then they take another nap. It’s not like growing up as a human orphan, where you know that the people taking care of you aren’t your parents and therefore you develop angst. They’re calves. As long as they’re comfortable, they’re happy. This isn’t unlike pets. Ever get a kitten or a puppy? A few weeks after you got it, did it appear to be suffering from dark abandonment emotions? Probably not. Not to mention, your alternative of leaving the calf with the mother would undermine the profitability of dairy. I realize that’s your long-term goal (or I’m assuming it is) but in the short-term, I’d recommend coming up with more compromising solutions than that if you are to be taken seriously. After all, the no stress solution you propose risks a lot of stress (ie, ruined livelihood) for the farmers themselves. Just sayin.
3. Nothing sassy to say here?
4. Nom.
5. “Forcefully impregnated.” OK, please tell me what it takes to not forcefully impregnate a cow. Seriously. I guarantee a cow in a “natural” herd would actually get pregnant more often than this. Why? They begin having heats at about 15 months old. After each labor, heats begin after about 2 months. Now, if you think a one-ton bull will show both restraint and gentleness during this period, you’re crazy. But OK, I’ll bite. Are you recommending a farmer buys her dinner first?
6. “A cow’s normal lifespan is 20-25 years” Citation needed. I see this statement made a lot, but I cannot find a reliable source. It might even be right, although I suspect it is closer to 10 years. I’d like to be proven wrong or right.
Incidentally, what is terrible about that life? I’ve already argued cattle cannot grieve for a lost calf, at least, not for more than a day (and it’s pretty subdued grieving for that day). So they live for six years, have 5 bad days, and spend the rest eating and napping. Not bad.
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jes Reply:
July 19th, 2012 at 10:45 pm
Tess,
Who are you? Do you work on a dairy farm?
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July 11th, 2011 at 12:42 am
To: Tess
I’ve met a few people like you trying to simplify concerns of people regarding the suffer of animals non- humans; but non of your responses makes me see the animal welfare problem less painful than what it is. First of all, one of the characteristics that animals non-humans share with us is the natural instinct to avoid pain and look for pleasure; therefore calves look for pleasure in their moms and when this pleasure is taken away they do feel sad, a kind of pain. It’s super known throw experiments that when a baby ape is separated from its mom, the latter suffers a lot of pain and stress.
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Tess Reply:
August 6th, 2011 at 5:35 am
Calves look for pleasure in physical and social comfort. They do not have a concept of mother. They need to be fed, have dry, temperate housing, and, yes, being herd animals, social interaction. They need none of these things to come from a biological mother.
The experiment I believe you are describing is the one where primate infants were essentially put in a box with no interaction whatsoever with any other living thing, yes? Explain to me how that is comparable to this: http://www.miniaturejerseyassociation.com/PhotoGallery/KatieBobbyCalves2.jpg
Not pictured: Trauma
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September 15th, 2011 at 7:09 am
do you have facebook or twitter?
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Edward Reply:
September 18th, 2011 at 3:57 am
Yeah I’m @veggietweets on twitter
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November 9th, 2011 at 6:02 pm
Tess I’m gonna respond with some funsies of my own.
2. That’s absolute crap. Of course they notice – mother and calf. I don’t have dairy farm experience, but I do have a lot of cow experience. Surprisingly like most mammals, they bond. I personally haven’t seen aggression or loss of appetite, but it certainly wouldn’t surprise me. What I have seen is crying at the fence line on and off over several days after separation. They don’t need to have any concepts of family to miss each other. And unlike pets, farm animals, especially young calves are not given surrogate parents. They’re generally isolated.
3/4. Insightful of you.
5. Yea that bull did it so I can too!
6. The lifespan question is a little tricky, since we have bred significanly less healthy animals. The San Diego Zoo lists the lifespan of Wild Cattle (which is a decent frame of reference for us) at 18 to 25 in the wild and 36 in captivity. http://www.sandiegozoo.org/animalbytes/t-cattle.html
Rescued dairy breeds can certainly live past well 10 and into their late teens if they are lucky.
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November 9th, 2011 at 6:04 pm
I forgot to mention, in response to the original answers, that the average Dutch winter temperature of 35 F is not cold enough to bother a healthy cow. That makes me a little skeptical of their outdoor access claims.
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