I've never been a PETA fan, but this tops it all

Carine · Post by **Carine** » Fri September 26th, 2008, 5:28 am

Gosh !! That is gross !!!

Volgadon · Post by **Volgadon** » Fri September 26th, 2008, 6:38 am

Not only is that unbelievably gross, wouldn't it be cruel on the thousands of mothers needed to make ice-cream?

Alaric · Post by **Alaric** » Fri September 26th, 2008, 8:29 am

[quote=""Leyland""]I'm confused - don't dairy cows need to be milked? Isn't it cruel not to milk them? Or does PETA object to mechanical milking methods?[/quote]

That's what I always thought too.

diamondlil · Post by **diamondlil** » Fri September 26th, 2008, 9:06 am

[quote=""boswellbaxter""]If it was April 1, I'd have thought the article was a joke. Sorry, PETA, no mama's milk in my Ben and Jerry's Vanilla! Just Bossy milk, please.

Now I have this image in my mind of all these women standing docilely side by side being milked.[/quote]

We were on the same wavelength - all I could think of was fields full of women waiting their turn!

Divia · Post by **Divia** » Fri September 26th, 2008, 9:52 am

Its my understanding that yes cows need to be milked after they have their first calves becuase they contiune to produce milk. But I guess I could be wrong.

A person on another forum said that the new breastmilk icecream could be called : Mother's Best.

Misfit · Post by **Misfit** » Fri September 26th, 2008, 1:43 pm

[quote=""boswellbaxter""]Now I have this image in my mind of all these women standing docilely side by side being milked.[/quote]

I believe that image is now going to be stuck in my brain all day. Thanks

Ash · Post by **Ash** » Fri September 26th, 2008, 1:45 pm

[quote=""Divia""]Its my understanding that yes cows need to be milked after they have their first calves becuase they contiune to produce milk. But I guess I could be wrong..[/quote]

Dumb question - friend told me that cows have to keep having calves in order to keep lactating. Is that right?

Leyland · Post by **Leyland** » Fri September 26th, 2008, 2:33 pm

Ash's friend is right. I Wiki'd dairy cows and found out thay are continuously bred to keep producing milk

Dairy heifers are of great value to their breeders, as they will become the next generation of dairy cows. As a cow cannot produce milk until after calving (giving birth), most farmers will begin breeding heifers as soon as they are fit, at about fourteen months of age for Holsteins. A cow's gestation period is about nine months (279 days long), so most heifers give birth and become cows at about two years of age.A cow will produce large amounts of milk over its lifetime. Certain breeds produce more milk than others; however, different breeds produce within a range of around 4,000 to over 10,000 kg of milk per annum. The average for dairy cows in the US in 2005 was 8,800 kg (19,576 pounds).

Production levels peak at around 40 to 60 days after calving.[1] The cow is then bred. Production declines steadily afterwards, until, at about 305 days after calving, the cow is 'dried off', and milking ceases. About sixty days later, one year after the birth of her previous calf, a cow will calve again. High production cows are more difficult to breed at a one year interval. Many farms take the view that 13 or even 14 month cycles are more appropriate for this type of cow.

So now I know! But how is milking a cow cruel? I guess PETA thinks that a calf suckling its mother is a bad thing?

LCW · Post by **LCW** » Fri September 26th, 2008, 4:13 pm

[quote=""Volgadon""]Not only is that unbelievably gross, wouldn't it be cruel on the thousands of mothers needed to make ice-cream?[/quote]

ROTFLMAO!! I think as long as there were no gestation crates involved it would be OK!!

amyb · Post by **amyb** » Fri September 26th, 2008, 5:51 pm

I'll pass thanks. Suddenly I feel lactose intolerant.