"Got Milk?" Yes. "Got Ethics?" YES!

Jan 27, 2010 5:41 PM"Got Milk?" Yes. "Got Ethics?" YES!from Dairy Discovery at SwissLane Farms by annie


*Please note: This post is originally from Jan. 2010

These were questions posed to the dairy industry last night by the Humane Society of the United States(HSUS) on a segment that aired on ABC.
First of all, being that I am a farmer because I love animals (Cows are my favorite and my dog Trapper comes in a close 2nd)- it is always hard for me to see cows being mistreated.
Watching this video as dairy farmer, I really don't believe we are seeing the entire truth here. These are not the exact methods that we use on our farm but we do dehorn and dock tails and it is because we are trying to protect the cows. If you have followed this blog at all this year- you know we are not farmers because of the "profits" that so many animal rights groups like to talk about. We enjoy being stewards of the land and our animals while producing food for our country.
Most Americans have some sort of farming in their family history with the majority of people being 3 or more generations removed from the farm, it is very hard to understand the reasoning behind some of the things that happen on farms. With that said, I am going to give you a little parable- where I am going to "go there" and compare animals to people...
When my son James was 2 he hated to have his nails and hair cut. He would kick, scream, cry, and fight like you wouldn't believe to prevent such "torture". Now, being a mom and seeing your child in this state is difficult to watch. But I knew that it would cause only brief and minor discomfort at most. Not cutting his nails on the other hand could bring harm to him and others (especially his brother). Same could be said for my older 2 kids having to have a cavity filled. I often reflect on these instances when caring for the calves at the farm. Sometimes, we do need to do things that are hard because in the long run it is just the right thing to do.


After I made my own comment on the ABC website I came across this comment and thought it was a very good response to the segment: