Action and Repentance for Lent 2012
Lent is a season of repentance following the revelry and crapulence of
Christmas. It starts on 22nd of February this year, following Shrove
Tuesday (Shrive is an Old English word for confession), and lasts for 46
days. There is no doubt it’s needed now. We have used it as a means of
personal reform with individual applications to different people. For
instance, people who are interested in population, diet, politics, animal
welfare and the environment might spend some of the time in Lent
reforming some of their own affairs and lifestyle.
Lentils are for Lent
Lent could be celebrated in different ways in different families by having
reform days during the week and different activities during the week, but
with no detriment to their original purpose. It can be evidenced as
changes of diet, for example, as illustrated by our recipes. It can also be
celebrated in popular and corporate observances in which a Lent-style
dish will be included amongst the choices.
Lent is there for everybody to observe and would be very good for the
nation. It would show a bit of muscle to the purveyors of junk food and
other follies and help to clear up agriculture, farming and food
production. It would also lead to more research comprehending and
including new sources of food and new technologies. The issues should
remind the British Veterinary Association, Royal College of Veterinary
Surgeons, the RSPCA and other animal welfare organisations of the true
costs of the milk of human unkindness paid by the dairy cow.
VEGA
Observance of Lent would demonstrate very clearly the advantages of
lessening the consumption of animal-based products, especially meat and
milk. This way we would be reviving the old practice of giving up meat
for Lent and giving some meaning to the ‘five freedoms’ and recognition
that farm animals have been neglected for far too long.
Lent would have other virtues as well in that it would emphasise a kinder
world and reduce to some extent the strident advertising for deceptive
foods. It would offer kinder methods of farming including better animal
welfare, particularly of animals producing food for us to use.
Salutary Food from Salubrious and Sustainable Farming
One factor that has received far too little interest is the beneficial effect
on animal welfare of meat-, dairy-, and cruelty-free diets. We have
concentrated our thoughts on the mother cow because she plays an
important part in what people eat: this must change to a more plant-based
lifestyle. In particular, she must not be excluded from policies on animal
welfare (as at present) because of her value in providing food and
ancillary products such as footwear and clothing.
The cow is revered in many countries, especially in the East and in the
Hindu religion. The subject of the first (and longest) chapter of the Koran
is the cow. But the cow has become an animal machine through
industrialised farming methods, with continual demands to increase milk
yields. Efforts to work this machine even harder for mass-production
subjects the cow to dangerous stresses and intensifies the cruelties. There
is plenty of evidence of the pressures on farming and its ruthlessness as
well as a range of environmental and health consequences, from BSE to
the consequences of drugs, antibiotics and disease epidemics.
In particular we would cite information in the 2009 Opinion on the
Welfare of the Dairy Cow published by the Farm Animal Welfare
Council (FAWC) (See reference 1 below). Several of us attended very
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productive meetings of FAWC where there was excellent provision for
vegetarians and vegans and alternatives such as soya milk on display. At
a stroke, the coalition government dismissed the positive efforts of
FAWC in order to set up a whole lot of committees and experts, with
ensuing delays to progress.
Further reasons for ridding our lifestyles of the monstrous regiment of
food producers is the political and social importance of basic foods which
should be plant-based and not animal-based. We think that the methods
can be adopted by individuals acting on their own behalf and altruistically
and can be an effective show of consumer muscle. In particular, vets,
other animal defenders, and animal welfare societies such as the BVA,
RCVS and RSPCA should be taking an appropriate lead and setting an
excellent example in spreading this message.
We’ve chosen authoritative means of pursuing this policy and we suggest
that it’s high time we took action and set a fine example by stimulating
more research into plant-based eating patterns. The FAWC report,
paragraph 72 (see reference 1 below) demonstrates the urgency:
“72. There have been many improvements and initiatives in
the dairy industry to address key welfare issues since our last
report in 1997. In terms of our main question however, the
evidence is that the welfare of dairy cows has not improved
significantly over the past decade. There are still critical
issues about the welfare of the dairy cow that should be
addressed over the next few years.”
Dr Alan Long
31 January 2012
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References and Quotes
The text for these references can be found on the VEGA website at:
http://www.vegaresearch.org/actionandrepentanceforlent2012.doc
1. Opinion on the Welfare of the Dairy Cow
Farm Animal Welfare Council, 2009
Paragraphs 9, 15, 17, 19, 21, 25, 31, 42, 55, 60, 72-77
2. Management and Welfare of Farm Animals
Ed. John Webster, Universities Federation for Animal Welfare
Wiley-Blackwell, 2011
pp 9, 10, 21, 22, 100, 101, 103, 105, 111, 125, 131, 136-141, 153, 161, 163, 165
3. Further Information and Quotes
Global action to tackle antibiotic resistance
Emma Dorey, Chemistry & Industry News, 3/1/2012
1st and 7th paragraphs
Bill Clinton is named the animal world's new best friend
Susie Mesure, Independent on Sunday, 2/1/2011
First 3 paragraphs
Bill Clinton talks about being a vegan
Eryn Brown, Los Angeles Times, 18/8/2011
3rd paragraph
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall: the joy of veg
Guardian, 26/8/2011
2nd, 7th and last paragraph
Andrew Linzey quoted in ‘Government and Church Inaction Allows Animal
Cruelty to Thrive Claims Oxford Theologian’
American Vegan 11-3, Fall 2011
5th paragraph
Quotes from Shakespeare
Antony and Cleopatra; Act 1, v, 67–75
King Henry VI, part II; Act III, I, 204-222
Twelfth Night; Act I, iii
King Lear; Act I, iv, 12-18
Quotes from The Bible
Proverbs 15:17
23rd Psalm
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References and Further Information
1. Opinion on the Welfare of the Dairy Cow
Farm Animal Welfare Council, 2009
Excerpts below are with original paragraph numbering:
9. Clearly, a long lifespan can indicate good welfare. However, there are also cases to
the contrary where it can reflect poor welfare if unhealthy cows are not culled
promptly. By itself therefore, lifespan is a crude indicator of welfare. Life-span has a
substantial impact on a farm’s financial performance, due to depreciation of the cost
of the cow.
15. Importation of animals and animal products poses a risk to the welfare of the
national dairy herd through the potential introduction of exotic diseases such as
Bluetongue. Expansion of the European Union in the past decade has increased the
risk of exotic disease, which may be exacerbated by climate change.
17. The profitability of dairying has been in steady decline for the past decade. In
1997, the average gross margin on dairy farms was £933 per cow; this had fallen to
£696 per cow in 2007. The reasons for the decline in profitability are complex but
include sterling’s exchange rate, the milk quota system, the price paid by milk buyers
and processors and the greater exposure to commodity markets. The net result is that
many dairy farmers have been unable to invest in facilities to improve cow welfare or
have trimmed expenditure on preventative medicine, for example.
19. The preparation of a herd health plan is a common requirement of farm assurance
schemes, and some retailers encourage both dairy farmers and veterinarian surgeons
to implement these plans, using them as management tools to prevent disease,
improve welfare and lengthen lifespan. However, there is a shortage of veterinarians
specialising in dairy cattle medicine, probably because of the declining cow numbers
and profitability of British dairy farming. Demanding routine work, such as
tuberculosis testing, has caused staffing issues in some veterinary practices, which, in
turn, is not conducive to preventative veterinary care.
21. Our last FAWC Report on the Welfare of Dairy Cattle (1997) made over 190
recommendations to improve dairy cow welfare. The greatest concerns arose from the
level of endemic disease, particularly lameness and mastitis, and infertility. Whereas
the incidence of mastitis had fallen in the years prior to 1997, the prevalence of
lameness was unacceptably high. Infertility was the greatest cause of premature,
involuntary culling in the national herd and reduced rates of reproductive success
were considered indicative of poor welfare.
25. Lameness is a major reason for premature culling of dairy cows, typically
accounting for about 10% of culls. It causes considerable pain and distress to the cow,
increases veterinary costs, takes much staff time, reduces milk yield and can also
impair fertility. A recent UK study of mobility in 29,760 cows during 200 farm visits
showed that the average prevalence of lameness was 17% though this varied greatly
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between seasons and farms, ranging from 1.4 to 49%. Prevalence today is largely
similar to that in 1990 (20.6%).
31. Penalising farmers financially for cow lameness is a more radical approach that is
used in Holland. There, the national quality assurance programme requires that milk
from severely lame cows is kept out of the milk tank. The penalty is based on an
interpretation of an EC regulation (EC 853/2004) that requires milk to come from
cows in a “good state of health”. In Britain, the Government or farm assurance bodies
could also interpret legislation in a similar fashion.
42. The common injuries to dairy cows are hock abrasions and swollen hocks, neck
calluses, calluses on the back, injuries to the wings of the ilium (hook bone), and
skeletal injuries after slipping, e.g. fractured or dislocated hips. In a recent study7 at
the Scottish Agricultural College (SAC) of 10,870 cows in autumn and 12,100 cows
in spring from 200 herds in the UK, the prevalence of hock damage was 8.8% and
40% in autumn and spring, respectively, and of hock swellings was 1.4% and 2.3 % in
autumn and spring, respectively. Unsuitable designs of cubicles are commonly
implicated in hock, back and hook bone lesions; feed barrier design and access to feed
are implicated in neck and shoulder calluses. Risk factors for the more severe injuries
associated with slipping and falling include the floor surface, loafing
space/overcrowding, shed design (cow flow), poor stockmanship (rushing cows,
herding with dogs and quad bikes), social group size, care of high risk, recentlycalved animals in the herd, and bulling cows. On some farms, the incidence of limb
injuries resulting in casualty slaughter is up to 3% a year, while they are a rare
occurrence on other farms.
55. The UK is one of the few EU countries that does not have a centralised recording
scheme for cattle health and welfare. Good examples of such schemes can be found in
Norway and Canada. In the UK, two private companies collect almost all the dairy
industry data. There is no common analysis or publication of the results. This is a
serious handicap, putting the UK at a distinct disadvantage and limiting welfare
improvements on dairy farms.
60. Farmers are often faced with the choice of a veterinary treatment that incurs an
immediate cost against a predicted gain that may not materialise. Some diseases or
poor productivity may have little impact on welfare but be costly. In other cases,
waiting while the animal recovers during treatment may result in poor welfare
temporarily. In extreme cases, leaving an animal to suffer severe pain and distress in
the unjustified hope that it will improve is clearly unlawful.
72. There have been many improvements and initiatives in the dairy industry to
address key welfare issues since our last report in 1997. In terms of our main question
however, the evidence is that the welfare of dairy cows has not improved significantly
over the past decade. There are still critical issues about the welfare of the dairy cow
that should be addressed over the next few years.
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Recommendations
73. The British dairy industry should aim to raise the standard of welfare of dairy
cows over the next five years. A target lifespan of eight years for the dairy cow should
be an aspiration of the industry.
74. The British dairy industry should invest more in education, skills, training and
professional development of farmers and stockmen.
75. Breeding programmes used by British dairy farmers should place more emphasis
on welfare traits, resulting in a cow that is better able to deal with the demands of
modern dairying. Breeding programmes should aim to improve health and welfare
rather than merely to halt their decline.
76. The incidence of endemic diseases in dairy cows, particularly mastitis and
lameness, should be reduced urgently. Government and industry should put every
effort into agreeing and implementing an eradication plan for bovine tuberculosis. Onfarm recording of disease and welfare by the farmer should be encouraged, perhaps as
part of farm assurance schemes. Health and welfare plans are an important part of
dairy husbandry and should be developed by the farmer with his veterinary surgeon.
77. The Government should ensure that public surveillance of cow welfare is carried
out efficiently and effectively so that progress can be monitored. Findings should be
given greater publicity and information about best practice should be disseminated. A
national database of information about cow health and welfare, as well as production
measures, should be developed.
2. Management and Welfare of Farm Animals
Ed. John Webster, Universities Federation for Animal Welfare
Wiley-Blackwell, 2011
Stress and suffering – Pages 9 & 10
Stress and suffering are not the same. Animals are equipped to respond and adapt to
challenges in circumstances that permit them to make an effective response. If so,
then they learn that they can cope. An animal is likely to suffer when it fails to cope

because the stress itself is too severe, to complex or too prolonged (e.g. a dairy
cow worn out by the sustained complex stresses of metabolic overload and
chronic pain from lameness); or

because the animal is prevented from taking to constructive action it feels
necessary to relieve the stress (e.g. a sow in the extreme confinement of an
individual pregnancy stall.)
Fitness and health – Pages 21 and 22
Some of the most important diseases and disorders of farm animals are described as
‘production diseases’. This description acknowledges that the prevalence and severity
of these diseases are profoundly influenced by the standards of feeding, housing and
hygiene imposed by the husbandry system. Table 1.7 lists some of the more common
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production diseases. These include infertility, mastitis and lameness in dairy cows,
diarrhoea and wasting in weaner pigs, osteoporosis and bone fractures in laying hens,
and lameness and hock burn in broiler chickens. Diarrhoea in weaner pigs, and
mastitis and digital dermatitis in dairy cattle involve infectious agents but their cause
and control are largely down to management. Other conditions such as lameness in
broiler chickens and osteoporosis in laying hens can be attributed entirely to the way
the animals are bred, fed and housed.
Table 1.7 Some common production diseases of farm animals.
Animal
Disease
Dairy cattle
Infertility, mastitis, claw lameness, digital dermatitis
Beef cattle, finishers
Rumen acidosis, liver abscess, laminitis
Pigs, weaners
Diarrhoea and wasting
Laying hens
Osteoporosis, bone fractures
Broiler chickens
Lameness, hock burn
Infectious diseases and injuries that cause pain and lameness compromise both the
success of the farm enterprise and the welfare of the affected animals. The aim is to
control these things, ideally by prevention, but when they occur, by early diagnosis
and treatment. The first aim of treatment is to attack the causative agent, e.g. by
administration of an appropriate antibiotic in the event of bacterial infection. It is also
necessary to address the welfare of the sick or injured animal through symptomatic
treatment and nursing. To give two examples: the welfare of a lame cow will be
improved if she is not required to stand on concrete but can be moved to a box with a
comfortable straw bed. The welfare of a calf or foal suffering the chills of a
pneumonic fever will be improved if it is allowed to lie under a heat lamp.
Oestrous cycles and conception rate of lactating cows – Page 97
The conception rate of Hostein Freisian cows has tended to decline over the last 10 to
15 years. As a consequence fertility, despite its low heritability, has been included in
the breed assessment index for animal selection and breeding purposes. Similarly, the
use and evaluation of differing dairy breeds and the use of crossbreeding of dairy
cattle breeds have become increasingly popular within the global dairy industry.
The oestrous behaviour is likely to be higher for cows in good body condition, with
the adequate and appropriate nutrition including mineral supplementation, with are
housed or grazed in compliance with the welfare regulations, housing codes of
practice and conformance to the relevant farm assurance guidelines.
Management of mastitis – Page 100
Table 3.5 Examples of bacterial quality and somatic cell count levels used in milk
purchase differing countries (000/mL).
Country
Maximum
Maximum somatic
bacterial count
cell count
Denmark
100
400
France
100
400
Germany
100
400
UK
100
400
Australia
600
750
New Zealand
500
400
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Canada
USA*
100
400
500
700-750
*Varies with county.
Milk purchasers use milk quality payment schemes to maintain and increase the
quality of milk supplied by milk producers, and in some schemes SCC levels below
50, 100 and 150,000 cells/mL can attract additional payment for good milk quality.
Mastitis in organic dairy herds
In organic herds, antibiotics are not used as first line of treatment for mastitis, unless
withholding this treatment is likely to compromise the welfare of the animal. These
greater restrictions to use antibiotics make the prevention of mastitis a key
management strategy for organic herds. As a consequence, organic milk producers
emphasize the importance of good milking equipment design and maintenance, and
hygienic milking practices, particularly the wearing of gloves for milking. The use of
non-antibiotic treatments for the treatment of mastitis are also considered to be
important and some of these include vaccination, drenching with vinegar and use of
arnica, peppermint udder creams and cold water applications to minimize
inflammation, which is typical to this disease. The efficacy of these is unproven.
Lameness – Page 101
Lameness is the third most common reason for cows to be culled from the dairy herd.
The incidence of lameness in dairy cattle is approximately 35% of cows annually, but
ranges from as low as 5% to as high as 60% on differing farms. Lameness is a
multifactorial disease and the main factors involved in the cause and prevention of
lameness include environment, especially housing and cow tracks, animal
management and handling, genetic conformation, nutrition, and hoof trimming and
bathing.
Nearly all lameness in dairy cattle is foot lameness. It can take many forms, but these
may broadly be considered within two categories:

disorders of the sole and hoof horn – these are usually non-infectious in origin and
include sole bruising and ulceration, white line disease, toe ulcers and foot rot (as
a secondary infection);

infectious conditions of the skin adjacent to the hoof – e.g. digital and interdigital
dermatitis, necrobacillosis (‘foul’).
Types of lameness – Page 103
Sole and white line damage account for the majority of lameness in dairy cows.
However the infectious conditions, digital dermatitis (DD) and interdigital dermatitis
(IDD), are an increasing problem in the UK, EU and USA and have become endemic
on many farms. DD and IDD are not common in New Zealand and other pasturebased systems.
Acidosis and subacute rumen acidosism – Page 105
Laminitis, which should not be confused with sole haemorrhages arising from
mechanical damage to the suspensory apparatus of the foot, arises from disturbances
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to the blood and oxygen supply to the corium, the area of horn production. This
particular type of lameness is associated with nutritional disorders, especially acute
(pH,5.0), or intermittent or chronic subclinical rumen acidosis (pH,5.5). A reliable
indicator of subclinical acidosis is low milk fat composition.
Whole milk feeding – Page 111
Milk from cows being treated with antibiotics is not recommended for feeding to
dairy heifers.
The product – Page 125
Carcass quality is a major determinant of price. Conformation of fatness determines
the value of a beef carcass. Conformation describes the shape of the carcass in terms
of muscle to bone ratio and the proportion of meat in the expensive cuts. The value of
a cut of beef depends on attributes of quality such as taste, tenderness and juiciness.
Age at slaughter, position on the carcass (e.g. rump, shoulder) and fat concentration
determine these qualities. Generally, meat from cows contains more mature
connective tissue (gristle) than meat from prime beef carcasses, and is therefore
tougher. Prime cuts such as fillet, sirloin and rump fetch higher prices because they
contain little or no gristle or visible strips of intermuscular fat.
Intensive systems for beef and veal – Page 131
Intensive beef production systems require the confinement of animals throughout their
lives at a high stocking density. This increases the risk of infectious diseases, such as
pneumonia, relative to systems that permit the animals to spend half the year at
pasture. These problems are particularly acute for calves in the first 3 months of life.
In the early days of intensive beef systems, calves moved to the rearing
accommodation and were exposed to carriers of infection directly after weaning at 5-6
weeks of age. This created serious losses from respiratory disease. Specialist
contract-rearing units have developed which provide 12-week-old calves at a weight
of 110 to 130 kg and, ideally, an acquired immunity to the major respiratory
pathogens of intensive beef units.
Belgian Blue – Pages 136 and 137
Table 4.8 Effects of sire breed on calving difficulties and calf mortality in
suckler cows, dairy cows and heifers (from Allen, 1990)
Holstein/Friesian
Holstein/Friesian
Breed of sire
Sucker cows
cows
heifers
Dystocia Mortality Dystocia Mortality Dystocia Mortality
(%)
(%)
(%)
(%)
(%)
(%)
Aberdeen Angus
3.1
1.3
2.3
5.8
Hereford
3.8
1.6
1.2
2.9
3.1
6.2
Friesian
2.5
5.0
7.4
7.9
Limousin
7.2
4.4
3.2
6.1
8.1
9.7
Charolais
9.6
4.8
4.2
5.2
Simmental
9.3
4.2
3.1
5.6
South Devon
7.4
4.1
2.4
5.6
Belgian Blue
4.3
5.4
Average
6.7
3.4
3.0
5.1
5.2
7.4
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However, the breeder of Belgian Blue semen must accept the welfare problems
involved in producing the pure-bred double-muscled bulls.
Social behaviour – Pages 137 and 138
Cattle in the wild form large, stable herds whose size appears to be limited only by the
availability of pasture. Being part of a herd contributes to a sense of security since it
reduces the risk of capture for a large animal that cannot hide. On open range and
given plenty of space, cattle form stable subgroups. A dominance hierarchy is
established, whereby each cow knows its place. Cattle perceive a predator as a threat
but not as a source of real alarm if they can maintain a satisfactory flight zone and can
see (or think they can see) an escape route. It is possible to build these principles into
handling systems for range cattle.
Removing an individual from a herd will cause it distress. One exception is the cow
about to calve, who will isolate herself from the herd to give birth. Having licked her
calf clean and suckled it she will then leave it to lie hidden and go back to the herd.
She will only return to feed her calf 4 to 6 times during the first few days until it is
strong enough to run with the herd.
Reproductive behaviour – Pages 138 and 139
The incidence of dystocia in Holstein/Friesian cows is less than in suckler cows
although, for calf mortality within the first 2 days of life, the reverse is true. The
incidence of dystocia is higher for the cows mated with very large beef bulls,
Charolais and Simmental. However, the risk of dystocia is due at least as much to the
pelvic dimensions of the cow as the size of the bull. Left to themselves, beef cows are
more likely than dairy cows to ensure that their calf stays alive (Table 4.8). Breeders
have selected Belgian Blues for very heavy muscling, to the extent that many purebred cows are unable to calve normally; such cows require repeated, premeditated
caesarean section and this constitutes a major welfare problem.
The probability of fertilization following synchronization of oestrus followed by AI is
unlikely to exceed 65%, so most beef farmers need a ‘sweeper’ bull to serve those
cows that do not conceive to AI. However, AI does make it possible to use bulls of
much higher genetic merit than one is likely to find on the average commercial beef
farm.
Minerals and vitamins – Pages 140 and 141
Sun-cured hay is a good source of vitamin D, and whole cereals good sources of
vitamin E. Generally, adult cattle are unlikely to suffer from deficiencies of the fatsoluble vitamins A, D and E, but body reserves of these drop during the winter.
Calves are born with almost no fat-soluble vitamins in their body and normally
acquire them by drinking colostrums. The colostrums of beef and dairy cows in late
winter may contain very low concentrations of fat-soluble vitamins. This give the
calves a poor start and makes them particularly vulnerable to infectious diseases of
epithelial surfaces, such as diarrhoea and pneumonia.
Management of cows and calves – Page 153
The main problems of infectious disease for the newborn calf in a suckler herd are
septicaemia, usually caused by Escherichia coli, and enteritis caused by viruses such
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as Rotavirus. Both organisms and inevitable inhabitants of winter accommodation for
adult cattle. Calves born into such an environment can be infected with E.coli at birth
and the resultant septicaemia may (at worst) kill them within 2 to 3 days.
Weaning suckled calves – Page 153
In suckler herds, calves remain with the dam at pasture until they are 5 to 9 months
old. Weaning of the suckled calf from its dam can be stressful for the calf. In
addition to removal from the dam, the weaning procedure may be compounded by
other stressors, e.g. change of diet (grass and milk to conserved feed with or without
concentrates), change of environment (outdoors to indoors), transport/marketing, dehorning and castration. Weaning therefore is a multifactorial stressor, in which
nutritional, social, physical and psychological stress are combined. Psychological
stress is present in the form of maternal separation and social disruption, whereas
physical and nutritional stressors are often present in the introduction and adaptation
to a novel diet and novel environment.
The bought-in calf – Page 161
The artificial rearing of calves on their farm of birth can usually be accomplished
without mishap. Unfortunately, the majority of beef calves from the dairy herd are
moved off their farm of origin at about 1 to 2 weeks of age into specialist rearing
units. This may involve trips through two or more markets, and transport, sometimes
for the full length of the country. Such animals are deprived of normal food, water
and physical comfort, and are confused, exhausted and exposed to a wide range of
infectious organisms, of which the most important are the Salmonella bacteria. By the
time they reach their rearing unit, they are likely to be infected, dehydrated and
stressed, and need special care if they are to survive
Rearing calves for veal – Page 163
The intensive production of veal in Europe and North America in the latter part of the
twentieth century involved the confinement of calves for life in individual wooden
crates and the feeding of a liquid milk replacer diet, deficient in iron, to ensure white
meat. The European Communities (Welfare of Calves) Regulation (1995, 1998 see
above) have now prohibited the worst welfare excesses of this system. Calves over 8
weeks of age must not be penned individually and the food for all calves shall contain
sufficient iron and a minimum daily ration of fibrous food. Nevertheless the system
continues to present many welfare problems. Group housing is typically on slatted
floors, which can become very slippery, especially given the liquid, projectile nature
of faeces from calves on liquid diets. This problem is exacerbated when entire bull
calves, reared to heavier weights, approach sexual maturity and attempt to mount one
another.
Alternative husbandry systems for veal calves
Several alternative husbandry systems for veal calves have been explored in an
attempt to discover one that is more humane and also economically competitive with
the intensive method. The aims of these systems are to ensure good welfare by
keeping calves in groups with access to straw or other bedding and to provide
sufficient fibrous feed to promote good health and normal behaviour in consequence
of normal rumen development. Liquid milk replacer still forms the major part of the
diet in order to promote rapid growth and produce quality ‘pink’ veal that attracts a
high price. Veal is perceived as a luxury meat by those prepared to eat it, and
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shunned by others as unacceptable on welfare grounds. It should follow, therefore,
that high welfare standards become a major selling point for those seeking to produce
high-premium veal for the luxury market. A few honourable entrepreneurs have
sought to exploit this market with approval from bodies such as RSPCA Freedom
Foods. However, the economic returns to date are not encouraging.
Housing and welfare – Page 165
Animal behavioural studies indicate that intensive stocking rates on slatted floors can
present a significant challenge to the successful adaptation of cattle to confinement.
Cattle are social animals and establish social bonds and hierarchy among themselves.
In large groups (>100 animals) with minimum space allowances, individual animals
appear to have difficulty in memorizing the social status of all peers, which increases
the incidences of social aggressiveness and oral stereotypies in cattle. The abrupt
breakage of the social bond on hierarchy through regrouping and relocating may lead
to social stress and an animal may respond with abnormal behaviour and impaired
performance.
3. Further Information and Quotes
Global action to tackle antibiotic resistance
Emma Dorey, Chemistry & Industry News, 3/1/2012
1st and 7th paragraphs:
Resistance to antibiotics, largely driven by the over-prescription and inappropriate use
of antimicrobials and poor infection control, is now of critical concern. About 440,000
new cases of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis alone emerge annually, causing at least
150,000 deaths, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). In the EU, about
25,000 patients die each year from infections caused by drug-resistant bacteria,
costing the EU over €1.5bn in healthcare expenses and productivity losses, according
to the European Commission. And methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
(MRSA) infections alone kill more Americans every year than emphysema,
HIV/AIDS, Parkinson’s disease and homicide combined, according to the Infectious
Diseases Society of America (IDSA).
Laura Piddock, Professor of immunity and infection at Birmingham University, UK,
and president of the BSAC, explains that a global foundation for antibiotic drug
discovery and development, funded by philanthropy and several public and private
partners, could provide a solution. ‘Just as the GAVI Alliance and the Bill and
Melinda Gates Foundation have successfully delivered vital vaccines worldwide, a
similar model could be used to encourage new antimicrobial development,’ says
Piddock (The Lancet Infectious Diseases, doi:10.1016/s1473-3099(11)70319-4).
‘However, until a global alliance for antibiotic drug discovery and development is
formed, pharmaceutical companies need to recognise that many expensive medicines
in their portfolio and in development might by useless if patients succumb to fatal
infections,’ she adds. ‘Therefore, their return on investment for products to treat
cancer or chronic diseases depends, in part, on effective treatment of infections. This
fact alone should be an incentive for pharmaceutical companies to continue or re-enter
antibiotic development.’
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Bill Clinton is named the animal world's new best friend
Susie Mesure, Independent on Sunday, 2/1/2011
First 3 paragraphs:
The former president has become a vegan. (There's just the small matter of the fish)
He was the president who famously couldn't jog past McDonald's without grabbing a
snack, which makes Bill Clinton a most unlikely candidate for vegan hero. But that is
exactly what swapping burgers for beans has done for the former fast-food fanatic,
according to a leading animal rights campaign group.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) has bestowed its Person of the
Year award on Mr Clinton, in recognition of his rebirth as a paid-up member of the
mung bean-munching fraternity. Mr Clinton opted for the ultimate in new year
cleanses – a largely vegan diet – to purge his body after realising it had taken one
burger battering too many. This is, after all, a man who ordered a double hamburger
(and fries) to fuel up for an anti-obesity speech.
Peta's decision is not without controversy: Mr Clinton has admitted eating the odd
piece of fish. But the organisation said it was "pleased" to name him as its 2010
Person of the Year "because he uses his influence to promote the benefits of following
a vegan diet"...
Bill Clinton talks about being a vegan
Eryn Brown, Los Angeles Times, 18/8/2011
3rd paragraph:
It's not the first time Clinton has changed his famously Krispy Kreme-oriented eating
habits to improve his health. When the former president had a quadruple bypass in
2004, he lowered the cholesterol in his diet. But when doctors last year had to
implant two stents to open one of the veins from that surgery, the president took
matters further and began following the advice of Dr. Dean Ornish, the diet guru who
helped spark the notion of turning to vegetarianism to reverse coronary heart disease
with the publication of this study (subscription required) in the Lancet in 1990, and
Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn Jr., who runs the cardiovascular prevention and reversal
program at the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute, and went vegan -- cutting out
meat, dairy, eggs and most oils
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall: the joy of veg
Guardian, 26/8/2011
2nd, 7th and last paragraph:
Let me be clear: I have not become a vegetarian, nor do I think I ever will. So the
dialogue I'm keen to begin with other meat-eaters is not about vegetarianism, it's
about vegetables. I would love to persuade you to eat more vegetables. And thereby to
eat less meat – and maybe a bit less fish too. Why? To summarise, we need to eat
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more vegetables and less flesh because vegetables are the foods that do us the most
good and our planet the least harm. Do I need to spell out the arguments to support
that assertion? Is there anyone who seriously doubts it to be true? Just ask yourself if
you, or anyone you know, might be in danger of eating too many vegetables. Or if you
think the world might be a better, cleaner, greener place with a few more factory
chicken farms or intensive pig units.
As the best vegetarian cooks know, you can produce delicious and balanced flesh-free
meals without needing to somehow replace meat. We all require protein in our diets of
course (though in fact we don't need a huge amount), but I've little time for veggie
sausages and TVP. Instead, I'd rather exploit the vital food value and great culinary
potential of pulses, nuts and grains, muddling my chickpeas, kidney beans, walnuts
and quinoa with fresh leaves, crunchy roots and sun-ripened fruits: squashes, peppers,
courgettes, aubergines and tomatoes, to name but five.
Undeniably, we are faced with the very challenging question: how can we eat really
well every day without contributing to global warming, the suffering of animals or the
pillaging of our precious marine resources? There is one, unequivocal answer: to eat
more vegetables. Addressing this issue isn't about giving anything up, it's about filling
your boots: embracing a world of fabulous, fresh ingredients and finding some new
and irresistible ways to cook and serve them. The crucial thing is the mental shift:
after that, I predict you will find it a breeze.
Andrew Linzey quoted in ‘Government and Church Inaction Allows
Animal Cruelty to Thrive Claims Oxford Theologian’
American Vegan 11-3, Fall 2011
5th paragraph:
“The truth is that we are spiritually blind in our relations to other creatures, as blind as
men have been to women, whites have been to blacks, and straights have been to
gays. Political sluggishness and church indifference only compound the problem of
animal cruelty.”
Quotes from Shakespeare
Charmian: O that brave Caesar!
Cleopatra: Be chok'd with such another emphasis!
Say "the brave Antony."
Charmian: The valiant Caesar!
Cleopatra: By Isis, I will give thee bloody teeth,
If thou with Caesar paragon again
My man of men.
Charmian: By your most gracious pardon,
I sing but after you.
Cleopatra: My salad days,
When I was green in judgment, cold in blood,
To say as I said then!
Antony and Cleopatra; Act 1, v, 67–75
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King Henry:
And yet, good Humphrey, is the hour to come
That e'er I prov'd thee false, or feared thy faith,
What low'ring star now envies they estate
That these great lords, and Margaret our queen,
Do seek subversion of thy harmless life?
Thou never didst them wrong, nor no man wrong
And as the butcher takes away the calf,
And binds the wretch, and beats it when it strays,
Bearing it to the bloody slaughterhouse,
Even so, remorseless, have they borne him hence;
And as the dam runs lowing up and down,
Looking the way her harmless young one went
And can do nought but wail her darlings loss
Even so, remorseless, have they borne, and cannot do him good;
So mighty are his vowed enemies.
His fortunes I will weep; and twixt each groan,
Say 'Who's a traitor, Gloucester he is none."
King Henry VI, part II; Act III, I, 204-222
Sir Toby: Methinks sometimes I have no more with than a Christian or an ordinary
man has; but I am a great eater of beef, and I believe that does harm to my wit
Sir Andrew: I would I have had that time in the tongues that I have in fencing,
dancing, and bear-baiting. O! had I but followed that arts!
Twelfth Night; Act I, iii
King Lear: What dost thou profess? what wouldst thou with us?
Kent: I do profess to be no less than I seem; to serve
him truly that will put me in trust: to love him
that is honest; to converse with him that is wise,
and says little; to fear judgment; to fight when I
cannot choose; and to eat no fish.
King Lear; Act I, iv, 12-18
Quotes from The Bible
Better a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith
Proverbs 15:17 (King James Translation)
The Lord's my shepherd, I'll not want;
He makes me down to lie
In pastures green; he leadeth me
The quiet waters by.
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My soul he doth restore again,
And me to walk doth make
Within the paths of righteousness,
E'en for his own name's sake.
Yea, though I walk in death's dark vale,
Yet will I fear no ill:
For thou art with me, and thy rod
And staff me comfort still.
My table thou hast furnished
In presence of my foes;
My head thou dost with oil anoint
And my cup overflows.
Goodness and mercy all my life
Shall surely follow me;
And in God's house for evermore
My dwelling-place shall be.
23rd Psalm
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