I can’t tell you how many times I get asked, “Why vegan? Why not just vegetarian?” I guess vegetarianism would be easier, right? Well, no. Not for me. I can’t stomach the thought of male baby chicks being ground up alive because they are useless in the egg industry just as much as I can’t bear the thought of eating my animal friends.
Too many people do not understand the harsh, eye-opening facts that surround the dairy industry – eggs to milk. So hey, here’s some disgusting food for thought. Here are 10 reasons why I choose vegan, not vegetarian.
#1: Like all mothers, female cows only produce milk while pregnant and for their young. So what happens when the milk supply is over? They forcefully impregnate them. And again. And again. All the while, ripping their baby away each time. When a cow can’t get pregnant anymore, then what? They don’t retire to a nice pasture. They are slaughtered. The life of a dairy slave.
#2: According to Milk Is Cruel, “Dairy cows are hooked by their udders to electronic milking machines that can cause the cows to suffer electrical shocks, painful lesions, and mastitis.” Nope, a farmer in a straw hat is not gently milking the cows that produce your morning glass of milk.
#3: This type of machinery is not gentle, which can cause cows to bleed and pus into the milk supply. And if you think you are not drinking this shit, you are sorely mistaken.
#4: Male chicks are considered useless in the egg industry, not being able to produce eggs and not suitable for meat production. So guess what? They are eliminated by being gassed, ground up alive or thrown into plastic bags or dumpsters. I know, I can’t stomach this, either.
#5: Over 90% of U.S. dairy cows are confined indoors, with more than 60% tethered by the neck inside barren stalls. That is not how a cow should be living it’s precious life.
#6: To avoid excessive pecking in close living quarters, hens are “debeaked.” Yeah, a part of their beaks are cut off while they are alive.
#7: A cow’s natural lifespan is about 25 years. A dairy cow? Only 4-5 years.
#8: Chicks will never meet or see their mother. This PETA article sums up this brutality.
#9: Once a hen stops producing eggs, they are considered “spent”. Once this happens, hens are either killed for their meat or force molted. Force molting means that they are kept in complete darkness without food or water to shock their systems into another egg laying cycle. WTF.
#10: “Of the 9 million dairy cows in the U.S., 3 million are slaughtered each year at only a fraction of their natural lifespan,” according to FreeFromHarm.org
Milk and scrambled eggs may be breakfast to you, but slavery and death to others. Think about the others.
I love this post !
Thank you!! Just trying to spread the word! xx
Wonderfully sobering! Great post.
Thanks for this. To the point. I flounder with my lame-ass excuses to go vegan. This definitely helps. I’ll remember this when cheese is there in front of me.
You’re so welcome – I am glad it can help keep you motivated. It’s tough to fully transition, but it’s stuff like this that always reminds me why I don’t support dairy!! It’s very eye-opening. xx
thank you for posting this!
You’re so welcome – happy to spread the word. xx
As a vegan, I already know these things, but it still makes me sad to hear them again. The saddest part is that most people don’t know or CARE to know the truth about what they’re eating! Thank you for helping spread the word!
Excellent summary. I wish this could be published to a wider audience so that more people are informed about the choices they’re making.
Thanks, Meghan! Word of mouth works just as well :) every little thing we do, counts! xx