Scolded for caring about milk cow quality of life

[dracoe19]

I myself do not own dairy cattle, goats, or other dairy livestock but I enjot learning and following others on facebook to see their farms and what they do. I had started following a dairy farm on facebook (shall not be named) because it was a family owned buisness and the animals looked happy.
There were veiws on politics and other things I didn't agree with them on but I was following for their farm, not politics.
They posted a big "rant" post about how organic farmers are destroying the family dairy industry. I myself support organic because I prefer food with less pesisides and the animals are often, not guarenteed, but often better taken care of due to the strict paperwork and insections. They started saying how only the gullable use organic and they are fools who are destroying family farms.
I myself do not believe this. I prefer to buy organic or local because I can nearly always trace back where my food came from. "Nameless" milk or other food I don't like because usually it is industrial farming (battery cages, gestation crates, feed lots, etc). I stated my opion politely and said even though I don't agree with you I follow your page because you obvioulsy take good care of your dairy cattle. Shortly after I posted that they made a new post basically pointing the finger at me without out right saying my name. They said how this isn't about "cute pictures" of cows and the treatment of the animals but rather keeping the "familiy buisness" going at what ever cost.
I'm sorry but if you don't care about the quality of life of your animals then you shouldn't be working with them. If you are just doing it for the money and the quality of life of your livestock is not even on your list of importance then you might as well be a factory farm. I don't care if you are a 6th generation farmer. If you don't take proper care of your animals I'm not going to support you. I just don't understand.
That's my rant for the most part.... just very upset that I became the bad guy when I said I only support humane opperations. I left the page before I got ganged up on because a lot of the people were the type to not have a civil conversation with the "It's my way or the highway attitude".

 

[CityFarmer202]

crazy....i agree with you. Even the animals i raise for meat are treated the same as my pets, breeders, and layers until freezer camp. I care about them just as much, same with my layers...yes, i have them for egg supply, but i also care about their well being and happiness. Someone who doesn't care about the animals well being has no business owning them. There's my little rant

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

Organic is industrial farming... It started out ok but now it is owned by the industry an is mostly a scam.

 

[res]

Organic is industrial farming... It started out ok but now it is owned by the industry an is mostly a scam.

I agree.

OP, if you think the "organic" milk or meat in the grocery store lived it's life roaming free in deep lush green pastures with little human contact, you are wrong. "Organic" animal products on a commercial scale, those sold in chain-type grocery stores, ARE what the gullible public calls "factory farms". Mass produced products resulting from large # of animals in small spaces. There are no "organic" housing regulations, only regulations in what the animal is feed and given medication wise. And "cage-free" and "free-ranging" is a joke, a sales tactic at best - those birds ARE STILL CONFINED.

Saying that "factory farmers" do not care about their animals is quite rude, and quite wrong. Healthy happy animals produce the best results, and I guarantee you that those people you think "don't love their animals" actually do an amazing job of keeping them healthy and happy. Not all animals need hugs and kisses and to snuggle on the couch and watch TV with you. They are content as long as their bellies are full, their medical needs are met, and their housing conditions are suitable. (That does not mean they need the Ritz-Carlton, either).

 

[H Diamond]

Organic is industrial farming... It started out ok but now it is owned by the industry an is mostly a scam.

Ditto!

I agree.

OP, if you think the "organic" milk or meat in the grocery store lived it's life roaming free in deep lush green pastures with little human contact, you are wrong. "Organic" animal products on a commercial scale, those sold in chain-type grocery stores, ARE what the gullible public calls "factory farms". Mass produced products resulting from large # of animals in small spaces. There are no "organic" housing regulations, only regulations in what the animal is feed and given medication wise. And "cage-free" and "free-ranging" is a joke, a sales tactic at best - those birds ARE STILL CONFINED.

Ditto

Saying that "factory farmers" do not care about their animals is quite rude, and quite wrong. Healthy happy animals produce the best results, and I guarantee you that those people you think "don't love their animals" actually do an amazing job of keeping them healthy and happy. Not all animals need hugs and kisses and to snuggle on the couch and watch TV with you. They are content as long as their bellies are full, their medical needs are met, and their housing conditions are suitable. (That does not mean they need the Ritz-Carlton, either).

And oh my goodness, 100 times over, DITTO!

Most cows I know are much happier to simply be given the things they NEED in life (nutritional requirements, shelter, etc) and then left alone.
Producers ( ie ME) depend on our animals being the happiest and healthiest they can be in order to produce the best they can. If we didn't care about our animals, let them live in filthy conditions, never treated them for illness, didn't get them the nutrition they require, half of them would up and die on you. And I guarantee you, when that cow is producing a calf that is worth $1000 at the sale barn even before it's weaned, you don't want her to die, so you make sure she is healthy!

 

[sourland]

I agree.

OP, if you think the "organic" milk or meat in the grocery store lived it's life roaming free in deep lush green pastures with little human contact, you are wrong. "Organic" animal products on a commercial scale, those sold in chain-type grocery stores, ARE what the gullible public calls "factory farms". Mass produced products resulting from large # of animals in small spaces. There are no "organic" housing regulations, only regulations in what the animal is feed and given medication wise. And "cage-free" and "free-ranging" is a joke, a sales tactic at best - those birds ARE STILL CONFINED.

Saying that "factory farmers" do not care about their animals is quite rude, and quite wrong. Healthy happy animals produce the best results, and I guarantee you that those people you think "don't love their animals" actually do an amazing job of keeping them healthy and happy. Not all animals need hugs and kisses and to snuggle on the couch and watch TV with you. They are content as long as their bellies are full, their medical needs are met, and their housing conditions are suitable. (That does not mean they need the Ritz-Carlton, either).

GOOD farmers are just that regardless of the type of operation they run. It is a business, but in the long run humane treatment and conditions result in optimum results.

 

[herfrds]

We have a neighbor who does "organic" .
I bought eggs when my chickens were not laying and the only ones there were the organic $5.00 eggs. Let me tell you something, those were a waste of money! the yolk was the same color as the others I normally buy in winter only 2 differences were the shell color and the price.

I agree res!

ETA
By the way I have a milk cow and so does my daughter and they are spoiled rotten. As one Dairy man said if you do not treat your animals right it shows up in the bulk tank. These are animals take care of us and we take care of them.

 

[daneblackburn]

Quality for organic is not as good as conventional milk. I haul milk and see reports on loads. Protocol on big farms is a lot more thorough. All washes are charted unlike most organic farms. They can't use soap that contains chlorine

 

[cassie]

Quality for organic is not as good as conventional milk. I haul milk and see reports on loads. Protocol on big farms is a lot more thorough. All washes are charted unlike most organic farms. They can't use soap that contains chlorine

If they can't use chlorine what do they use to disinfect the pipeline, bulk tank, and milking equipment?

 

[Blooie]

I guess I'm a little confused about something, and I hope you won't take this wrong. But why would you go to a Facebook page of people you don't really know, and then post something that was obviously going to offend them, unless, of course, they asked you for your opinion and that's what led to the hostility. That's kinda like being invited to someone's home for pie and coffee and then telling the hosts that the way they made the coffee was all wrong.