Dairy

A dairy is a facility for the extraction and processing of animal milk (mostly from cows, sometimes from buffaloes, sheep or goats) for human consumption. The end product of such processes are known as dairy products. In Australia a dairy is also a shop or company that sells dairy products. In New Zealand a dairy is a shop selling convenience-food products. A dairy farm produces milk and a dairy factory processes it. Over the years, Dairy has become a multibillion-dollar industry.

Ethical issues

Many people concerned about animal welfare (especially vegans) do not consume dairy products. An increasing number of dairy cows are being raised on factory farms, which some people consider cruel. On many farms, the calves are separated from their mothers within days of birth to prevent the calf from drinking the milk so that humans can drink it instead. However modern cows produce up to 40 litres of milk per day, where typically a calf weighing 40 kilograms would be unable to utilise all this milk. Some of the calves born by dairy cows are raised in crates for veal and are slaughtered three to eighteen weeks later. On many farms, once a dairy cow's milk production decreases, she is also slaughtered at an age that is less than her potential lifespan. For these reasons, either in an attempt to reduce animal suffering or to prevent animals from being killed, some people choose to not consume dairy. Some also object to eating dairy for environmental reasons.

Related Topics:
Animal welfare - Vegan - Veal

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