Animals in the dairy industry The suffering of dairy cows

Cows suffer enormously for the milk we humans consume. Germans consume more than 45 kilograms of milk per capita every year - not including other dairy products such as butter, cheese and yogurt. Dairy cows are bred for maximum performance to meet the high demand in this country, but also for export all over the world.

Around four million dairy cows live in Germany. The pictures on milk packaging and advertisements make us believe that they lead a happy life on green pastures. But the reality of a dairy cow is usually anything but idyllic.

Of course, cows don't just give milk because they are cows. They have to give birth to a calf. In agriculture, they are therefore inseminated for the first time when they reach sexual maturity at around 15 months. The cow is then pregnant for nine months and must give birth to a calf every year or so from then on to ensure a constant supply of milk. The next artificial insemination takes place a few weeks after the birth. A dairy cow is also milked while she is pregnant. Due to the constant pressure to be efficient and the many births, cows become ill more quickly. Most cows eventually suffer from fertility problems, udder diseases, and hoof and limb disorders. Since the cost of treatment is not economically viable, they typically live to be only five years old. But they can actually live to be 20 years old. Just like meat, milk is therefore often associated with enormous animal suffering.

The calves are usually separated from their mothers shortly after birth. On some farms, they spend their first weeks of life completely alone - they have no contact with their mother or other calves. While several hundred thousand female calves are also destined to become dairy cows, the male calves of dairy cows are virtually worthless from an economic standpoint, since they do not gain weight quickly enough and are therefore hardly worth fattening. Male calves are often sold abroad and transported across Europe under the most adverse conditions at just five weeks old. Many animals do not survive this ordeal or are sick when the transport is over. Even after this, the suffering continues, as the calves are left to fatten up in cramped stalls and are eventually slaughtered at around eight months of age.

Dairy cows have been selectively bred to produce more and more milk. Some breeds now yield an average of 30 liters per day, and some cows even produce as much as 50 liters—an incredible feat of physical strength. The German Holstein breed is the most widespread in this country. Due to the extreme milk yield, there is a high risk of the cows contracting an extremely painful udder infection. At an average age of just five years, most cows are so physically emaciated that they are slaughtered.

Only about one-third of dairy cows in this country are put out to pasture for a few weeks each year. Most of the time, the animals live in so-called cubicle barns. Although these barns have feeding areas, watering stations, and resting areas, the animals are able to engage in their natural movement patterns to a much lesser extent than they would on pasture. Not every dairy cow always has access to a dry, bedded-down resting area. In addition, the barn floor is often wet and covered in manure, which causes hoof diseases and lameness in the animals. On the slippery walking surfaces, cows can easily slip and injure themselves. For reasons of labor efficiency and organization, cows are denied access to pasture. Furthermore, farms are keeping more and more animals, which also reduces the amount of time spent grazing.

In 2020, approximately 410,000 dairy cows in Germany were kept in tie-stall housing. Of these, about 291,000 cows were tied up year-round. This means they are permanently tethered to one spot and cannot walk around, scratch themselves, groom themselves, or turn around. Instead, they stand or lie in the same spot at all times. Often, the animals are even tied up so close together that they cannot lie down at the same time.

In addition, there is seasonal tethered housing. In this system, the cows spend at least part of the year—usually during the summer—grazing in pastures. During the rest of the time, however, they are also tethered and extremely restricted in their ability to meet their basic needs.

In organic farming, year-round tethered housing is not permitted. There, seasonal tethered housing is allowed only for very small farms with a special exemption.

If you no longer want to support the conditions in the dairy industry, it's best to opt for plant-based drinks. There is a large selection in every grocery store these days: whether made from oats, soy, almonds, coconut, rice, cashew or hazelnut - there is something for every taste. By buying vegan alternatives, you are showing that you do not accept the situation of farmed animals. If you still don't want to do without cow's milk, you should look out for the animal welfare label "Für Mehr Tierschutz" (For More Animal Welfare ) from the German Animal Welfare Federation.