Software Vault: The Diamond Collection/The Diamond Collection (Software Vault)(Digital Impact).ISO/cdr15/vegsocuk.zip/CATTLE.TXT

Text File | 1995-03-13 | 8KB | 148 lines

                            VegSocUK Information Sheet
                              THE VEGETARIAN SOCIETY


   ___________________________________

                                     CATTLE

   There are around 12 million cattle in the UK. Cattle are reared for either
   beef or milk production.

  DAIRY COWS

   There are over 3 million dairy cows and heifers in-calf in the UK (heifers
   are young cows over one year old). Fresian and Holstein breeds account for
   most dairy cattle.

   Dairy heifers are first used for breeding at 15-18 months. Up to 75% of dairy
   cows in the UK are impregnated by artificial insemination (AI). Bulls are
   first used for breeding from one year old and a single animal can sire over
   15 000 calves a year by AI. Pregnancy lasts about 9 1/2 months and so heifers
   will be around 2 years old when they first give birth.

   Cows are impregnated again 2 to 3 months after each calving. Lactation lasts
   for 10 months and so the cow is simultaneusly pregnant and lactating for 6 to
   8 months during each calving cycle. Cows have a 6 to 8 week period between
   lactation ceasing and their next calving.

   Most calves are taken away from their mother within 24 hours and the cow is
   milked for about ten months. Milking occurs teo or three times a day and is
   fully mechanised. Selective breeding and concentrated feeds have meant dairy
   cows can produce ten times more milk than calves would suckle if given the
   opportunity.

   A typical dairy cow produces between 5000 and 6000 litres of milk a year and

   many will give even higher yields. This massive overproduction of milk has
   severe welfare implications for dairy cows and has resulted in a number of
   so-called production diseases.
   The majority of dairy cows graze on pasture during spring and summer months
   and are housed indoors in cowsheds during the winter. About seven months a
   year are spent indoors. The practice of keeping dairy cows indoors for most,
   if not all, of the year is increasing. Cows are usually either kept in sheds
   with a straw-covered bedding area and an unbedded concrete floored area or in
   free stall housing where cows are not constrained and can chose which cubicle
   to enter. Houses in which cows remain tethered in individual stalls are
   becoming less popular as it is inconvient for milking.

  WELFARE AND DISEASE

   Dairy cows can suffer from a range of welfare and disease problems which are
   related to the high yields required by the modern dairy industry.

   One of the most common problems is mastitis with over one-third of the UK
   dairy herd contracting this every year. Mastitis is a painful infection of
   the udder which can lead to depressed appetite, dehydration and severe
   diarrhoea and can be fatal. It is commonly caused by poor hygiene in cubicle
   houses and milking parlours, especially where cattle are forced to lie in
   damp, dirty straw bedding.

   The way in which cows are milked, milk being extracted by a method known as
   vacuum pulsation, also means that tissue may be weakened and so more prone to
   infection. Overmilking can also cause teat injuries leading to mastitis.

   Lameness (foot inflammation) affects around 25% of dairy cows each year with
   practically all showing signs of foot damage by the time they are
   slaughtered. Cows suffering from lameness can be in considerable pain.
   Lameness is most commonly due to the abnormally large udder of the dairy cow
   distorting the gait and posture of the cows hind limbs so predisposing to
   foot damage and subsequent lameness.

   Lameness can also be caused or exacerbated by inappropriate housing or
   feeding. Many cows are still housed in cubicles built 20 to 30 years ago.
   Today's dairy cows are larger and longer than their predecessors and are
   often forced to stand with their hind feet in the passageway in which manure
   collects. This can soften the cows hooves and encourages infection. The use
   of silage rather than hay as the main winter fodder has increased the problem
   as cows eating silage excrete more urine and wetter faeces causing more
   problems with wet bedding and wet slurry in passageways.

   Dairy cows are fed starchy, high protein concentrated feeds in order to
   maintain high milk yields. These can lead to ruminal acidosis in which the
   rumen becomes increasingly acidic. Acidosis leads to inflammatory substances
   being released into the blood which supplies the sensitive laminae of the
   cows feet. The feet become hot, swollen and inflammed causing lameness.

   Acidosis can also lead to the problem of ketosis. Ketosis is  a very common
   disease that occurs during early lactation and is due to the cows metabolism
   being pushed too hard in order to sustain milk yield. Cows with ketosis
   become progressively depressed and lethargic. In severe cases cows lose
   weight, become dehydrated and show nervous, agitated behaviour such as
   delerium, bellowing and walking in circles.

   Another disease prevalent among high yielding dairy cows is milk fever (also
   known as parturient hypocalcaemia). This is caused by the sudden depletion of
   the body's calcium reserves due to the onset of milk production after giving
   birth. If untreated, the cow become progressively weaker and is unable to
   stand. Suffering from shock and bloating, death follows, most likely due to
   heart or respiratory failure. Milk fever affects between 5% and 8% of dairy
   cows in many herds and this is considered normal.

   Cows can also suffer from a range of other diseases. These can include grass
   staggers (due to magnesium deficiency), viral pneumonia, salmonellosis,
   bovine virus diarrhoea, brucellosis (causing abortion) and endometritis, an
   inflammation of the uterus caused by poor hygiene at calving.

   Bovine spongiform encepholopathy (BSE) is another disease of cattle which has
   received widespread attention. Over 100 000 cases of BSE have been confirmed
   and as most animals are slaughtered before they are old enough to show any
   symptoms the true number of infected animals is probably closer to 500 000.

  SLAUGHTER

   Most cows are slaughtered by throat cutting (called sticking) following
   stunning using a captive bolt pistol. This is held to the cows head and the
   bolt penetrates the brain when fired. However, the use of a captive bolt does
   not always succesfully stun the animal. The most common failure in stunning
   is due to improper positioning of the bolt. This is a particular problem
   where cattle are agitated and struggling. Other problems may be due to
   inadequate maintanence of the pistol. Mis-stunning causes considerable
   distress and can mean the animal is still conscious during throat cutting.

   Calves are likely to be stunned electrically. Electrical stunning of calves
   induces a much shorter period of unconsciousness than in other species
   (around 18 seconds). Calves also take longer to lose brain function after
   throat cutting. Because of this many calves show clear signs of recovery
   during bleeding out.

   Over 3.38 million cattle were slaughtered in the UK in 1992.
   ___________________________________


//
This article is copyright to the Vegetarian Society (UK), but may be freely
copied for non-commercial use provided it is kept intact, not altered
and these lines are included.

For futher information contact: The Vegetarian Society, Parkdale, Dunham Road,
Altrincham, Cheshire WA14 4QG, England. Tel: (England) 061 928 0793
email: [e-mail]
//



[The text of this file was obtained from the Vegetarian Society (UK) in
March 1995.]