It’s no wonder people think cows are bad.
This was the light bulb that came on after listening to a couple podcasts where there was some discussion over cow size, and it’s attribution to the current agricultural system today. It’s funny how the more I think about these things, the more I see how a lot of the dots start connecting with each other.
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Recently in the news there was some video footage captured of a bison bull tossing a nine-year-old child into the air at Yellowstone National Park. She sustained some injuries according to some of the news reports, but otherwise is physically fine. Mentally though, I wouldn't doubt that she's still very shaken up from the encounter.
What went wrong, though, and why? Could this have been prevented, and if so, how? What lessons can we all learn from this?
I'm always surprised, yet not all that surprised, about the general public's negative perception towards cattle.
“There’s no such thing as humane slaughter; it’s not humane nor ethical to kill an animal that doesn’t want to die.”
I ask you to ponder this, then: Is it really immoral to kill an animal, or is it more immoral to not kill an animal? Is humane slaughter truly a myth, or is it? The answers may (or may not) surprise you.
Even on a TV show, you’d think a farm sanctuary would know better than to treat their animals like they’re deaf, dumb, insensible creatures.
I've gotten to that point in time--or maybe my life--where I just cannot go reading a study and believe it to be factually true. I honestly don't care how many authors have signed their names to it, or whether it hails from some prestigious university or not. What I care about the most is the content of the study, what it's actually saying, and what the whole context and its purpose for being published actually is.
Does it really take more land to produce grass-finished beef versus grain-fed (feedlot)?
That's an experiment I was willing to take on that you'll read about more below. The results may surprise you. A picture is worth a thousand words. It can tell a story. But that story can be easily changed, depending on who's sending the message, and what kind of message they wish to send.
And sometimes that message is completely different from what the picture is actually telling you. Those who don't know what they're seeing are more easily fooled than those who see the photo for what it is. Occasionally I run across a video--or even photo--of certain, shall we say, events that we humans put animals through that may or may not be agreeable with some folks. Typically these videos are put out by these people that purposefully try to dramatize the events that these animals go through, to create emotional rife by those who view such videos and most importantly, read the title and description that come with them.
Often the descriptions used either exaggerate what's actually going on, or only tell part of the story. That's where I come in: When I take a look at videos like these, I get to have the fun of discerning what's actually going on, and then take the time to write up something about it. As you'll see, what's actually going on with this particular video is not nearly as dramatic nor horrific as those who created it made it out to be. |
Karin LindquistRange Nerd, Forage & Grazing Fanatic and a Bovine Enthusiast. A love for farming, and for the soil. Archives
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COMMENTING RULES:
Keep it civil, but don't be a jerk. Personal attacks and harassment will not be tolerated. There's going to be a lot of heated discussions and that’s totally fine. These discussions often are about topics that we all personally care a lot about and will passionately defend. But in order for discussions to thrive here, we need to remember to criticize ideas, not people.
So, remember to avoid: Thank you. -Karin L. |