Published Letters and Op-Eds from
COK’s Writers Group

We're All Better Off without Factory Farms

Your Sept. 29 editorial, "Full employment for cows," rightly noted that confined animal feeding operations "present major problems." In fact, it's no surprise that the proposed mega-dairy south of Toledo is facing such strong opposition: Factory farms not only pollute the environment and harm the way of life for area residents, they routinely abuse animals.

In order to maximize the amount of milk each cow produces, farmers artificially inseminate them every year and load their bodies with hormones and antibiotics. This constant birthing cycle coupled with massive quantities of drugs takes a toll on dairy cows. Their exhausted bodies are often "spent" after just five years. (The natural life of a cow is about 25 years.)

To make matters worse, male calves born in the dairy industry are unfortunate by-products who are forced to live their short lives inside crates so small they can't even turn around. After four months of constant confinement and a nutritionally deficient diet, these baby cows are killed, and their sickly, pale flesh is marketed as veal.

Whether we're concerned about our own quality of life or that of millions of animals, we'd all be better off without factory farms.

Erica Meier
Executive Director
Compassion Over Killing
Washington, D.C.