Goats

Many people are shunning cow’s milk because of the suffering cows kept for milk and their calves experience, and some are replacing cow’s milk with goat’s milk. Unfortunately, the misconception that goats farmed for milk receive better treatment than cows is far from the truth.

Goats face the same issues as cows when kept to produce milk. Female goats are repeatedly impregnated, only to have their babies taken away so humans can consume their milk. Female kids grow up away from their mothers to eventually meet the same fate. Male kids are considered ‘waste’ products by the dairy industry, as they are unable to produce milk, and are usually killed within days of being born.

Baby goats not killed at birth may undergo a painful and dangerous procedure called ‘disbudding.’ This practice is commonly carried out on goats that are to be kept for their milk, and involves removing the developing horn base at an early stage to prevent the horns from growing.

Disbudding techniques used include the destruction of the budding horn tissue with caustic chemicals; removal of the horn buds with a sharp knife or ‘scoop disbudder;’ and more commonly, destruction of horn tissue with a hot iron applied to the horn base.

Disbudding is a painful and traumatic experience for baby goats which can be legally carried out without pain relief on goats under the age of nine months. Deep skin tissue burns, infections, scarring and injuries can have long-term effects on the health of these sensitive and intelligent beings.

Despite what the dairy industry says, scientific studies show that we can get all the nutrients we need from plants. In fact, green leafy vegetables and legumes are some of the healthiest sources of calcium available.

More and more Kiwis are making the switch to plant-based versions of dairy products, and the options are endless!

Craving cheese and ice cream? Check out our dairy alternatives page for inspiration.