4 ms·

Farmers in the UK inject cows with estrogen and antibiotics to make them grow faster and bigger. We are messing with nature and making them and ourselves sick.

Farmers in the UK inject cows with estrogen and antibiotics to make them grow faster and bigger. We are messing with nature and making them and ourselves sick. Cows need milking, they feel pain with full udders, but not at the mass production level where they are also subjected to being killed for meat.

open-source-ux 9y ago
Farmers in the UK inject cows with estrogen and antibiotics to make them grow faster and bigger. This is not true. EU rules ban the use of growth hormones and antibiotics as a growth agent in livestock. Antibiotics are still (overused) for disease prevention but there is a realisation that this needs to change (whether it will is a different matter). I can't find more recent data, but here are figures from 2011 on antibiotic use in livestock in countries around the world, including New Zealand, the US and the EU. https://amr-review.org/sites/default/files/Info%204%20bar%20chart%20white.jpg https://amr-review.org/sites/default/files/Info%204%20bar%20... Also, some British supermarkets are now publishing farm antibiotics data from their supply chains: http://www.fwi.co.uk/livestock/waitrose-asda-ms-publish-farm-antibiotics-data.htm http://www.fwi.co.uk/livestock/waitrose-asda-ms-publish-farm...
newscracker 9y ago
> Cows need milking, they feel pain with full udders Firstly, they have been cross bred to produce a lot more milk than their ancestors even a century ago did. Secondly, female mammals of different species go through different phases in milk production vs. what's consumed by the baby. If you don't milk a dog or cat to relieve pain from having more milk, why would you want to do it for just one species? This whole thing is a human created problem that's turned into mor excuses to continue such practices.
amester 9y ago
Lots of information on antibiotic use on farms in UK at www.farmantibiotics.org especially in the news section where there is an update on progress in the UK and by farm. Shows a 27% drop in 2 years and also that UK is among the lowest user of farm antibiotics in Europe. Growth promotion of any kind has been banned in the EU for 10 years, and that includes antibiotics or hormones. Please check your facts - there are a lot of differences between farming in the UK and other countries.

open-source-ux 9y ago

Farmers in the UK inject cows with estrogen and antibiotics to make them grow faster and bigger. This is not true. EU rules ban the use of growth hormones and antibiotics as a growth agent in livestock. Antibiotics are still (overused) for disease prevention but there is a realisation that this needs to change (whether it will is a different matter). I can't find more recent data, but here are figures from 2011 on antibiotic use in livestock in countries around the world, including New Zealand, the US and the EU. https://amr-review.org/sites/default/files/Info%204%20bar%20chart%20white.jpg https://amr-review.org/sites/default/files/Info%204%20bar%20... Also, some British supermarkets are now publishing farm antibiotics data from their supply chains: http://www.fwi.co.uk/livestock/waitrose-asda-ms-publish-farm-antibiotics-data.htm http://www.fwi.co.uk/livestock/waitrose-asda-ms-publish-farm...

newscracker 9y ago

> Cows need milking, they feel pain with full udders Firstly, they have been cross bred to produce a lot more milk than their ancestors even a century ago did. Secondly, female mammals of different species go through different phases in milk production vs. what's consumed by the baby. If you don't milk a dog or cat to relieve pain from having more milk, why would you want to do it for just one species? This whole thing is a human created problem that's turned into mor excuses to continue such practices.

amester 9y ago

Lots of information on antibiotic use on farms in UK at www.farmantibiotics.org especially in the news section where there is an update on progress in the UK and by farm. Shows a 27% drop in 2 years and also that UK is among the lowest user of farm antibiotics in Europe. Growth promotion of any kind has been banned in the EU for 10 years, and that includes antibiotics or hormones. Please check your facts - there are a lot of differences between farming in the UK and other countries.