Cow's Milk Production Question - semi OT

here's a link

http://www.vegansociety.com/html/ani.../dairy_cow.php

Ellie

"Tracey" wrote in message
. com...
I need help finding some info, and googling isn't working because I don't
know what to ask Google.

Okay, on my Yahoo Group that I participate in of moms with babies the same
age as mine (12 months), we were having a discussion yesterday about
introducing the kidlets to cows milk. One of the Moms was talking about
'how important' cows milk is nutritionally to babies that have weaned,
blah
blah blah. I said to her that humans aren't designed to drink cows milk,
you know, human milk for human babies, cows milk is for baby cows. She
said to me something to the effect that we MUST be supposed to drink cows
milk, otherwise why would they make so much excess milk that their calves
don't need.
I replied that I'm sure cows produce so much milk only because of the
early weaning of the calves, endless antibiotics and hormones given to the
cows to keep them producing so much milk, and the not natural diet that
they
are fed to stimulate milk production.
Am I right? I'm pretty sure I read this somewhere, but can't remember
where, and I can't find anything to back me up. Somehow I have a feeling
that I might have read it in Milk, Money and Madness, but I don't know.

Can anyone help me with some cites?? Or tell me that I'm way off if I
am.
Thanks.
Tracey in CT

"Tracey" wrote in message
m...

"A & L Lane" lonewood @ telstra . com wrote in message
...
While I agree with you that cows do not make lots of milk just for our
benefit and too much isnt good nutrition for human babies, as a farmer
and
professional working in the field of agricultural science, I do find
your
thoughts on why cows produce so much milk a bit different to my
experience.


Thank you very much for you informative response. I wonder how different
things are because you are in Australia vs. the US? Interesting and
informative...I will pass info along to my friend.
Tracey


I think you are right that things are quite different in USA which is why I
didnt want to come across as totally disagreeing - just that it doesnt fit
with my experience. Certainly our cattle industry is far more extensive -
we have feedlots for the export market and we sell some of our cattle to be
finished off there so a certain proportion spend the last little bit of
their lives on grain after living out in the paddocks but the majority of
the cattle herd in Australia is grass-fed. I think most Aussie consumers
just wouldnt like the feed-lot product - it tastes very different and not as
good in my opinion. It doesnt make sense to me to grow grain just to feed
to livestock - it has to be a more holistic system. On a personal level, we
graze our beef on pasture; we grow grain for seed to sell to other farmers -
this is usually sown to grow winter feed for stock (ie. oats fed as green
plants instead of the grain) unless it doesnt make the grade (rarely) as
seed when it is usually stored for use in drought; the crop stubble is baled
and sold to feedlots or other farmers as roughage; pasture or another crop
is direct drilled into the standing stubble. It is a diverse and fairly
environmentally friendly system which is generally profitable enough - we
get no government subsidy for any of our production in wool, beef or grain.

The pasture varieties that I am involved in creating are marketed to dairy
farmers so I know that pasture is definitely an important thing for both
Australian and New Zealand dairy farmers - they support our work with
research levies and royalties on the seed they buy. I acknowledge that
things might be very different in the USA - and I'm not sure that it is
better. I think our way is better for us, better for the cattle and better
for the environment. And to get even more controversial - the differences
between Aust and USA is the reason why I and many other farmers are
concerned about the free trade agreement between our countries. Your farm
lobby seems to be extremely powerful, ours is very weak; we have very little
subsidisation of agricultural production, you have lots; we would like to be
able to make up our own mind on GMO's, an FTA may create pressure to let
them in; we got almost no concessions on agricultural trade in the FTA with
some things being left out altogether. The big business aspect worries me
as it probably worries you to be looking into the suject in the first place.
This is getting way off topic so I'll leave it at that - very interesting to
me though and I'm still shaking my head at that Mum who thinks cows make
lots of milk just for our benefit.

cheers
Leah

"Chotii" wrote in message
.. .
Well, in the US, a great many dairy cows never see a blade of green grass
once they get into production - they live in lots, eat hay, silage and
grain, and generally experience nothing like a "natural" bovine existence.
This may well contribute to increased rates of infection, I don't know.
This is not to say that smaller farms don't have pastures for their
cattle.
Just that many cattle in the US are not pastured nor grass-fed.

That's exactly what I thought.

"A & L Lane" lonewood @ telstra . com wrote in message
news:eeM3c.97470$Wa.48429@news- The pasture I acknowledge that
things might be very different in the USA - and I'm not sure that it is
better. I think our way is better for us, better for the cattle and
better
for the environment.

Yup, I think you are right there.

And to get even more controversial - the differences
between Aust and USA is the reason why I and many other farmers are
concerned about the free trade agreement between our countries. Your farm
lobby seems to be extremely powerful, ours is very weak; we have very
little
subsidisation of agricultural production, you have lots; we would like to
be
able to make up our own mind on GMO's, an FTA may create pressure to let
them in; we got almost no concessions on agricultural trade in the FTA
with
some things being left out altogether. The big business aspect worries me
as it probably worries you to be looking into the suject in the first
place.
This is getting way off topic so I'll leave it at that - very interesting
to
me though and I'm still shaking my head at that Mum who thinks cows make
lots of milk just for our benefit.


Thanks for the very interesting and informative posts, Leah.

Tracey

"Ellie" wrote in message
...
here's a link

http://www.vegansociety.com/html/ani.../dairy_cow.php


Thanks Ellie, I did find this one last night after I posted here. It was
very interesting and helpful.