PEtA wants Ben and Jerry's to use human milk

[Mongo Skruddgemire]

http://www.wptz.com/news/17539127/detail.html

Now when you think of how much milk a cow can produce in a day vs how much a woman can...

Cow's average 8 gallons/day or 1,024 ounces per day. This is enough to give 128 people a, 8oz glass of milk. This is one cow.

A woman (according to my wife the lactation consultant) can produce 8oz every 4 hours. So in a day she can produce 48oz or a quart and a half.

So in order to get the milk to feed those 128 people, you would need to have just over 21 women pumping (21.33).

In Piers Anthony's "Anthonology" there was a short story in which women were bred on a parallel Earth to do nothing but be milkers. Is this what PETA is trying to do?

M

[DesignFox]

That's fucking weird...what the hell is wrong with PETA? seriously!?

[BlaqueKatt]

So in order to get the milk to feed those 128 people, you would need to have just over 21 women pumping (21.33).

the other issue is the consistency of human milk is nothing like cows milk-cow's milk is mostly fat or Cream if you will due to a baby cow needing to increase it's weight rapidly-human milk is 80% water(it is classified as a "clear liquid" due to the solute level), and very little fat, you cannot make Ice "cream" out of water-it's made from cream, human milk is closer to skim milk in consistency(but still more dilute)

not to mention human milk banks have enough trouble keeping their supply where it's needed, and they rely on donations only.

Also nice misinformation about cows being bred every 9 months-the gestation period for a standard cow is 9 months, and according to this article they produce milk for around 305 days after giving birth. There is a minimum waiting period of at least two months before they are allowed to be bred again, most farmers I knew growing up did not breed their cows until they had stopped producing milk-yes it made for a gap in production, but when you have over 400 heads of cattle and at least half producing it's not really much of an issue.

[Rapscallion]

That's fucking weird...what the hell is wrong with PETA? seriously!?

They want publicity. There's no such thing as bad publicity as long as they get your name right.

Rapscallion

[Sylvia727]

Um, ew.

I like the way B&J's spokesperson phrased it: "A mother's milk is best used for her child."

[Difdi]

There is also the fact that those cows are alive only because they are useful. I wonder if PETA has ever considered what would happen to the millions of cows in the dairy industry, if cows milk were banned?

A dairy is a business that exists to make a living, if not high profits. If there is zero market for cow products, there will be no point in the business to continue paying for feed, barn space, medical care, etc.

Then again, PETA has often spouted claims in the past that death is a better fate for an animal than living as a dairy cow or house pet...

[Slytovhand]

Humans and domesticated pets are the only animals that consume milk after childhood... does that say anything??

[BlaqueKatt]

Then again, PETA has often spouted claims in the past that death is a better fate for an animal than living as a dairy cow or house pet...

and they have gotten laws passed that would cause an animal to have a very slow and painful death.

A perfect illustration is the New Jersey anti-veal legislation Farm Sanctuary(funded by PEtA) lobbied to pass in 2004. Beyond the fact that there are no veal farms in New Jersey, the bill was preposterous as a “humane” farming bill because it mandates feeding practices that actively harm veal calves. Laws requiring that calves be fed lots of fiber and iron sound nice to an uninformed voter, but the reality is that Farm Sanctuary is willing to hurt animals in order to hurt farmers.

Surveying the scientific literature on calf nutrition in 2004, Rutgers animal science professor Michael Westendorf wrote in the journal Professional Animal Scientist: “Controlling iron intake may also reduce risks from iron-dependent pathogens in the small intestine. Pathogenic bacteria, such as Salmonella and Escheria coli, require iron for growth. These bacteria often cause scouring and diarrhea, infections that are the leading cause of death in calves.” As for fiber, Dr. Westendorf cites several sources indicating that “veal calves fed straw or other high fiber feeds had increased abomasal lesions, ulcerations, or both.”

[DesignFox]

You know...after reading about that Farm Sanctuary shit, I've got to research the Humane Society.

I thought the Humane Society was normal- but according this this article they are just as nutty as Farm Sanctuary and PETA.

Shit. and to think I've sent them money... *off to do some research*

[AFPheonix]

I think the Humane Society can be dependent on its local chapters. Some are really good, some are really shitty. If you wish to donate though, your money is probably best utilized by some of your local 501(c) organizations, although you need to really check them out first to make sure they're legit rescues and not back yard breeders in disguise.

[DesignFox]

I hear you Phoenix. I am pretty upset right now, to hear where the few dollars I had to donate went. From what I am reading, The Humane Society of the United States doesn't use a dime of that money to fund shelters or spay/neuter programs and that really bothers me. I thought that's what the donations were for!

A quick search of Best Friends Animal Sanctuary didn't pull any bad press- so maybe I'll continue sending them money (I don't agree with some of their wacky anti-fur and anti-meat eating weirdos; but at least they really DO operate no-kill shelters, they DO rescue animals, and there is plenty of press about their massive rescue efforts-and there is no report of their organization committing acts of violence or lobbying for HARMFUL laws regarding the use of animals).

I'll just have to stick with my local shelters or the ASPCA.

Man, I'm bothered right now.

[AFPheonix]

It's kind of that way in the horse world, too. Especially now with the horse market in the dumper (I FINALLY sold my mare last night to an excellent home. Took me 2 years to find one for her, and I almost had to halve my price) and no more local slaughter plants, hoarders are getting ahold of a lot of horses that end up starving to death in dry lots. It's at epidemic proportions.
Breeders are cutting way back, but it's mostly the good breeders at this point. I think we'll probably breed one mare this season and that's it.
Fugly Horse Of The Day has a lot of info on the situation.

[DesignFox]

I've read a little about that, too. I've talked to my instructor about the issue of horse slaughter. As sad as I find the practice, it is necessary. I'd rather the horse get a quick death, and be USED for something, rather than starve, suffer, waste away, and be good for nothing.

I can't eat horse meat. But that doesn't mean I have a right to tell others not to. And all those unwanted horses....I can't imagine what they go through. I've watched Animal Cops Houston, and it just makes me so sad to see an animal that neglected and in so much pain.

Some of these advocacy groups just drive me crazy. They really don't do any research and the rely heavily on the city and suburb dwellers ignorance to get their legislation passed. It's infuriating! I don't pretend to know thing one about animal farming... I wouldn't presume to tell a farmer what is good for his animals.

I mean, if you see someone physically abusing the animals (its bleeding, in distress, etc etc.) that's one thing. But, poking your nose in when you know nothing of the situation...um, no. Do your homework before you tell someone how to manage their livelihood.

I still can't get over the idea of using human breast milk as a replacement, as in the OP, either. I mean, for fucking real?

[AdminAssistant]

It would be so hilarious for some of these PETA folks to go to an actual farm and talk to an actual farmer and learn some of the realities of farm life. On a farm, an animal is not a fuzzy person. It is an animal. Good farmers treat their animals well, and that includes putting them down. Same thing with hunting. With many species, hunting is necessary to keep the numbers down and prevent disease.

Now, Dad didn't keep animals, but I know a bit about it. It infuriates me that these people consider a cow more important than a human being.

[cheese]

I really don't understand the breast milk part of this story - if PETA want to try and stop Ben and Jerry's using cow's milk thats one thing, but encourage them to use Soy/rice milk, surely? It doesn't involve freaking people out by eating other peoples breast milk!