Dairy Cows Udders Won’t Spontaneously Burst
You’ve probably heard that dairy cow’s udders have to be milked or else they’ll burst. This is not true. Cows only produce milk when they’re pregnant or lactating, just like humans, and it’s for their babies. We take the calf away so we drink the milk instead. If the cow is not milked, though, it would cause immense pain, bruising, and possibly infection. But the udders don’t burst. Still, the life of a dairy cow is brutally sad. It’s said that “in the middle of the 20th century, a dairy cow still pressed an average of 2,349 liters out of her udders – today, at 8,059 liters, it is well over three times that amount. Today’s dairy cow is trimmed for high performance, so she gives about 26 liters of milk a day.” These cows are bred specifically for milk, and though their udders don’t burst, they do live a life of pain. This is one of the biggest reasons people switch to a vegan diet or only drink plant-based milk like almond, soy, or coconut milk (Liefheid).