You have said that Horizon, the dairy company
selling organic products, does not really live up to it's image at
all. I wrote a letter to Horizon saying what I had been told and chastising
them for their treatment of the herd. I received a letter in response
from Horizon stating exactly the contrary! According to Horizon, the
cows are free to come and go into the sunny pastures and that they
are kept inside only long enough to be milked. I was given a fairly
complete accounting of their feed etc. Here's what they wrote:
"Thanks for contacting Horizon Organic. We appreciate
you taking the time to do so. In response to your email, Horizon
Organic cows are fed certified organic feed and fresh water. Although
we do not include "outside grass" as a standard part of their diets,
the cows certainly may graze on grasses while outside. Their diet
is formulated by veterinarians and consists of a highly specialized
blend of grain, silage and vitamins that is certified organic, keeping
them strong and healthy. The silage is fermented making it sweeter
and easier to digest. The cows have access to fresh air and exercise
at all times. Depending on the time of year, whether it is cold
or snowy or rainy or terribly hot, the cows may choose to stay indoors
or undercover. They are milked three times per day to relieve the
pressure build-up in the udder. Each milking takes approximately
3 to 5 minutes. When the milking is done, the machinery automatically
comes off, and they are lead out of the milking parlor. Therefore,
total time in the milking parlor is approximately 15 minutes per
24-hour period. Thanks again for writing to us and please feel free
to do so in the future. Sincerely, Consumer Services"
My question: Whom should I believe?
Robert
Dear Robert,
Thank you for your letter. You can, of course, believe anyone you
wish to.
I would point out, however, that the statement by Horizon Consumer
Services is misleading on several counts.
For example, you are told, "Although we do not include 'outside grass'
as a standard part of their diets, the cows certainly may graze on
grasses while outside." This is misleading, because Horizon cows are
typically kept in dry feedlots where there is little if any grass.
They "may" graze on grass in the sense that they are allowed to if
there is any there, but the reality is that typically there is none.
Similarly, the Horizon Consumer Services statement that, "The cows
have access to...exercise at all times" is also misleading. The amount
of exercise the cows can get in these fenced drylots is less than
implied.
The extent to which the statement you have received from Horizon Consumer
Services is PR can perhaps be seen most obviously when they tell you
that the cows "are milked three times per day to relieve the pressure
build-up in the udder." Actually, they are milked three times a day
in order to obtain their milk for commercial sale. The implication
that this is done out of concern for the welfare of the cows is absurd.
If concern for the animals was the determining factor, they would
not have had their calves taken from them, and their calves would
get their milk and quite happily take care of any "pressure build-up
in the udder."
By the way, if you search the Horizon Dairy website for words like
"grass," "graze," and "grazing," you will find these words do not
ever appear anywhere on the entire site. There is, however, a great
deal made of the enormous maze in the shape of a "happy cow."
Thanks for your interest in the welfare of animals.
