Animal rights groups are at again. This time it’s Mercy For Animals releasing a very explicit video of calves being abused at E6 Cattle Co. in Hart, TX. I just attempted to watch the video in its entirety but the abuse was so disturbing that I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I don’t know the whole story behind this situation at E6 Cattle Co., but I can wholeheartedly say as a member of the animal agriculture industry I DO NOT condone animal abuse. Allowing animals to be treated in this manner is unacceptable.
Animal rights groups use videos such as the MFA video as a tactic to demonize animal agriculture and promote their vegan agendas. Instances such as this though, do not represent animal agriculture as a whole. The individuals in the video were wrong in what they did and should be prosecuted for their actions. Farmers and ranchers need to ensure that all employees are trained in proper animal care and handling practices on a regular basis to ensure that these types of instances do not occur. The majority of farmers and ranchers care a great deal for the animals they raise and do their best to ensure that their needs are met.
On my family’s farm in Pennsylvania, we take pride in caring for our cattle and do our best to ensure the health and safety of each and every one. We participate in the Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program to ensure we are utilizing the best management practices in handling and management of our cattle. This allows us to provide safe beef for our family and our customers and a healthy, low-stress life for the cattle in our care. To learn more about the BQA program and guidelines you can view a complete list here.
The first calf of the season was recently born at our farm.
Though I am glad Mercy For Animals reported this abuse, I question their motives. Why did the person filming the video (supposedly a MFA undercover agent) stand by and let this abuse occur? As close as the individual committing these atrocious acts was you’d have thought they’d have noticed their was a video camera rolling, yet they kept on abusing the calves. Lastly, with several states attempting to pass legislation to ban video taping and photos on farms from outsiders without permission from the farm owners, it seems like this video may be a timely protest.
To see some examples of proper animal care and handling by farmers and ranchers, see the following links:
- Haley Farms No Mercy For Animal Abuse
- What Farmers are saying about this recent video
- National Dairy FARM
- Dairy Faming today
- RayLin Dairy Is going Vegan the Answer to Animal Abuse?
- Agriculture Proud Quality Food Begins With Quality Animal Care
- Agriculture Proud Video: Animal Welfare on Ranch
- Cause Matters The Tears I’ve Shed…. Animal Abuse
- Crystal Cattle Animal Abuse in Agriculture
- Dairy Innovation Animal abuse: Still a Big No No!
- Zweber Farms Video:Calf Care on Zweber Farms December 2010
- Zweber Family Farm News Calf and Animal Care is our Number One!
- Orange Patch Dairy Too mad to go to bed!
- killrocfarms Animal abuse: Never acceptable
- Pinke Post Link Up Wordless/Wordful Wednesday: Despite Animal Abuse Headlines
- Life as an Iowa Farmwife Animal Abuse, Undercover Videos, and Doing the Right Thing
- From the Tractor Seat Animal Abuse
- The Ole Cowmilkers Random Thoughts Animal Care
- Buzzard’s Beat No Excuse
- ag – a colorful adventure Hold People to A Higher Standard
- Reflections from a Country Boy We Care For Our Livestock!
- Loos Tales Interview with the owner of E6 Ranch
- Beef Daily A Rancher’s Letter To You About Animal Abuse
- Celeste Laurent Do those shooting animal abuse videos really have mercy for the animals?
- Loos Tales Nathan Runkle founder Mercy for Animals on E6 Ranch
- PNW Rancher Tackling Animal Cruelty
- Cow Calf Weekly Latest Animal Abuse Video Really Hurts Beef Industry
- Cow Calf Weekly Agriculture Industry Repulsed By Animal Abuse Video
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April 21, 2011 at 1:09 AM
Now look at that cute little calf! How could anyone wanna abuse such a thing
April 21, 2011 at 12:33 PM
Thanks for including my blog here! I do appreciate it! I seriously hold people to a higher standard and know these folks are the exception rather than the rule. I cannot imagine what drives someone to do such a horrible act nor what kind of conscience it takes to stand there and watch. Thanks for doing your part to put an accurate face on farmers & ranchers!
April 21, 2011 at 12:44 PM
The one thing that bothers me is the magnitude of disconnect where really loving, caring animal agriculture people and their families *and their customers* can “care” so much about animals, but still kill them or send them to slaughter. How caring is that? Clearly, this is moral schizophrenia on a grand scale.
April 21, 2011 at 1:10 PM
Jeffrey, clearly you have a different opinion on raising animals for food and I respect that. I doubt there is much I can say to change your mind on this issue. All I can do is explain to you why I believe what I do. I believe that the animals on this planet were created by God and that the Lord gave man dominion over all these beasts. In Genesis 1:26 it states “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” As farmers and ranchers it is our responsibility to provide proper care for our livestock from birth to slaughter. And I always remember that everything lives, everything dies, and death with a purpose gives full meaning to life. And the purpose of cattle that my family raises is to provide food for both us and our customers. So while I respect your right to your opinion, I will have to respectfully disagree with your observation.
April 21, 2011 at 7:40 PM
Thank you for your attempt at rationalizing this moral conflict, but there were no qualifications given with the commandment, “Thou shalt not kill.”
April 21, 2011 at 7:42 PM
Again, I will have to respectfully agree to disagree with you. Thank you for your thoughts.