Will Falconer, DVM Moderator
Oh God, Lizzy. You actually worked in one of those huge operations? I can imagine that would shape your choices in the future in a big way.
I, too, saw some brutality in the dairy industry, when I first graduated and landed in Wisconsin once more. 95% of the farms were small and knew each animal personally, but there were a few big operations of several hundred cows, and I saw a very different relationship between producer and cows. One was a herd full of stub tailed cows. I knew this happened with a sharp knife and no anesthetic when they were calves, and the cows all looked like they were living in a concentration camp. Luckily, they were the exception.
So, yes, how the animal is raised is another consideration. It probably means more to you and I, having seen it up close, than those whose only experience of meat is in the supermarket, in cling wrap.
Thanks for sharing your insights and personal experience, Lizzy.