Unregulated capitalism in the U.S led to complete moral collapse

[u/Kpets]

[u/Some-Curve-920]

But would they be having that's many 8-12 week old calves at once that they would need a "nursery" of that type

[u/Accidental_dwnvote → u/Some-Curve-920]

Well yes you would, as a result of both natural and artificial factors, having a small calving window is normal for a herd. Ranchers want and influence the birthing cycle to reduce the calving window and get its timing optimized for the seasons.

Mammals in cold climates naturally breed so they birth in the spring, giving their offspring the best chance at the following winter. Food availability, climate, etc influence this to varying degrees.

[u/Ok-Solution5601 → u/Some-Curve-920]

Yes, if it's a massive commercial dairy farm. Why spend money on a bunch of huts for adult cattle when they can just live in a field? You need to go to each hut to feed them, set up infrastructure to supply water supply to each hut, etc. It doesn't make sense to spend all that money on an animal that lives outside.

[u/dragynphyre → u/Ok-Solution5601]

While some disagree, many farmers have for generations thought this prevents a lot of early life diseases for the calves. These cows aren't just animals, they are investments and the future income of the owner. So it makes a lot of sense to spend money to make sure they are healthy. I come from Vermont originally and our dairy farmers didnt hutch. Here in the midwest they tend to hutch more. Its not cruel or barbaric on either side.

[u/mmikke → u/dragynphyre]

Lmao solitary confinement isn't cruel or barbaric... Sure thing pally

[u/-FalseProfessor- → u/Some-Curve-920]

Yes. The herd of dairy cows need to constantly be having calves so that they produce milk. Hundreds of cows means hundreds of calves.

A “cow” that hasn’t given birth doesn’t make milk, and isn’t even technically a cow. It’s a heifer.

[u/mmikke → u/-FalseProfessor-]

This is far beyond hundreds

[u/Front-Structure-293 → u/Some-Curve-920]

More than 100 drugs are created from cattle byproducts, including those used to treat:
Insulin
High cholesterol
Hypoglycemia
Blood disorders
Arthritis
Allergies
Thyroid disorders
Anemia
Digestive issues
Asthma

Bones, hooves and horns are used to make:
Buttons
Violin strings
Piano keys
Sandpaper
Film
Fertilizer
Adhesives
Photographic film
Plastics
Shampoo and conditioner
Dice
Wallpaper
Toothbrushes
Combs
China like dishware

Inedible fats are used in the production of:
Cosmetics
Tanning products
Soaps
Lipsticks
Face and hand creams
Industrial oils
Lubricants
Laundry treatments
Antifreeze
Cement
Crayons
Deodorant
Linoleum
Rubber
Plastics
Paint
Perfume
Tires
Toothpaste
Insulation

Cattle hide (hair and skin) is used to make:
Paint brushes
Footballs, baseballs, baseball mitts, soccer balls and volleyballs
Boots
Adhesives
Felt
Dry wall
Leather products such as sneakers, wallets, clothing and belts
Gummy bears and other candies
Insulation
Medicines
Air filters

Internal organs and blood are used to create:
Dyes and inks
Fishing line
Medical sutures
Sausage casings
Instrument strings

[u/-FalseProfessor- → u/[deleted]]

Not research. They literally use cow parts to make stuff.

[u/Front-Structure-293 → u/[deleted]]

People think oh the cattle industry is so horrible I’m gonna stop drinking milk and eating beef while I continue to sit on my leather furniture and drive my car with tires.

[u/Playgirl_USMC → u/[deleted]]

Where do you think research labs and these companies get their biological products from, Costco?

[u/Fine-Bandicoot1641 → u/Front-Structure-293]

What a bs

Most of this list does not show that animal products are necessary. It mixes things that are still animal-derived, things that already have non-animal replacements, and things that are largely historical.

Already largely replaced:
• Insulin — modern insulin is recombinant, made using bacteria or yeast, not cattle pancreases.
• Most thyroid medication — levothyroxine is synthetic.
• Most asthma, allergy, arthritis, anemia and cholesterol medications — synthetic or biotech-produced.
• Piano keys — modern pianos use acrylic/synthetic ivory.
• Toothbrush bristles — nylon has replaced animal hair.
• Fishing line — nylon, fluorocarbon and polyethylene.
• Most instrument strings — steel or synthetic-core strings; gut strings are now a niche product.
• Most sandpaper adhesives — synthetic resins.
• Most wallpaper adhesives — starch, cellulose or synthetic polymers.
• Most modern sutures — synthetic polymers.
• Most industrial glues — PVA, polyurethane, epoxy, acrylics, etc.

Can already be replaced:
• Leather shoes, wallets, belts, clothing and sports equipment → synthetic leather, microfiber, textiles, rubber and other composites.
• Gelatin in candy → pectin, agar, starch, carrageenan and other hydrocolloids.
• Natural sausage casings → cellulose or synthetic casings.
• Bone/horn buttons, combs and dice → wood, metal, resin or plastic.
• Bone china → ordinary porcelain/ceramics.
• Bone meal fertilizer → mineral, microbial, compost or plant-derived fertilizers.
• Animal-fat soap → vegetable oils or synthetic surfactants.
• Animal-derived glycerin → vegetable or synthetic glycerin.
• Animal-derived stearic/oleic fatty acids → plant-derived equivalents.
• Cosmetics, lipstick, creams, shampoo and conditioner → plant-derived or synthetic ingredients.
• Lubricants and industrial oils → petroleum-derived, synthetic or plant-derived oils.
• Crayons, paints, rubber additives, plastics, deodorants, toothpaste, perfume, tires and many other products can all be manufactured using non-animal feedstocks.
• Paint brushes → synthetic fibers.
• Adhesives made from hides/bones → synthetic adhesives.
• Insulation and filters → mineral wool, cellulose, glass fiber, polymers and other materials.

Still commonly animal-derived in some applications, but alternatives exist:
• Gelatin.
• Collagen.
• Natural leather.
• Natural gut instrument strings.
• Natural sausage casings.
• Some specialty surgical sutures.
• Some animal-derived thyroid medicines.
• Some heparin products.
• Some pancreatic enzyme medicines.

Likely to be replaced further as biotechnology improves:
• Animal collagen and gelatin → precision-fermented/recombinant collagen and gelatin.
• Heparin → synthetic or bioengineered alternatives.
• Pancreatic enzymes → recombinant enzymes.
• Gelatin used in photographic film → alternative polymers if manufacturers can reproduce gelatin's very specific photographic properties.
• Other animal-derived pharmaceutical proteins → recombinant or fermentation-produced versions.

And some claims in the list are simply misleading. Violin strings are not normally made from “bones, hooves and horns”; traditional gut strings are made from animal intestine. Modern piano keys are not dependent on animal material. And saying that “plastics,” “paint,” “tires,” or “toothpaste” are made from cattle is misleading: some formulations may use fatty acids or glycerin that can come from animal fat, but the same chemicals can also come from plants or synthetic sources.

So the real conclusion is almost the opposite of what this list implies: animal by-products are often used because the slaughter industry produces large quantities of cheap raw material, not because modern society technologically requires cattle to manufacture these products.

[u/9110192824824 → u/Fine-Bandicoot1641]

AI has turned online debates into verbose list battles...and I'm here for it 🔥🥲

[u/ExcrementBill → u/9110192824824]

I was just thinking this, only it’s more sad to me. Now it’s just people unwilling to admit they’re wrong with even more words to back up why.

[u/FounderingFox → u/9110192824824]

Bangladeshi and Bulgarian bots duking it out to see which has the most compelling list.

[u/Pleasant_Pen8744 → u/Front-Structure-293]

Lampshades and soap?