> Date:    Sat, 22 Dec 2007 22:15:17 -0600
> From:    Tom Bri <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Re: Milk Products Are a Source of Dietary Progesterone. Abstract 
> 2028
>
> All cows are kept pregnant as much as possible, and always have been. Cows
> that don't have calves every year are not worth much. These days a cow 
> that
> fails to have a calf every year is sold.

*** I don't think this is true. In intensive (and unhealthy) confinement 
facilities, maybe. I'm not particularly knowledgeable about dairy cattle, 
but I do raise dairy goats. Dairy goats can be milked for almost 2 years 
between kiddings. Progesterone levels in milking goats (and other mammals) 
are low. When you breed the milking doe, the developing fetuses take energy 
from milk production. Perhaps if you are trying to wring every single penny 
out of every single animal, it might make sense to dry and rebreed your cows 
every year and then take away their calves for veal or artificial rearing so 
that you can maximize milk production. However, if you care about the 
welfare of the animals in your care, profit will be one motive, as will 
taking good care of your stock. In any case, I consider "unhealthy" hormone 
levels to be a byproduct of unhealthy animal production methods rather than 
a black mark on dairy product in general.

--Carrie