The horrendous suffering caused to animals by the production of meat, milk, eggs, honey, leather, silk, cosmetics and medicines is enough reason for many to go vegan. Many vegetarians ignore the cruelty of the dairy industry. The calf is taken from the mother cow within days of birth so that humans can get the milk. Veal, burgers and leather mostly, though many of the females go on to replenish the dairy herd. Cows have been shown to have very strong maternal instincts, sometimes escaping and running several miles to the location of their baby after separation.
Many people believe that no death has been caused by their consumption of an egg.
These hens have been bred to produce the maximum possible amount of eggs and are also scrawny to keep the feed consumption to a minimum, so the male chicks are no use for meat. They are thrown in the bin and then either crushed or gassed. According to The Ministry of Agriculture in 'Slaughter Statistics' 1994 the death toll of the male chicks amounts to 40 million a year in Britain. The Dr. Hadwen Trust develops alternatives to animal tests. They also sell vegan chocs, biscuits and toiletries to raise funds.