"Dairy cows make their misery expensive (but their calves can’t)" by Elizabeth

"Dairy cows make their misery expensive (but their calves can’t)" by Elizabeth

From LessWrong (Curated & Popular) by LessWrong

May 5, 2026 · 13 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the suffering of dairy cows in milk production and the implications of their choices compared to other animals.

How much do cows suffer in the production of milk? I can’t answer that; understanding animal experience is hard. But I can at least provide some facts about the conditions dairy cows live in, which might be useful to you in making your own assessment. My biggest conclusion is that cows made better choices than chickens by making their misery financially costly to farmers. Life Cycle The life of a dairy cow starts as a calf. She is typically separated from her mother a few hou...

People in this episode

Guest: Elizabeth

Topics covered

  • animal welfare
  • dairy industry
  • milk production
  • animal experience
  • ethical choices

Keywords

  • dairy cows
  • animal suffering
  • milk production
  • ethical considerations
  • animal welfare

More episodes of LessWrong (Curated & Popular)

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the LessWrong (Curated & Popular) podcast page.