Animals Dying Out argument

[FoolOnTheHill]

*Before I start, I am a vegetarian and I'm just wondering*

I don't know if any other UKers saw it, but I saw a bit of a program yesterday called "The Lie Of The Land". One of the farmers on there was saying how if animals weren't raised for meat they wouldn't exist, as they are very expensive to raise. I understand this, and as he said if everyone went vegetarian there wouldn't be the cows in the field etc because no one will keep them as pets. This isn't a nice thought.

But then I thought we have "rare breed farms" because farmers usually use modern breeds which are more economical, so the cows in the field probably aren't actually the older breeds which should be saved.
On the other hand, there are butchers who sell rare breeds meat because this means there's a demand for it, so the breed increases in numbers. If there wasn't a demand for the meat the rare breed may become rarer.

I hadn't really thought about this much before; I'm mainly veggie because we don't need to eat animals anymore so why do so. What are people's thoughts on this? Would animals really all disappear / what do you think about that scenario?

[Maisiepaisie]

Originally Posted by FoolOnTheHill

if everyone went vegetarian there wouldn't be the cows in the field etc because no one will keep them as pets. This isn't a nice thought.

Why is it not a nice thought? I wouldn't like to be a cow. For the majority their lives are a living hell from start to finish. Animals do not suffer, care or even have any knowledge of the fact if their species becomes extinct. Yes I too like to see beautiful cows in a field but I can never fully enjoy that idyllic image because its always in the back of my mind that someday soon they will experience unimaginable pain and suffering and death.

Animals that are traditionally eaten by humans have been selectively bred over many years for so long that the food animals we see today are very different from their wild ancestors. They are so different that they are no longer capable of surviving in the wild. If it wasn't for people eating meat these animals would still be wild and free but humans have changed all that. It breaks my heart to think of the suffering these animals go through and I would rather they didn't exist at all. I'm sure the animals feel the same way too.

I doubt its ever going to happen that everyone stops eating meat but hopefully the number of meateaters will become less and less and so will the number of animals born to die for their flesh.

[Flick]

Originally Posted by FoolOnTheHill

*Before I start, I am a vegetarian and I'm just wondering*

I don't know if any other UKers saw it, but I saw a bit of a program yesterday called "The Lie Of The Land". One of the farmers on there was saying how if animals weren't raised for meat they wouldn't exist, as they are very expensive to raise. I understand this, and as he said if everyone went vegetarian there wouldn't be the cows in the field etc because no one will keep them as pets. This isn't a nice thought.

But then I thought we have "rare breed farms" because farmers usually use modern breeds which are more economical, so the cows in the field probably aren't actually the older breeds which should be saved.
On the other hand, there are butchers who sell rare breeds meat because this means there's a demand for it, so the breed increases in numbers. If there wasn't a demand for the meat the rare breed may become rarer.

I hadn't really thought about this much before; I'm mainly veggie because we don't need to eat animals anymore so why do so. What are people's thoughts on this? Would animals really all disappear / what do you think about that scenario?

I always find it hilarius when omnivores use this argument. My dad uses it on me all the time, but it's funny how they either say one of two things, them being:

If we didn't eat them, they'd die out

and

If we stopped eating them, there would be an overpopulation of cows!

So which one is it? I think both arguments are a load of rubbish anyways. You of course want to know about animals dying out. I can tell you now that is a load of rubbish, it beats me how people find ways to come up with arguments like these, but here's my take on the matter:

Animals don't need us to survive. I'm not going to go into the whole we're in their world thing. Man only began killing and eating animals after they discovered fire. So what happened to all the pigs, cows, etc before that? Did they 'just die out' simply because we weren't breeding them? No they didn't. If they managed to survive long enough for us to begin eating them in the first place then obviously they didn't just 'die out'.

[JarBax]

The way I see it is that the cows aren't naturally in the fields anyway. They have been manufactured - from artificial insemination, with selective breeding to the nth degree, to birthwhere only select calves survive, while others are taken for veal, to calves being removed from their mothers so that we can take their milk, to keeping the lame, but good milkers alive - even though they are suffering - because they are still producing (ie. money making), to which beasts are taken to market to be sold on and finally when they are taken to slaughter. Nothing pleasant, natural or remotely idyllic about it.

I too would welcome the demise in the meat/dairy industry on the intensive, commercial scale it is now. Left alone, the fields would revert to nature - 'weeds' and silver birch would take hold first - then other species would begin to colonise the countryside - taking back a little of the land which has been taken away from them - through agricultural farming, hill sheep farming, housing and commercial developments and forestry etc, bringing back an environmental and ecological equilibrium, where a diverse variety of creatures, from insects to birds, and mammals would once again live - the true creatures of our countryside!

[PiggieMamaKelly]

I think there is some truth to the idea that some species might die out if we didn't breed them. But it's our fault to begin with. We've replaced natural animal habitats with shopping malls and parking lots. We've taken away their ability to make a home and live naturally.

[FoolOnTheHill]

I don't know why it's not a nice thought...just it's nice to see them, so unimportant really.
The points raised were interesting. I suppose when a person (like the farmer) has a view they can state it so it seems like the truth, but if you look behind that it doesn't really make sense. I need to think all this stuff through But never fear, I'm not going omnivorous anytime soon.

[Faunn]

if everyone went vegetarian there wouldn't be the cows in the field etc because no one will keep them as pets. This isn't a nice thought.

Why would no one what them as pets?! While I've been figuring out my future (I'm still in high school...) I always said I would own cows, horses, pigs, chickens...as pets! No eggs, no milk, no meat *bleach* just some cute little buddies of mine! :P
Of course people would keep them as pets, just not a lot of people. Besides, I bet theres quite a few wild cows that aren't raised and won't die out if who ever eats them stops, they'll just live better lives!