The Dark Secret Of Massive Dairy Farms, In One Photo

Clarification: Some readers have pointed out that this picture is not of a veal farm, which is true. The crates hold newborn cows, some of whom may go on to be raised as veal.

The image is almost surreal - row after row of little huts stretching toward the horizon - and few people are acquainted with the harsh reality of it.

These structures are where baby cows - taken from their mothers and usually destined for slaughter - are packed together in eerie fields.

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"Like all mammals, dairy cows must be impregnated in order to produce milk," Farm Sanctuary writes on its website. "Cows in the dairy industry spend their lives in a constant cycle of impregnation, birth, and milking with just a few short months of rest between pregnancies."

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Because the industry has little use for male cows, the boys mother cows birth are killed to become veal.

It's not much of a life for these baby animals - smart and sensitive beings who can form friendships and remember the past.

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