Operation Dean Foods

Dairy cows at the McArthur Dairy spend ten months out of the year within the milking barns. They are only released into the outside fields during the birthing phases. Immediately after, they are returned into the holding barns. When they are moved from holding areas to milking stations, they are beaten and screamed at in a chaotic fashion three times a day.

The holding areas have an inadequate number of stalls and bedding for the cows to rest outside of milking periods. Several of the barns contained 15 or more cows than there were available beds and feeding stations. Cows who missed out, and due to exhaustion, were given no choice but to lay in up to 3 inches of excrement covered concrete floors. Alternatively, the cows would stand up for the entire night.

Due to overcrowding and poor ventilation, investigators documented ongoing issues of the animals overheating. Many would show severe signs of distress and open mouth breathing.

Cows are tormented and beaten with PVC pipes and homemade ‘shank’ type instruments, in order to navigate the distressed animals into the headlocks and milking parlors. This included excessive force in the regions of their faces, backs, udders and genitals.

Flame torches are used as an accelerated method to burn all of the hair off of the udders of the cows, prior to milking. This barbaric form caused extreme pain, fear and discomfort upon the animals who, restrained in headlocks, are unable to escape the severe pain. On one instance, large flames from the torch was projected at several of the cows faces in order to have them move from a particular location. Creating panic, several cows fell to the ground.

‘Downer cows’, who were too sick or weak to move, were on multiple occasions injected with an unknown substance. They were then cattle prodded until they collapsed. Undercover operatives later stated that they were informed the substance sped up the animals heart rate. These which was explained to undercover investigators, sped up the heart rate of the cow. On other occasions the sick or weak cows were shot in the head utilizing a rifle. Cows were also taunted with electrical prodders as they were dying.

‘Downer’ cows, who had collapsed in the medical barn or their holding areas, were picked up with front loader machines or by utilizing hip clamps. During the investigation, employees were documented as using hip clamps, that are only recommended to serve the purpose of being used for a few minutes, and were used to dragging cows over long distances. Additionally, employees and supervisors would also electrically prod cows that were unable to walk unassisted.

At the McArthur Dairy birthing barn, pregnant cows close to term, have their calves pulled out by a mechanical extraction device before the cow is fully dilated. During this process, employees were also observed utilizing an electric prodder on the cows attempting to give birth. This was done under the direction of manager.