Veal vs. Meat

[Volenta]

I think people are having a more emotional response towards younger animals because they look cute. But younger animals also did not have yet given the change to reproduce, so from an evolutionary standpoint it is better to save a younger animal than an old one. This emotional feelings towards beings with reproductive value seems something that is ingrained in us at least in the human context, but it may well be that we lengthen this towards other animals as well.

Objectively speaking I think that it is worse to kill an animal whose brain is fully developed than an animal that hasn't. I am aware though that human brain development is a longer process than it is in other animals, so I'm not sure how much of a difference it makes between young and adult animals. Better cognitive capabilities are important on the killing question because of their interests in living, but the bigger problem is the suffering of the animals. My guess is that the young animals also have a very well developed diencephalon—the region in the brain responsible for impulses, feelings and emotions—because it is the most essential part for surviving. Maybe someone here knows more about animal brains than I do, but in that regard it doesn't seem to matter that much. I do think that eating meat of older animals is worse since they suffered for a longer period and that seems to be the most crucial thing here.

But you could still argue that calves are put on an iron-deficient diet, causing more suffering. And that most 'adult' cows are also only around 5 years old when they go to the slaughterhouse. You have to measure how much extra suffering the iron-deficient diet (and maybe other factors that only calves have to deal with) causes to really answer the question which one is worse.

[Steve]

Somebody correct me if I am wrong but don't a lot of cows grow up on a ranch where they get free roam of larger areas and live a fairly normal life. And then sold at auction where they are mostly purchased by factory farms that keep them in confined areas where they are corn finished until slaughter. Veal I expect do not get the benefit of roaming ranch lands at any point. Quality and time of life matter, anybody who says otherwise is a liar.

[Twizelby]

Somebody correct me if I am wrong but don't a lot of cows grow up on a ranch where they get free roam of larger areas and live a fairly normal life. And then sold at auction where they are mostly purchased by factory farms that keep them in confined areas where they are corn finished until slaughter. Veal I expect do not get the benefit of roaming ranch lands at any point. Quality and time of life matter, anybody who says otherwise is a liar.

It's true but what does that have to do with anything? 1st death isn't cruel? 2nd veal is a product of the entire system so any purchase of cow products supports different areas of production.