Cows exploited for their milk, such as the ones used to make Cabot cheese, are almost always born with tissue that will develop into horns. But because farmers are afraid to work with horned cattle, they use searing-hot irons or caustic chemicals to destroy calves' sensitive horn tissue. On older cows, workers cut off already developed horns using knives or other sharp tools or gouge the horns out with a spoon-like device—often without using any painkillers whatsoever.
Cows exploited for their milk, such as the ones used to make Cabot cheese, are almost always born with tissue that will develop into horns. But because farmers are afraid to work with horned cattle, they use searing-hot irons or caustic chemicals to destroy calves' sensitive horn tissue. On older cows, workers cut off already developed horns using knives or other sharp tools or gouge the horns out with a spoon-like device—often without using any painkillers whatsoever.
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