Goat milk is often viewed
as an ethical alternative to cow's milk.
However, footage taken at a farm
belonging to the most prominent goat milk company in the UK,
St Helen's, shows a very different reality
to the one given to us by goat farmers.
- Our happy goats provide us with great tasting milk.
The footage, sent to Surge by investigators,
showcases the reality of what is happening to goats
every single day.
Like dairy cows and humans,
goats first need to become pregnant
in order to produce milk.
However, when the goat has given birth,
the farmers will separate the new born kids
from their mothers, so that the mother's milk
can be taken for human consumption.
This separation,
in the exact same way as in the cow milk industry,
causes the mothers and kids
emotional and psychological distress.
The kids then have their ears tagged,
often being held up by their necks.
(goats screaming)
The kids that don't then leave the chute
are either picked up and thrown out
or have their tails twisted,
causing them to scream in pain
until they comply with the farmers.
In the UK it is estimated that around 50,000 dairy goat kids
are slaughtered annually at a young age.
The majority of these being male,
as they will be of no use to the goat milk industry.
The other males who will not be slaughtered
will be raised for meat.
Tail twisting, physical aggression, and rough handling
was documented as being standard practice on this goat farm.
With farmers regularly holding the goats by their necks
or twisting their tails until they cry out in pain,
throwing them around, and even hitting them.
Farmers were also documented
pulling the goats by their ears,
(goat screaming)
forcing them onto a conveyor belt,
or slamming them down on their backs.
Once on the conveyor belt,
the goats have their hooves trimmed,
a procedure that takes place
because the goats are farmed indoors their whole lives.
Meaning the hooves do not wear down naturally,
as they would for goats who live in the wild.
Due to the fast-paced and careless handling,
goats were frequently hurt by the procedure
and cried out in pain.
(goats screaming)
Some goats were also seen struggling to stand
after they had been removed from the conveyor belt.
Lameness and physical discomfort
was also documented on the farm,
with goats struggling to stand or walk.
As is standard on animal farms,
dead and dying animals could be seen lying around the farm.
In this clip, a farmer picks up a couple of dead kids
and throws them over a metal gate onto another dead goat,
creating a heap of dead bodies.
The footage also shows a worker restraining several goats,
holding them down so they are unable to get away,
as another person then appears to inject them
with a chemical euthanasia.
Their bodies going limp as they died.
They then appear to poke their eyes
to make sure they are dead,
before then dragging their bodies by the legs.
It is also worth stating again
that St Helen's is the most prominent
and well-known goat milk company in the UK
and their products are stocked in major supermarkets.
They're regarded as being the best of the best
when it comes to goat farming.
But as you can see from this footage,
that means nothing for the animals.
Goats are sensitive, curious, and gentle animals,
however, the animal farming industries
treat them as commodities that they can exploit for profit.
These sentient, feeling beings are reduced to milk machines,
whose worth is solely dependent
on how much money they can make for the farmer.
St Helen's claim on their website that the milk is a reward
for looking after the goats.
- Milk is a reward for looking after the goats.
And that their staff have a genuine interest and love
of the animals' character,
which they claim is evident in their attitude
and relationship with the goats.
But it is obvious that the opposite is true.
These goats are exploited and beaten,
their milk taken from them at the consequence
of separating them from their families
and causing them physical and emotional pain.
They are thrown around, dragged,
and when they are no longer producing enough milk
to be considered profitable they're killed,
either on the farm or in a slaughterhouse.
However, we have the power to make this suffering end.
So please, choose the plant-based alternative instead
and live vegan.