'It would be kinder to shoot them': Ireland's calves set for live export

An unwelcome byproduct of a booming industry, male dairy calves can endure a short and brutal existenceIt would be "kinder to shoot" the hundreds of thousands of unwanted male dairy calves due to be born in Ireland this year, rather than export them to the Middle East or let them die on the farm, experts have told the Guardian.Irish farmers have hit a streak of gold on dairy exports, and as a result the industry has rapidly expanded, with the national dairy herd rising from about 1m in 2010 to 1.6m this year. Continue reading...