E6 Hammered Dairy Calves - Butchered Cows - Who's Responsible?

By now everyone has seen the gruesome footage of dairy calves being bludgeoned with hammers and pick axes at the E6 Cattle Company in Texas.


Here is the full release from Mercy for Animals for those who haven't...

The "owner" claims that now all employees have been trained in "proper" animal care in accordance with what the dairy industry recommends: Gun Shot, Captive Bolt, Barbituate Overdose, Throat Slitting, or Electrocution.  Yeah... That's "humane dairy" for ya...
 
Now in this interview Trent Loos says that the footage is "tough for anybody, even in agriculture to watch".  Loos also insinuates that the employees were coerced to use blunt force rather than the rifle to kill these calves...  The question was put (at 2:20): "Did you know anyone was using a hammer to perform euthanasia on these animals?"  Owner Kirt Espenson says "I did not. They had a rifle". And then the interview get's kind of splicy sounding... Hummm

And here from Pro News7 in Amarillo "He acknowledges his employees did not have adequate training. He credits that because he had a lot of employees quit and he was accepting basically anyone who was willing to work.
Espenson also told Pronews 7 that all his employees were given a .22 rifle but they, instead, chose to kill the calves in the malicious manners shown in the video.

Additionally, Espenson felt that the undercover worker from Mercy For Animals had some type of influence on the employees."

But doesn't the second video footage above (at l:10) show that Espenson was asked "So the hammer's okay if we don't find the rifle"?  And Epsenson responds that it is.  He just walks away unconcerned and detached from the process about to occur.  Still, he wants to "accept full responsibility" for his employees that were "poorly trained" and who had a lack of knowledge of the proper procedure.  

Doesn't that remind you of the Conklin Dairy owner caught on video shoving a downed cow yet saying the violations were just in hands of one rouge employee and encouraged by the undercover investigator?  Doesn't animal ag usually claim "alleged abuses" and "doctored footage"... It's always the undercover agent or the employees it seems.  Yet these are the favored labor force! Usually (illegal) immigrants that are so desperate they are willing to do the unthinkable just for a greenback and a chance to stay in the U.S.  Dairies depend on these people so much that they even want to give them licenses even if they are here in the U.S. illegally.  That's why dairies, all of animal ag and slaughterhouses hire these individuals.  Because they will do the work that needs to be done if people insist on having  milk/eggs and meat.  That means if you buy these "cheap" products YOU are responsible too!

These calves never got to feel the warmth of their mothers, never got to nurse or be nuzzled... Never got to experience the specialness that all babies deserve - Instead they were assaulted, battered and murdered in the most horrific way imaginable. Killing calves, killing cows, no matter what methods are used is barbaric.

That said, these poor calves are now in peace and released from the clutches of butchering men. What kind of society pays people to do this??? Whether it's throat slitting, electrocution, a gun or a bat - Who needs cow's milk this badly??? Please - whatever empathy you have for these innocent ones - Wean yourself!