15 heifers and steers lost their hooves last summer while traveling in a hot cattle trailer destined for a Tyson Foods, Inc. slaughterhouse. As the trailer was unloaded, the animals hobbled out on hoofless stumps. All of the affected cattle had to be euthanized. The next day, two more cattle lost their hooves in transit and suffered the same fate.
All 17 animals had been fed Zilmax, a muscle-building feed additive meant to increase industry profits.
Scientists are not sure whether Zilmax causes hooves to break apart, but some theorize that the additive may compound nutritional disorders that occur in animals fed too much starch or sugar in a short amount of time. Heat may also contribute to the horrific effects these cattle suffered.
The meat industry is bulking up animals with drugs to maximize their profits with no regard for animal welfare. It is unacceptable to feed cattle drugs that may cause their hooves to disintegrate, and it can't be healthy for humans to eat meat from such cattle. Please sign the petition to ban Zilmax!
We, the undersigned, are concerned with the use of muscle-building feed additive Zilmax in agricultural applications. As you may know, 15 heifers and steers lost their hooves last summer while traveling in a hot cattle trailer destined for a Tyson Foods, Inc. slaughterhouse. As the trailer was unloaded, the animals hobbled out on hoofless stumps. All of the affected cattle had to be euthanized. The next day, two more cattle lost their hooves in transit and suffered the same fate. All 17 animals had been fed Zilmax.
While scientists are not sure whether Zilmax causes hooves to break apart, some theorize that the additive may compound nutritional disorders that occur in animals fed too much starch or sugar in a short amount of time. Heat may also contribute to the horrific effects these cattle suffered.
The meat industry is bulking up animals with drugs to maximize their profits with no regard for animal welfare. It is unacceptable to feed cattle drugs that may cause their hooves to disintegrate, and it can't be healthy for humans to eat meat from such cattle. We respectfully urge you to ban the use of Zilmax in agricultural applications. Thank you for taking the time to read and consider our petition.
