Dairy Cows Slaughtered for Meat

I recently read an article regarding hundreds of thousands of dairy cows across the U.S. who have been taken out of milk production and slaughtered for their meat.  

Milk prices have taken such a dive as a result of the economy that producers can no longer afford to keep their herds. Prices for milk are about half what it costs a farmer to produce it. Dairy cow slaughter is up 30% while beef cow slaughter is down 14%. 

What does this mean to the consumer?  

A dairy cow is typically kept in production for 5-6 years, while a beef cow is typically slaughtered at 1.5-2 years. So the dairy cow gets far more antibiotics, growth hormones, and the like over the course of its life. rBGH (a hormone given to dairy cows to increase milk production) has been linked to cancer in humans.

Also consider this, beef cows usually spend the first year or so of life in a pasture before going to a CAFO (concentrated animal feeding operation) for the last 6 months to "beef" up. Conventional dairy cows may never step foot on a pasture, spending their whole lives in a CAFO. Because these facilities are known for spreading disease, the cows are given more antibiotics to fend off potential problems. Infectious disease experts believe the overuse of antibiotics in cows (beef or dairy) contributes to antibiotic resistance in humans.

"So," you ask, "what are we to do?"

Steer (no pun intended) clear of McDonald's and other fast food chains for awhile and buy locally raised, organic beef.