Bake with Compassion Week. 23rd October - 31st October

It is almost the end of National Baking Week in the UK, and while the campaign has hopefully brought families and friends close, spare a thought for the millions of chickens and dairy cows providing for the bake-a-thon.

Hens are crammed into tiny cages or packed into barns, never seeing the light of day. Their natural behaviour is heavily restricted, they cannot stretch their wings, move freely around, forage or dust bathe. As a result, many hens turn to feather plucking and self-mutilation, they can also suffer from osteoporosis.

Dairy cows generally do not get to graze outdoors, though some farmers do allow their cows’ access to the outdoors during the summer months. Dairy cows are forced to have a calf once a year; usually the cow is inseminated about 3 months after she gives birth to a calf. Sadly, the cow does not get to keep her calf by her side as her milk is reserved for consumers. As dairy cows produce almost 6 times their natural amount of milk (naturally 4 litres will be produced for a calf, in the industry European cows produce about 22 litres, or 30 in the US a day). Dairy cows are susceptible to lameness, mastitis and infertility. The mothers also have to deal with the fact that their baby is taken away from them shortly after they have given birth. For a social animal such as a cow, this can be very stressful.

That’s why Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) has launched its very own Bake with Compassion, 23rd October – 31st October. Compassionate bakers are baking delicious cakes and desserts with either free range ingredients or vegan. CIWF has provided plenty of events and recipes to help kick start compassionate baking.

By taking part in Bake with Compassion, and raising funds, either by being sponsored or raffling off the compassionate cake creations, you will also be raising awareness of the plight of the humble hen and cow.

Note: Although most of the recipes have butter or milk added to them, they do call for organic butter, which means that the cows have been allowed to graze outside, in small herds. They also have more comfortable bedding. However, vegan butter or simply dairy free olive oil butter is also just as tasty in recipes too.