Laura at 5 weeks (left) with a friend

A while ago, I told you the story of Laura, a surviving twin heifer. Here she is today, about five weeks old, after her breakfast. When I came in for my own breakfast a little while later, I found this story about Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg’s mission to eat only what he kills. I can see the merit in his argument but could never follow his lead.

I’m certainly not one of those people who can rear a steer called “Chops” and happily call the mobile butcher. Nor am I alone in being one of those people who likes to eat meat but doesn’t want to think about where it comes from. Maybe that makes me a hypocrite, yet it shows the strength of our bond with the animals around us and, as their custodians, that’s surely anything but shameful.