Poll: More Than 80% of U.S. Moms Have Breastfed, Yet Most Women Don’t Know Cows Need to Give Birth to Produce Milk

For Immediate Release:
September 17, 2026

Contact:
Hannah Nelson 202-483-7382

More than 80% of mothers in the U.S. have breastfed their babies¹, yet a new PETA survey suggests that the majority of U.S. women (77%) don’t realize that in order to produce milk, dairy cows need to give birth. The survey of more than 2,000 U.S. adults, conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of PETA, also found that 73% of men in the U.S. don’t know that cows, like all female mammals, must give birth in order to produce milk. To add to that, 85% of Americans have no idea that calves in the dairy industry are permanently removed from their mothers—often within hours after birth—and bottle fed a milk replacer so the milk intended for them can be sold for human consumption as pizza topping, ice cream, and yogurt instead.

The disconnect spans education levels, too. After nearly 80 years of relentless dairy marketing—from classroom lessons promoting milk consumption to celebrity “Got Milk?” milk mustache ads—68% of college graduates don’t know that only cows who have given birth make milk, compared to 81% of those with a high school diploma or less.

“Every mother, cow or human, wants to nurture and protect her baby—and once people learn that the dairy industry tears calves away from their mothers, many happily switch to delicious plant milk, vegan cheese, and non-dairy yogurt instead,” says PETA President and mother Tracy Reiman.

After birth, calves are typically separated from their mothers within hours. Mother cows in the dairy industry have been known to frantically chase after the trucks hauling their calves away and cry out in grief for days after their babies are taken from them.

Americans are catching on to the health benefits of plant milks, with nearly half (47%) saying health and digestion benefits would likely encourage them to choose oat, soy, almond, hemp, or another plant milk instead. Plant-based milks are naturally cholesterol-, lactose-, and antibiotic-free and can help reduce inflammation and support healthy weight management.

In addition to sparing nearly 200 animals every year², each person who goes vegan slashes their risk of cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and obesity³. PETA’s free vegan starter kit is filled with tips to help anyone looking to make the switch.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat or abuse in any other way”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.

Survey Method:

This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of PETA from July 23–24, 2026, among 2,007 adults ages 18 and older. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within +/- 2.7 percentage points using a 95% confidence level.

For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact PETA at 757-622-7382 or [email protected].