well said Idra...I agree.
plus it also implies an extremely anthromorphic arrogance that the animals do not KNOW that they will be killed.
Many non-humans have more developped senses than humans, and herbivores for example can smell a carnivore (as a defense mechanism) so wouldn't it be logical to assume that the cow can smell that the humans who "take care" of her eat cow? They can smell the dead flesh IN them. And before anyone scoffs at that, vegetarians do smell differently and vegans even more differently than meat-eaters...if I can (with my limited human senses and after only 5 years as a Vegan) smell meat-eaters, how is it odd to believe that herbivores could not do the same?

Just because the cow does not appear to begrudge them for it, does not mean that she doesn't know what they are planning to do.

Cows have been often misinterpreted as stupid animals because they are so peaceful. For example in the movie Fast Food Nation, Avril Lavigne plays a stupid student who decides to free cows from a feedlot to save them from slaughter (of course showing AR activists as complete idiots) as all her friends are amazed that the cows do not escape when the gate is openned, her big line is "cows are stupid animals" or something to that effect...but who is stupid really? where would a herd of cattle go?

where could they hide? it's the same reason why elephants in travelling circuses do not escape...(unless really pushed to madness) are they really stupid? or do they just know that there is no point in escaping?

people pay a huge amount of money to learn Zen meditation and philosophy and yet mock cows for their stupidity...cows are Zen, and much more intelligent that we believe...your friend's cows KNOW that they will be killed, but they don't focus on it, because what's the point...if a nuclear missile is heading your way, and you are locked into a house and have no way of getting out, why freak out? Why not just enjoy a game of scrabble with me until the missile hits? that's Zen. :-)

and your friend's cows are kind and forgiving and hopeful people so they hope that the humans will not kill them...but when the humans do, regardless whether they hired another person to do it or not, the cows KNOW who is responsible and who is guilty of the betrayal.

and ultimately in this world or the next your friends will have to answer for their evil deeds...if not to a God or a judging force or in reincarnation, then at least to the souls of "their" cows.

Yeah. You know, once those cattle/pigs/goats, whatever, are hauled off to be slaughtered, the small farmer can say, well, they had a good life. But still, I don't believe that dying in the atmosphere of a slaughterhouse is an ok way to go. I also don't believe that slaughterhouse cruelty happens only in the larger packing plants, and I don't believe that people who kill for a living can be trusted to really care about minimizing the suffering of their victims. My sister raises happy cows. Then she turns her back on them while they get slaughtered. ...shudder...

of course it's better. i'd opt for a field to a cubic meter any day. ;)