What irony can be found in the "cradle" in the novel, Under the Skin?

The cradle, a piece of equipment, is ironically called the cradle, but it does not symbolize the comfort and security that the image of a baby’s cradle brings to mind. It is instead a symbol of torture. The cradle is where the vodsels that Isserley brings back to the farm are put to have their tongues amputated and their testicles removed. It is to this same piece of machinery that the vodsels are strapped when they are slaughtered.