It probably doesn’t come as a surprise to you to hear that the majority of farmed animals are not treated well. Actually, that’s quite an understatement . . . they are treated awfully. Since National Farm Animals Awareness Week is September 16-23, I figured I would shed some light on what millions, even billions, of animals must endure every year. (And before anyone yells at me for being ignorant, notice I said the majority. I know smaller farms tend to treat their animals better, but this article is focused on factory farms where each animal is nothing but a number.)
Cows Cows can live to be around 20 years old, but not on factory farms. Cows are usually slaughtered at only a few years old, and the short life they live isn’t a pleasant one. Thousands of animals are crammed into buildings and fed a diet of corn, which their bodies can’t properly digest. They usually don’t get to go outside, and if they do, they have to wade through mud and manure. Many undercover videos have shown workers abusing the animals, especially on dairy farms. PETA offers videos [link to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKeE_SPSbio] to watch, and while PETA can be pretty extreme, they can’t make up what is seen in the video footage.
Pigs
Pigs are considered to be even smarter than dogs, so why the heck are they treated so badly? They have their tails chopped off without anesthesia or painkillers. Female pigs are kept in crates so small they can’t move. There isn’t even room for the piglets to nurse. As unbelievable as it sounds, I’ve actually seen videos of workers slamming baby pigs into the ground. If you’re brave enough, watch the video [link to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klkBd5Mu6c8] yourself. Warning: The video contains strong language, but compared to the images, it’s nothing.
Chickens
I’d argue that chickens almost have it the worst — they are so crammed into buildings and cages. They are fed so much that many times they can’t even stand; their legs can’t support their weight and they break. If we back up to chicks, though, here is the worst part: since male chicks are seen as useless because they can’t lay eggs, they are tossed aside and sometimes sent through a grinder (while still alive) or suffocated in big garbage bags. Here’s yet another video [link to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_JEMuTLYPU].
Props to you if you can make it through any of these videos.
I hope that this article makes you at least think about your food choices. Just because it’s the “norm” to eat meat every single day doesn’t mean you have to. If becoming vegetarian is too big of a step for you, you can still make a difference by buying locally.
I will leave you with happy images of these animals who are just as deserving of love and care as dogs and cats and hopefully some things to think about. :)