Farm animal Rights
Farm animals have been suffering for decades on factory farms. Although the world is infatuated with chicken nuggets and hamburgers, it is unethical to raise animals in these conditions. Factory farms exploit animals by raising them in unsanitary conditions, and policy reform for farm animal rights is sorely needed.
Overview of factory farming
Millions of farm animals are raised in horrifying factory farm conditions annually. These animals include chickens, pigs, cattle, turkeys, and other aquaculture animals.
Chickens are the most raised animal on factory farms. Over 9 billion chickens are slaughtered for meat in the United States annually. In addition to these 9 billion broiler chickens, 300 million are raised for egg-laying. Broiler chickens are raised in large sheds, typically full of 20,000 chickens each, where the chickens are exposed to dangerous levels of ammonia due to unsanitary living conditions.
Laying chickens are not treated much better. Laying hens are crowded in small, windowless wire cages. It is common practice to remove part of a hen’s beak to prevent them from pecking each other to death due to overcrowding (source).
The United States processed roughly 120 million pigs annually (source). These pigs are kept in pens without access to sunlight or fresh air. Similarly, with chickens, these industrial pigpens become filled with dangerous levels of ammonia, which causes health issues within the pigs.
Roughly 39 million cattle are slaughtered in the United States annually (source). Meat cows are raised out in a pasture until roughly six months – to 1-year-old, where they are sent to commercial feedlots. Commercial feedlots will deprive the cattle of grass and force them to reach butcher weight on grain alone.
Turkeys are raised in similar pens as chickens, and over 240 million are processed annually (source). Turkeys suffer from the same health concerns and poor living conditions as chickens.
farm animal rights, policies, and protections
On a federal level, farm animal protections are lacking. The Humane Methods of Slaughter Act provides protections for all animals in USDA-inspected slaughterhouses. This Act does not encompass poultry or rabbits, and they are in dire need of policy reform.
The Twenty-Eight Hour Law is governed by the USDA and requires animals to be unloaded from trucks, and given access to food, water, and rest once every 28 hours. The animals must be provided with rest for a minimum of 5 hours during this rest period.
New farm animal rights policies
The Farm System Reform Act was reintroduced in 2021 by Senator Cory Booker and Representative Ro Khanna (source). Unfortunately, this act was introduced in both 2019 and 2020 with limited success.
The Farm System Reform Act intends to stop reliance on factory farms by phasing out commercial feeding operations and strengthening protections for family farms. The Farm System Reform Act would also require meat to be labeled with its country of origin for beef, pork, and dairy products.
What is Restorative Farming?
Industrial farming has killed biodiversity within the Midwest. Farming practices where fence rows are pushed out to maximize crop space have caused a significant decrease in wild animal populations. Restorative farming intends to reverse some of the effects of industrial farming through easy-to-follow farming principles.
Farmers can follow restorative farming principles by not tilling the soil. Rather, cover crops may be planted, which will naturally restore necessary nutrients to the soil. This also decreases topsoil erosion and soil runoff.
Farmers should also plant a diverse crop rotation to give the soil a chance to “rest” in between crop types and follow rotational grazing. Rotational grazing for farm animals moves them between pastures to allow time for the pasture to re-grow. This is greatly beneficial for farm animals as it prevents manure build-up and reduces the need for antibiotics.
How can I help farm animals?
One of the best ways that you can help farm animal rights is to report any witnessed abuse. If the abuse is occurring at your place of employment, this may be a difficult decision for you. However, several anonymous hotlines exist where you can report the abuse to:
- PETA’s National Hotline – 757-622-7382
- Mercy for Animals – Dial Option 4 to Report Farm Animal Abuse – 866-632-6446
- Animal Outlook – 800-65-FARM
If you feel comfortable directly reporting the abuse to law enforcement, you should compile as much proof of the abuse as possible. You will have to fill out a police report and cooperate with the police over the course of their investigation.
Other actions you could take include writing your elected official to advocate for policy changes. Elected officials work for the people, and your voice matters. Sending a written letter is a great way to showcase why your current state needs stronger farm animal rights.
If you have the means and opportunity, you may also organize a protest or rally. Staging a peaceful protest by a local farm animal abuser is a great way to get the media’s attention. Check into local laws for details on which permits, if any, you will need to conduct a lawful protest.
Conclusion
Although farm animals are mistreated daily by factory farms, there are ways you could help. Encourage your friends and family to be proactive in the fight for farm animal rights. You could help by limiting the amount of meat you purchase from factory farms and supporting local family farms instead.
There are companies like Because, Animals, that are doing a great job supporting the vegan animal welfare community. Go vegan for the animals, the planet, and your health!
