1. Farmed Animals & The Law
2. Canada's "Animal Factories"
3. Citizen Opposition to CAFOs
4. The Meaning(lessness?) of Egg Labels
5. Australian Egg & Chicken Production
6. Communicating Chickens; Burger King's Porn-Like Web Site
7. The Production, Life and Death of Chickens
8. What's Really Happening on the Farms & in the Slaughterplants?
9. Editorial Note
1. FARMED ANIMALS & THE LAW
Stressed animals can undergo physiological changes, resulting in meat from
them appearing bruised ("dark cutters") and lowering its value.
Slaughter reforms have improved conditions for animals and provided economic
benefits to industry. A recent government report found that problems continue
with enforcement of the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act (see item #2:
http://tinyurl.com/2s6rz
). A spokesperson for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)
contends that slaughterplant audits have only eliminated "the very worst
of the abuses." Birds are not covered by the law, and PETA and others
contend that many of the billions of birds slaughtered every year are scalded
while still conscious (see also (PDF file):
http://tinyurl.com/3fpmv
). Renowned authority Temple Grandin (
http://www.Grandin.com
) says the chicken industry is improving. For example, standards call for 98%
of birds to be effectively stunned prior to having their throats cut. The
standards, however, are voluntary. [Additionally, 8,684,434,000 chickens were
slaughtered in the U.S. in 2003:
http://tinyurl.com/222e5
The 98% rate translates into 173,688,680 chickens being ineffectively
stunned.]
Philosopher Tom Regan, in an article about animal rights in general, explains
that farmed animals are essentially excluded from the protections of the
Animal Welfare Act, with industry instead deciding the rules for their
treatment. [There are no federal laws addressing the treatment of animals on
farms, and they are often excluded from state and local anti-cruelty statutes.
See:
http://tinyurl.com/ysgr9 ] Regan
contends that if the public knew the truth, many more people would be animal
rights advocates because they would realize that (1) they have been lied to
about animal protection, and (2) animals are in fact being grossly abused. The
April 4th Chicago Tribune also featured a front page article about Regan
("Animal Rights Without the Bite":
http://tinyurl.com/35tue
) and an interview with him ("Minimizing the Bad That's Done to
Animals":
http://tinyurl.com/yvpvp
).
2. CANADA'S "ANIMAL FACTORIES"
"They're big. They're often noisy. And they can really stink. A smell
that will rot your socks. A smell that comes from the mountains of dung
produced in animal factories that can poison the air you breathe and water you
drink. Welcome to the world of modern intensive livestock farming...." So
begins Colin Perkel's Canadian Press article, "Animal Factories." An
estimated 650 million animals are raised in intensive confinement systems in
Canada each year. Beaks, tails, horns and teeth are routinely amputated or
ground down, and male animals are castrated, without anesthetics. "It's
known that these procedures cause pain," ethologist Ian Duncan of the
University of Guelph said, "If you were to do those things to a dog or
cat, you would be prosecuted." While the intensification of agriculture
began about a half-century ago, immense "factory farms" have only
been around for about 25 years. "The general public don't know what's
going on," says Duncan, "If they knew, they would object."
These operations produce an estimated 181 million tons of manure annually. The
article discusses the problems it presents and gives a brief explanation of
life for the various farmed animal species.
3. CITIZEN OPPOSITION TO CAFOS
The Chicago Tribune featured an extensive cover article on the fight against
intensive animal agriculture at the grassroots level. Last year, a government
report found that loopholes in federal regulations and inconsistent
enforcement leave some 60% of the largest confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs)
unregulated. While CAFOs are being hotly debated in legislatures across the
country, citizens finding themselves unempowered through federal and state
government routes are increasingly turning to private litigation. Their
increasing success is partially due to recent scientific studies showing that
CAFOs can cause health problems and reduce property values. CAFO defenders
argue that making them bigger is the only way to survive cutthroat global
competition. Many state legislatures have passed Right to Farm laws, severely
restricting citizens ability to file lawsuits. A pig industry spokesperson
warns that increasing litigation against CAFOs may accelerate consolidation.
The changing structure of U.S. agriculture -"the collision of social and
economic forces"- is considered. Examples from various states are given,
with particular attention to Illinois's Precision Pork.
4. THE MEANING(LESSNESS?) OF EGG LABELS
"Specialty" or "designer" eggs: cage-free, enriched,
free-range, free-roaming, free-farmed, organic, vegetarian. In the past few
years, they've gone from near zero to some 5% of the 74.5 billion eggs
consumed annually in the U.S. But what do these egg labels actually mean?
"The New Egg" attempts to explain them, and gives a little
information about some of the major West Coast suppliers. Among other USDA
requirements, hens who lay organic eggs are to have access to the outdoors but
"may be temporarily confined....for reasons of health, safety, the
animal's stage of production or to protect soil or water quality." This
clause effectively negates the outdoor access requirement notes "Into the
Frying Pan," the cover story of the mid-April Style Weekly. "Free
range" and "free roaming" merely mean that birds are uncaged,
explains Michael Appleby of The Humane Society of the U.S., with no guarantee
that they get to go outside (see:
http://tinyurl.com/2shus
). Industry arguments as to why indoor production is better are explained.
With a focus on Virginia egg production, the Style article briefly explains
what life is like for the 9 billion chickens killed in the U.S. every year,
8.7 billion of whom are raised for meat, the others for egg production.
Disease control was given as the reason for denying reporter Laura LaFay, and
everyone else, a tour of Glynwood Farms. Some 17,000 of the company's 400,000
hens are used for organic egg production, supplying Horizon Organic (see #6:
http://tinyurl.com/o35j
), Eggland's Best (
http://tinyurl.com/yrcwy
), and Safeway. The manager tells why their hens are not being given outdoor
access, claiming that animal rights activists don't understand chickens.
LaFay visits Pampatike Farm, where "chickens spend their days wandering
around 117 acres of pasture and woodland" with small open houses for
nesting. The hens live10-15 year lives there until they die of old age. This
is in contrast to the two years of age at which the Glynwood hens are
considered "spent" and are slaughtered. LaFay also relates her visit
to a farm that follows the "pastured poultry" concept originated by
Joel Salatin (see 4:
http://tinyurl.com/2aplf
and D, E, & G of:
http://tinyurl.com/3yxv6
). Hens are hauled around a pasture in an "eggmobile," eating
[insect larvae] out of cattle manure. Explaining his philosophy on food
production, Salatin states: "When we take an irreverent attitude towards
those who can't speak for themselves, it's an incredible abrogation of our
responsibility to nurture and steward and husband creation on the part of
humanity."
5. AUSTRALIAN EGG & CHICKEN PRODUCTION
Production systems for the 9.4 million eggs laid daily in Australia are
examined, including cage, uncaged ("barn-laid"), and free range
systems. The article compares hen productivity, longevity, health and
management. Pace Farm, which provides nearly a third of Australia's eggs, is
said to have "totally co-opted [chickens] to the job of producing
food." Operations at its Wattle Ridge site, the largest battery cage
facility in the southern hemisphere and one of the world's most modern, are
described in detail. When completed, it will house 720,000 hens. The
half-million birds currently there are debeaked but able to stand up, flap
their wings, and move around. Antibiotics are said to not be needed.
Clarendon Farm's 4,500 free-range organic hens are not debeaked and receive no
antibiotics, drugs or synthetic feed additives. They're kept in groups of
about 1,000 in portable sheds which are towed around a pasture.
Terrace barn-laid egg farm is a composite of the two. Twelve sheds each house
7,000 uncaged hens. Every bird has a nest box and perch, and they can move
around and dustbathe. It's the type of production favored by the RSPCA. To use
the RSPCA's name on its product labels, facilities are expected to adhere to
the "Five Freedoms," namely, freedom from: pain and injury, fear and
distress, hunger and thirst, discomfort, and freedom to express normal
behavior. Terrace is inspected about 8 times a year by poultry welfare
auditors. The RSPCA endorses 35 barn-laid and 1 free range operations. Recent
fighting over whether improved cage production should be considered acceptable
has caused a major internal split in the organization, which receives a 2 cent
royalty on every RSPCA-approved egg. Of Australia's egg market, over 75% is
caged production, 12% is free range, and 6.5% is uncaged. See also: "Pace
Farm Mega Battery" and "RSPCA Consumer Fraud Exposed" at
http://www.alv.org.au
and (PDF): "Laid Bare: the Case Against Enriched Cages in Europe"
at:
http://www.ciwf.co.uk/Pubs/Reports/Enriched_Cages_report_2002.pdf
"Free as a Bird," The Sydney Morning Herald, James Woodford, March
23, 2004.
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/03/22/1079939578155.html
"But the RSPCA Jury Is Divided," The Sydney Morning Herald, James
Woodford, March 23, 2004.
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/03/22/1079939578346.html
"Helter Shelter," The Sydney Morning Herald, James Woodford, March
22, 2004.
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/03/21/1079823236109.html
6. COMMUNICATING CHICKENS; BURGER KING'S PORN-LIKE WEBSITE
In the complex world of chickens, it's not looks so much as honesty, bravery
and good communication that count. Studying chickens in laboratories,
scientists determined that hens chose roosters based on the size of their
comb. However, after three years of observing chickens in a more natural
setting, Karen Bailey, of Australia's MacQuarie University, found that rather
than looks it is honesty and bravery that hens find attractive. Among
the more than 20 distinctive chicken vocalizations researchers have identified
is one made by roosters to let hens know he has found food. Some will make the
call without food just to attract the hens. But hens can learn to recognize
the deceitful roosters and clearly prefer honest ones. Scientists also thought
roosters' alarm call made to warn others chickens of an aerial predator was
mere reflex. But the MacQuarie researchers found that roosters remained quiet
unless there was a hen nearby. Contrasting with the piercing ground alarm
call, a much quieter sound was made, enabling the rooster to minimize risk to
himself while still warning his companions. Hens seem to notice and prefer
roosters who risk making aerial alarm calls. They were in fact found to be the
strongest indicator of mating success. Video footage and a full interview
transcript is included on source site (below). Additional information,
including video clips, on the study of cognition and function in avian
communication can be found at:
http://galliform.bhs.mq.edu.au
Burger King has set up a "Subservient Chicken" web site. Ad Age
comments that the site is reminiscent of pornography sites, explaining:
"The setting for the subservient chicken is an ordinary-looking
apartment, shot in a grainy style reminiscent of Webcams for voyeur and porn
Web sites. The chicken, dressed in nothing but a garter belt, awaits commands,
which users can type in a field under the chicken." Burger King claimed
the site, launched April 8th, had more than 46 million hits within the week.
The site is part of Burger King's attempt to rev up flaccid sales. See also
"The Pornography of Meat", etc:
http://tinyurl.com/25pm3
7. THE PRODUCTION, LIFE AND DEATH OF CHICKENS
Compassion Over Killing has released a 12-minute video, entitled "45
Days: The Life and Death of a Broiler Chicken," which features footage
from hatching through production to slaughter and packaging. The animal rights
organization also has a new website on the industry, with photos, video clips,
and a referenced report examines breeding, confinement, transport, and
slaughter. The site also has chicken-free recipes and product information:
http://www.chickenindustry.com
Cobb-Vantress, "the world's oldest pedigree broiler breeder"
company, has launched a completely new web site. It features the company
history, descriptions of the types of chickens it sells, including "the
Cobb 500 — the world's most popular broiler breeder," a library of
technical and business publications, an interactive world distribution map,
and a links page:
http://www.cobb-vantress.com/default.asp
8. WHAT'S REALLY HAPPENING ON THE FARMS & IN THE SLAUGHTERPLANTS?
What laws protect farm animals? Do intensive confinement systems violate these
laws? Are they cruel? Is the agriculture industry appropriately regulated from
an animal welfare perspective? If not, what is the appropriate venue for
reform? These questions will be considered during a panel discussion entitled
"What's Really Going On Down On the Farm?" to be held in New York
City on May 5th. The panelists will be: Jeffrey Armstrong (
http://tinyurl.com/3crvx
), Gene Bauston (
http://tinyurl.com/32qvb
), Adele Douglass (
http://tinyurl.com/2geho
), meat-industry reporter/commentator Dan Murphy (
http://tinyurl.com/2lfy2
) and Mariann Sullivan, attorney and co-author of "Foxes in the Henhouse
in Animal Rights." Moderating will be Lydia Antoncic (Animal Welfare
Trust/Animal Welfare Advocacy) and David Wolfson (
http://tinyurl.com/yrvht
&
http://tinyurl.com/yumqq ). The
event, which is free and open to the public, is sponsored by the Committee on
Legal Issues Pertaining to Animals, the Association of the Bar of the City of
New York. For more information contact Committee chair Meena Alagappan at:
Meena@TheWorld.com
"Mad Cows to Mad Chickens: What Insiders Can Tell You About Agribusiness,
Animal Liberation, and Your Diet" is the title of United Poultry Concerns
5th annual forum, to be held August 21-22 in Norfolk, Va. Eyewitnesses will
give first-hand accounts of their experiences in the farmed animal production
and slaughter industries. The list of speakers and registration information
can be found at:
http://www.upc-online.org/alerts/22004forum04.htm
9. EDITORIAL NOTE
This is my final issue as editor of Farmed Animal Watch. It has truly been a
privilege, an honor, and a labor of love. My great appreciation to our
sponsors, both current (listed above) and previous (the
Association
of Veterinarians for Animal Rights,
Compassion
in World Farming, and
United Poultry
Concerns), with particular thanks to the
Glaser
Progress Foundation and to Kim Sturla (
Animal
Place), who conceived of Farmed Animal Watch and will continue
administering it. Special thanks to Howard Edelstein, our website designer and
programmer who also provided 24/7 technical assistance, editorial advice, and
general life support. Most of all, thanks to our readers, for your interest
and especially for your concern for farmed -and all- animals. We will be
surveying the readership to reevaluate the publication, which Che Green and
Hedy Litke will be taking over. I'll be assisting with the transition, and
will remain reachable at:
MaryFinelli@FarmedAnimal.net
