Nearly twenty three million animals are killed each day for food, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. The majority of the reported twenty three million animals are raised under atrocious conditions, mutilated without pain relief, transported long distances in grimy containers, and finally slaughtered amid the squalor of the abattoir (Francione, 109). The issue that lies before us is not the use of animals as a food resource; it is the inhumane conditions the animals are forced to endure up to their time of death and the suffering that comes along with that. This brutal suffering has allowed agriculture to become one of the most cost effective and profitable industries in the world. While the economic expense of treating
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Not only will these changes improve the quality of life for these animals by reducing their amount of suffering, but it will also improve the quality of meat humans are consuming—therefore, this proposal will not only benefit the animals, it will also benefit society as well. As of now, the lifespan of those cattle used by the food industry can be described as bleak and horrendous. The cattle endure a great deal of suffering from their harsh living, transporting, and slaughtering conditions. Once calves are considered matured, at approximately seven months old, they are transported from grazing farms to ‘”feedlots”, where the calves are confined and fattened up on an unnatural corn diet. Typically within six months of their corn diet, the cattle have reached prime market weight of 544 kilograms and are shipped off to the slaughterhouse. During their transport to be slaughtered, the cattle are …show more content…
These conditions have worsened due to the increased demand for poultry products, as well as the increased cost of treating animals that are raised for meat fairly. Due to this, most chickens are raised on factory farms in “grower houses,” which are described as “commonly artificially lit, force-ventilated, and completely barren except for litter material on the floor and long rows of feeders and drinkers.” (The Humane Society of the United States). Within these grower houses, the chickens are pumped full of hormones to enlarge their breast tissue, the prized piece of chicken meat. By doing this, the body of the chicken grows at a much faster rate that its normal structure is able to handle. The structural instability of the chicken prevents them from walking, due to the extreme amount of discomfort that they feel. John Webster of the University Of Bristol School Of Veterinary Science further proves this by stating: “They don’t move around, not because they are overstocked, but because their joints hurt so much.” (The Humane Society of the United States). The suffering of chickens has been proven by many medical doctors, which forces us to wonder why we have not already made changes to these regulations. The problem lies within the distance we create between chickens and ourselves as farmers. Once we realize what Cora Diamond has
Not only will these changes improve the quality of life for these animals by reducing their amount of suffering, but it will also improve the quality of meat humans are consuming—therefore, this proposal will not only benefit the animals, it will also benefit society as well. As of now, the lifespan of those cattle used by the food industry can be described as bleak and horrendous. The cattle endure a great deal of suffering from their harsh living, transporting, and slaughtering conditions. Once calves are considered matured, at approximately seven months old, they are transported from grazing farms to ‘”feedlots”, where the calves are confined and fattened up on an unnatural corn diet. Typically within six months of their corn diet, the cattle have reached prime market weight of 544 kilograms and are shipped off to the slaughterhouse. During their transport to be slaughtered, the cattle are …show more content…
These conditions have worsened due to the increased demand for poultry products, as well as the increased cost of treating animals that are raised for meat fairly. Due to this, most chickens are raised on factory farms in “grower houses,” which are described as “commonly artificially lit, force-ventilated, and completely barren except for litter material on the floor and long rows of feeders and drinkers.” (The Humane Society of the United States). Within these grower houses, the chickens are pumped full of hormones to enlarge their breast tissue, the prized piece of chicken meat. By doing this, the body of the chicken grows at a much faster rate that its normal structure is able to handle. The structural instability of the chicken prevents them from walking, due to the extreme amount of discomfort that they feel. John Webster of the University Of Bristol School Of Veterinary Science further proves this by stating: “They don’t move around, not because they are overstocked, but because their joints hurt so much.” (The Humane Society of the United States). The suffering of chickens has been proven by many medical doctors, which forces us to wonder why we have not already made changes to these regulations. The problem lies within the distance we create between chickens and ourselves as farmers. Once we realize what Cora Diamond has