The Atrocities of Factory Farming

Truth be told, this article was extremely difficult for me to write. The subject of factory farming is incredibly gruesome, inhumane, and outright cruel to animals. If you’re a meat eater, don’t turn a blind eye; educate yourself about how those meat and dairy products make it to your plate. If you’re a vegan already, let this motivate you to continue doing what you’re doing. We can no longer claim ignorance. The truth is out there, if we will only listen and take these things to heart. Remember, we are talking about living, breathing beings with feelings, attachments, and emotions. They are not an “organic” burger patty or “free range” chicken breast. These are the true atrocities of factory farming and everything the meat and dairy industries don’t want you to know…

What is Factory Farming

Factory farming is defined as “a system of rearing livestock using intensive methods, by which poultry, pigs, and cattle are confined indoors under strictly controlled conditions.” The goal is to maximize production and minimize costs. Unfortunately, all of this comes at the animals’ expense. Animals’ movements are extremely inhibited, with most never seeing the light of day. And living conditions are deplorable. Animals raised for food are among the least protected animals in the world. If an animal is giving its life in order to be someone’s meal, don’t you think it deserves compassion, kindness, and respect? 

Factory farming may also be called industrialized farming, industrial livestock production, or intensive animal farming. Whatever you choose to call it, it has been described as one of the cruelest inventions humans have ever devised.

The industry would still have us believe that our meat and dairy come from the small town country farmer, just trying to make ends meet. But the truth is, 99% of meat and dairy in the United States comes from factory farms. 99%!

And yet, food products are advertised on large, spacious farms with animals in spacious green pastures. If food products were depicted accurately, how many of us would purchase something with an animal in filthy confinement on the label? Or an animal that is bloody and near death? Animal agriculture is cruel and exploitative. And the industry works extremely hard, and pays large sums of money, to ensure all of us stay blissfully ignorant of these harsh facts.

Animal Cruelty

Factory farmed animals have not been treated well, cared for, and respected. These are animals that have been abused, neglected, and treated more horribly than we can ever imagine. How many of you would call the police if your neighbor was abusing a dog? So what makes a dog any more of a living being, worthy of love, dignity, and respect? Why don’t cows, chickens, and pigs–all living beings capable of emotional attachments, just like dogs–deserve the same love, dignity, and respect?

Let’s think about this for a minute. Every year, approximately 25 million dogs are eaten every year by humans. And we’re appalled by that, right?! Well, in the United States alone, approximately 25 million animals are killed for meat and goods every day. Let that sink in.

Factory farmed animals will never do anything that is natural to them. Cows will never nurse their young, chickens will never build nests, and pigs will never forage and root around in the soil for their food. Still doesn’t sound that bad? Read on.

Factory Farming statistics

• 99% of animal farms in the United States are factory farms
  • small, local farms can’t compete with factory farm production
• of those 99% factory farms in the U.S., it is estimated that the percentage of animals living in factory farm conditions are:
  • 70% of cows
  • 98% of pigs
  • 99.8% of turkeys
  • 98.2% of chickens raised for eggs
  • 99.9% of chickens raised for meat
• industrial factory farming generates more greenhouse gas emissions than all cars, trains, and airplanes in the world, combined
• animal agriculture uses over 450 drugs to promote growth and suppress infection and diseases
• in the United States, over 50% of the drug industry’s distribution of antibiotics is used for animal agriculture (FDA)
• nearly 10 billion animals are killed for human consumption every year in the United States
  • 9 billion of these are chickens
• 160 million animals are killed for meat and goods every single day worldwide 
• 260 million male chicks are killed every year in the United States (male chicks do not lay eggs and are not used for meat; therefore, they are useless)
• in the United States, about 9% of factory farmed animals die before they even make it to the slaughterhouse
• 3 out of 4 new and emerging infectious diseases in people come from animals, and factory farms are a large contributor (CDC)

Factory Farming facts

• most animals never see the light of day or breathe in fresh air
  • “free range” simply means they have “access” to the outdoors–often a small door opening to a tiny concrete area
• in the severe confinement and crowding of factory farms, animals spend their lives lying in their own waste
• high levels of ammonia damage the animals’ (and workers’) respiratory tracts, eyes, noses, and throats; ammonia is so corrosive, it can even burn their skin
• animals live in such tight quarters, they often cannot turn around and can barely move
• non-factory farmed cows have a lifespan of about 20 years; in confinement, they only live about 4 years
• factory farmed fish require about 4 pounds of feeder fish to produce 1 pound of meat
• factory farms are poorly regulated by the government; additionally, they receive federal farm subsidies
• an average person in a developed country (who is not vegan or vegetarian) will consume approximately 7,000 animals in their lifetime

The amount of pain and suffering, abuse and cruelty these animals endure is unfathomable.

“Thousands of people who say they love animals sit down once or twice a day to enjoy the flesh of creatures who have been utterly deprived of everything that could make their lives worth living and who endured the awful suffering and the terror of the [slaughterhouses].” –Jane Goodall

Cows

Cows are deeply social animals and interact with each other in complex ways. They form collaborative relationships with each other: including learning from one another, making decisions that benefit other members of the group, and “grooming partnerships” similar to chimpanzees. When not in confinement, cows spend their time wandering, foraging, socializing, and eating. Mother cows and their calves form strong emotional bonds immediately after birth. In addition, similar to humans, cows rely on the bonds that they have with each other to cope with stressful situations.

In factory farms, most cows have their tails cut off without pain medication, a sterile environment, or post-operative care. (The reasons for cutting off tails are often so they don’t hit workers with their tails. Or, to prevent the cows from biting their tails out of boredom, which can cause infections). Cutting off an animal’s tail causes chronic pain, and ironically, often causes infection–the very thing they are trying to prevent. Unfortunately, this painful, cruel, and inhuman procedure is completely legal.

Grass-fed and pasture-raised cows often spend their last year of life crowded into muddy, barren feedlots where they are fed an unnatural diet of corn or other feed grains to bring them to slaughter weight more quickly.

Dairy Cows

Not only are cows intensely confined, but they are also continually impregnated through artificial insemination. Female cows are injected with growth hormones in order to maximize milk production. Dairy cows often suffer from mastitis and other infections, so they are pumped full of antibiotics to combat this. 

Newborn calves are separated from their mothers within hours after birth. Mother cows cry out in grief, often losing their voices. Male calves are sold to the meat and veal industry, and female calves become dairy cows. Cows for veal are kept in extremely small and dark crates in order to keep their meat tender. Cows are branded, dehorned, and castrated–all without anesthesia or painkillers.

There is video evidence of cows being kicked, punched, shocked, dragged by their necks, and hit on the head with sledgehammers.

Pigs

Pigs are lively and social animals: they run, play, relax, snuggle, and roll around in the mud. They are emotionally sensitive, playful, inquisitive, and desire belly rubs. In fact, they are often closely compared to domesticated dogs. Additionally, pigs are extremely intelligent. They have learned to play games just as quickly as chimpanzees, and even have a longer attention span for particular tasks. Pigs are able to understand the perspectives of other pigs and anticipate their behavior.

In factory farms, pigs are often confined in tiny kennels with metal bars. They are unable to turn around or even stand up. Pigs will bite the bars, agonizingly squeal, and have even been known to harm themselves intentionally. When they “misbehave,” they are often beaten, shocked, or punished in some way by workers. And because pigs are emotionally sensitive animals, the other pigs watch in terror.

Like cows, many pigs have their tails cut off without any pain relief or wound cleaning. Ear notching is also common practice and completely legal. A hole-punch type device is used to cut triangles of flesh out of the nerve-filled ears of piglets, without the use of anesthesia.

Investigations have uncovered pigs being shocked with electric prongs in their eyes, bludgeoned with metal pipes, kicked, and stabbed–all while conscious and shrieking in pain.

Chickens, Turkeys, and other poultry

Chickens are naturally social and curious, and they are empathetic animals. When a mother chicken sees or hears her baby in distress, she becomes depressed. According to Discovery Magazine, chickens can also anticipate the future and demonstrate self-control. And yet, chickens are one of the most abused animals on earth.

Turkeys are clever, explorative, and playful animals. They are socially sophisticated and take a “team” approach in order to watch and care for all of the babies in a group.

Poultry are bred to grow unnaturally fast to maximize production. Their bodies cannot support this rapid growth, which results in painful and debilitating health conditions and deformities. Often towards the end of life, the animals can no longer even stand up. 

In confinement, animals often act out and can be aggressive towards other animals due to the stress (and sometimes even boredom). Chickens, turkeys, and other poultry are often debeaked in order to prevent harm to the workers and other animals. However, it is an incredibly inhumane procedure–essentially, it is legal mutilation on a living being. Most of the beak is seared or sliced off. Beaks are complex sensory organs, full of nerves and receptors. And, this procedure is done without anesthesia or any pain relief. This pain and impairment is so extensive, many birds will die from starvation afterwards.

Slaughterhouses

In slaughterhouses, the speed of the kill blade meant to slit the birds’ throats is so fast, millions of birds every year are missed. They are then thrown into scalding hot water alive, where they die in agony. And poultry is not covered under the humane animal act, making this perfectly legal.

There is video evidence of chickens being stabbed and stomped to death, and even limbs being ripped off of live chickens. Turkeys are often in such strict confinement, they struggle to breathe and suffer from broken bones. At the slaughterhouse, they are electrified in water and have their throats slit–all while being alive and conscious. Many birds are even scalded alive in feather-removal tanks.

Sheep and Goats

Goats are friendly, form strong bonds, and even respond to human communication using eye contact, gestures, and body language. Just from the sound of their voice, goats can understand exactly how other goats are feeling. And, goats seek help from others when they are unable to solve a problem on their own.

Sheep are mild-mannered and tender animals. Female sheep often stay in their group of friends for life. Male sheep support their friends in conflicts, and protect weaker members of the group. Sheep pick up emotional cues in other sheep, as well as emotional cues from humans.

Sheep and goats are bred for milk, meat, and fibers, and endure much the same treatment as other factory farmed animals.

Fish

There is a common misconception that fish and other aquatic animals do not feel pain. This could not be further from the truth. Studies shows that fish are sentient beings, capable of fear, pain, and suffering.

About 50% of all fish, (especially salmon, tuna, trout, cod, and halibut), are not caught in the wild but are raised in artificial environments.

In factory fish farms, fish suffer from intense confinement, often leading to injury, illness, and death. Fish often lose their eyesight and suffer from severe infections. In response, fish are also fed a slew of different antibiotics.

There are no regulations about the humane treatment and slaughter of fish. Fish are suffocated, skinned, and cut open while conscious and able to feel pain. Investigations have also uncovered workers pulling the heads off of live fish. Fish die from suffocation, bleeding out, blunt force, or freezing to death.

Bees

Yes, even bees can be factory farmed. You can read more about that here.

Factory Farms and Slaughterhouses are not only bad for animals…

In addition to being horrific conditions for animals, factory farms are also detrimental to human health, farm workers, rural communities, and the environment. 

Farms that are not properly maintained are breeding grounds for Salmonella, E. Coli, and other pathogens. These can be passed to humans through the meat, dairy, and eggs, or through human-to-human contact. To combat these unsanitary conditions, animals are given large doses of antibiotics. This massive use of antibiotics is now creating antibiotic resistance and drug-resistant strains of bacteria.

In factory farms, workers experience long-term exposure to diseases, polluted air, and other hazards. In slaughterhouses, many workers have reported being denied basic human rights, as well as high demands for fast output, putting them at risk for injury from dangerous machinery. Food chain workers are among the lowest paid laborers in the United States; they are not even covered by federal labor laws.

Factory farms and slaughterhouses are always in rural communities, which guarantees seclusion and privacy. (We can’t oppose what we can’t see! Again, ignorance is bliss). Factory farms produce air and water pollution, negatively affecting residences in these communities. Studies have shown that people living near factory farms have poor health and increased risk for diseases and other health complications. These people also experience dangerous drinking water and declining home values. The communities impacted also tend to be poorer and people of color.

Waste from factory farms pollutes water, land, and air. Factory farming facilities consume massive quantities of non-renewable resources, such as water and fossil fuels. In addition, these facilities release a large amount of harmful emissions into the environment. 

Recommended Viewing

• The Truth About Meat and Modern Farms (10 minute video on YouTube)
• Inside a Dairy Farm (4 minute video)
• Video evidence of cruelty at a pig factory farm (6 minute video)
• Fish Factory Farming (less than 3 minute video)
• Drone Footage of a Factory Farm (several minute video)
• Earthlings (documentary: extremely graphic, but 100% true)

A recent poll by ASPCA found that 94% of Americans agree that animals raised for food deserve to live free from abuse and cruelty. So the time to act is now.

Thank you for reading this article and taking these disturbing realities to heart. My hope is that we all start to think about animals as living beings, rather than commodities or food. Even if you choose to not go fully vegan, that’s ok. Hopefully, sooner than later, the majority of our population is either fully vegan or cuts back on meat and dairy consumption on a regular basis. You don’t have to be 100% vegan to make a difference. The best and most effective way we can protest factory farms is with our money and our everyday purchases.

Vegan Meat Substitutes

The great news: there are tons of wonderful vegan meat substitutes! 🙌

• vegan meat and dairy brands
• tofu
• tempeh
• seitan
• TVP
• mushrooms
• eggplant
• jackfruit

Agree, disagree, saddened, shocked, or just feeling emotional? Sound off in the comments below. Let me know what your thoughts are, good or bad! Next week we’ll be discussing the atrocities of animal testing, animals for goods, and animal exploitation, so stay tuned.