Opinions on the portrayal of factory farming in regards to PETA-like propaganda?
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Question by itsjustajumptotheleft: Opinions on the portrayal of factory farming in regards to PETA-like propaganda?
I’m a vegetarian (for many reasons). I’ve done a bunch of research about ‘factory farming’ or whatever you want to call it, looked up studies, laws, and books. But I hate the fact that there are so many groups that use propaganda figuring the ends justifies the means and I want to try and get the whole view on the matter.
I sort of (almost) want to be convinced that it’s all been exaggerated or something. Any information/ opinions on the common misconceptions of factory farming?
What do you think? Answer below!
3 Responses to Opinions on the portrayal of factory farming in regards to PETA-like propaganda?
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I grew up on a family farm and so did a number of my friends. There’s a lot of difference between our farms and factory farms. None of us can imagine sending a sick or dying animal to slaughter, for human or even animal consumption. That is really sick! It’s both filthy and inhumane. But factory farms do it. Because our family name was on our product we took a lot of care to make sure the animals were raised humanely, were healthy and processed cleanly. We didn’t think of our animals by only their dollar value but took pride in how we raised them, in how we cared for them
A lot of what you read about factory farming is true. I don’t get as wildly passionate about them as PETA does but I know that the factory farmed animals are not cared for very well. Think of it like this: Where would you get more personal attention and be treated better: a school where there were 10 people in your class or where there were 50 people in your class?
Mujer Alta
April 2, 2013 at 4:26 am
I agree with the previous poster to a certain extent, but not on everything. First off, sick animals like cows are not slaughtered. In fact, it’s now illegal in most places because of the BSE (mad cow) scare. Used to they could go into pet food, but now I think even that is banned. The only way a “downer” (an animal that can’t move under it’s own power) can be slaughtered is if the animal slipped and fell and a veterinarian certifies the animal is healthy and it’s down because of a physical accident. And there’s no way a vet is going to lose his license certifying that a sick animal is healthy.
Large scale confinment operations (factory farms or CAFO’s) as a rule don’t mistreat animals. I’m not saying an employee isn’t above whacking an animal that’s in the way or trying to bite, but you have to keep in mind that a healthy, unstressed animal is the one that makes you money. A sick, malnourished, mistreated or stressed animal isn’t going to and since they’re in the business to make money, most operations are very diligent at policing their employees. In fact, many have cameras stationed to monitor activities and mistreating an animal is a quick way to get fired. That stance has been very common for many, many years in the dairy business. Shouting, hitting, scaring and stressing a milk cow reduces their milk production immediately and lost production is something the owner can’t tolerate. In fact, it’s a very common requirement these days for employees of larger operations to set through classes on low stress animal handling. Bud Williams and Temple Grandin have made their mark by understanding how animals think and how that relates to low-stress handling.
The thing to keep in mind is that while animals are living, thinking beings, they are NOT people and don’t think like people. Animal behavior is governed by the basics, eat, sleep, breed and for females, care for their young. Animals do not posess sympathy for others or understand the concept of delayed gratification. No animal is going to give up their spot at the feed trough so a sick or weak animal can eat, period. For animals, it’s a dod eat dog world and survival of the fittest. My mom has had hungry doe goats butt pregnant does so hard that they aborted their kids. That certainly isn’t very nice, is it? I’ve had old hens kill chicks that weren’t their own, peck their backs down to the bone and one had them peck the entire side of one hen’s face away. When I found her, she was still alive and her brain was exposed. Of course I had to destroy her. Once chickens see blood, it’s a feeding frenzy just like a bunch of sharks. It’s a good think people aren’t that way because instead of helping you, a paramedic would instead kick the crap out of you. As far as delayed gratification, if I give my sheep access to a whole bale of hay, they’ll eat their fill, sleep and poop on the rest and then stand their baaing the next day because their hay has poop on it.
Animals should be treated kindly and with compassion, but one must remember that they are animals and not humans.
bikinkawboy
April 2, 2013 at 4:39 am
Bikinikawboy pretty much took the words right out of my mouth. I want to add one more thing, though. Understand these factories are heavily secured. Anyone can not just walk in and shoot an undercover video. Only authorized personnel are allowed in the factories. These videos that you see from PETA are usually a video PETA made up. I hate to say it, but it’s true.
As Bikinikawboy said, most factories are not willing to lose money because they slaughtered a sick animal or put an animal under stress. Factory farms are already under heavy surveillance. Hardly anyone is dumb enough to risk getting in the trouble with the government because they were caught mistreating an animal.
Animals are not humans. Like Bikini said, it is a dog eat dog world for them. They do not have regards for the sick and if an animal is hungry enough, he won’t have any regards for you. I am not saying that since animals do not think like us, we should mercilessly slaughter them. However, we should take into account that animals are just that, animals. We are willing to fight for animal rights, but we still have humans who don’t have equal rights. I think that is a little backwards, don’t you?
Natalie
April 2, 2013 at 5:03 am