Farmers, activists at odds over animal treatment

[Jameberlin]

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Jigga wha?? So like, only people get the right to stand up and stretch? Good lord, someone should tell that to my dogs. STOP THAT STRETCHING! You're no person, you're a DOG. Duh.

This seems like a completely reasonable and responsible law to pass in any state. I find it interesting that countries that have barely any concept of animal cruelty wouldn't dream of treating their livestock like some "farms" here do.

We eat animals, sure, that's part of the natural order of things... but there's nothing in that natural order that mandates that we treat our food animals like dirt before we slaughter them.

I think as a society we need to re-learn how to respect our food, and where it comes from.. I think we need to get back to a place that allows us to understand that "dominion over animals" isn't a free pass to act like monsters.

There was something else i wanted to say, but it's late *yawn*

 

[truecolorsloft]

As my DH/Partner told me..."You learn to seperate the food animals from your pet animals, I'm not against you from having pet chickens, but know that some of them need to be put aside for food." And while we do not treat our animals anydifferent, the food chickens, don't get TV/cuddle time in the house.

Sorry, I guess I'm a big softie at hear.

Getting back on topic...we were told when designing our duck pen, 2 square feet per duck, so we built a pen that was 7 feet by 6 feet, and we were out there three times a day, just to keep it from smelling/looking like crud. We're now down to two ducks(sold two) and it's still small quarters, I don't know where people come up with their ideas of "legal minimum space." The person who told us, used to be a commercial farmer. The ducks will be moving to my Father-in-laws', where he'll feed them, and let them roam about his property.

 

[19hhbelgian]

That is a goos sounding law to pass. I hate seeing how some of these animals are treated, then what do we do... Eat them! I'm no vegetarian, but they are giving us their lives, we should be kind to them for that. It's so sad to see how they are treated sometimes. The main thing is that they actually have to regulate the law, and not just put it on the books and expect that the farmers will abide by it. Take "free-range" for example... Free range isn't necessarily what people think it is, and it isn't regulated to be what people think of when they read free-range on their egg carton or pack of chicken. It's a very good thing but very hard to actually enforce...

 

[truecolorsloft]

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[English Chick]

It should have come into force years ago, as it did here. Every farmer has a duty of care to their animals (my husband is a farmer), and I have always been in full agreement that everything, no matter pet or farm animal should be treated with dignity not cruelty...............my DH will not allow anyone to even shout at his cow herd, humane farming works, so it will always have a

from me. Europe is being brought into line regarding their animal rearing practices, which would make a grown man cry. I am particularly against rearing calves for veal, but now Europe must follow the legislation for these animals... HURRAH! and about time!

 

[fowltemptress]

So . . . all they're asking is that they basically have room to stretch? People oppose that?

I'm sure there are some very rational sounding arguments out there for limiting an animal's ability to stretch, but my imagination fails me.

 

[nnbreeder]

The main reason for the opposition is that the barns will have to either be re-built or new barns added to have the same number of birds. Plus there is no company that sells battery pens with those space requirements, even if they wanted to change over quickly they can't.

What really disapointed me about the law is that it didn't address the broiler operations where they are raised on the floor. They have the room required but there should have been a min. sq. ft. per bird figured in. In most operations that I have seen there are about 40,000 birds per barn and a barn is 100'x400'

As Englishchick mentioned the UK is way ahead of us. If I remember right DEFRA, which is like our USDA, has a 1 square meter per bird requirement. Many egg operation there are going to open sided barns, huge things too, and they can be skidded with a tractor to different pastures when the layers are retired and before a new group is brought in.

 

[Sequin]

All this talk about laws, animal activists, cruelty to animals etc etc etc - it makes me think of how unbalanced we are/can be in our thinking and actions. Maybe I am just dreaming, but in olden days your cows, horses, dogs, chickens, etc. were really valued as an integral part of the farm and welfare of the homestead. You had to take care of your animals because they helped the family stay fed and cared for. You Needed your animals and relied on them. So you did what all you could in their best interest. It makes me sick to think of how careless and cruel people are nowadays about the welfare of any animal. That they have to come up with laws that govern how you need to treat your animals. Why is this not common sense to people already? It is just absolutely ridiculous that some people no longer possess the common sense needed to care for another life. Very Very sad indeed.