- Thread starter
- #31
Alright, finished my paper! Here it is if anybody wants to give it a read:
Let My Chickens GO
To small farms and ranches that is! I am not opposed to animals being used for food sources whether that is in meat or eggs. What I do oppose though, are big name companies in it strictly for the dollar signs. The keeping of laying hens and meat birds has changed drastically in the last 80 years, since the 1920s. Factory Farming began in the 1920s, soon after it was discovered that adding Vitamins A and D to the feed resulted in the animals no longer requiring sunlight and exercise for growth or production. This gave people the ability to raise broilers or layers in an indoor warehouse situation. Animal abuse aside, I believe by reading this paper you will see my point of view.
The great idea behind factory farming is to save money while boosting production and sales. When you have a large number of animals, especially ones as messy as poultry, illness and disease is bound to run rampant. This was controlled around the 1940s when factory farm animals were given mass doses of antibiotics in order to fend off, or prevent the spread of illness. One thing I have learned while raising animals, and dealing with children is; antibiotics are NOT wonderful sudden healing gifts from God. In many cases, when overused, antibiotics are the very reason for building up immunity to the very thing you are using to help you, the antibiotics. They can also teach a virus how to beat them, therefore making a stronger more resistant virus. Yet, here they are, used at any whim of a sniffle or sneeze in mass production industries. The animals are also given hormones and a variety of other chemicals thought to increase production. If you will notice, when there is some sort of disease outbreak, it is national news. Not only that, but it is a national SCARE. How many small farms have you heard of getting shut down due to illness?
I know quite a few people who raise both laying hens and broilers in simple family farm scenarios. I asked some of them a few questions, one of which being if anybody had lost a flock of birds to illness or disease. This was excluding deaths considered normal for broilers such as heart attack, bad legs, and other weight related issues. Two out of seven people responded with having lost birds to illness, but as they explained it became clear it was of their own accidents. Both of these people took fault for the situation, and the only people affected were the owners, and those who bought from them. If you think about it, a small farm is lucky to sell 100 processed chickens a month, usually much less. If there was a outbreak of something, the entire nation would not be affected. It would be 100 people, rather then thousands. In an ideal world this would never happen, but we must be realistic. I am not saying small farms are perfect, but I am saying we have taken a step backwards and into the big mess called factory farming.
Small family run farms have much better numbers then the big factory farms when it comes to health and wellness of both the bird and finished product. Many of the family ranchers I know who raise their own broilers and laying hens always comment of the richness in taste and texture of farm raised animals and their products. You really cannot get any fresher. Eggs from battery hen houses lose so much good vitamins and minerals in transport, and did you know you shouldnt wash an egg very vigorously? Washing the egg removes a protective film from them and reduces their shelf life. According to many places including but not limited to http://www.motherearthnews.com, who did a study on store bought eggs/factory farm eggs vs small farm eggs (fresh), the fresh farm eggs were richer in vitamin A, omega 3 fatty acids, vitamin E and has 1/3 less cholesterol and ¼ less saturated fat. Farm fresh eggs are overall a healthier choice then factory farm eggs.
If the US went back to small time farming I think that would create more jobs as well. Most of the work done in large factories, whether animal based or otherwise, is done by machines. One of the biggest reasons family farms and ranches fall through is competition from the large industrial producers. Some small farms can be successful today because of new markets for specialized farm products such as sod, ornamental plants, Christmas trees, flowers, bulbs, shrubbery, and fruits and vegetables grown in greenhouses. These new age farmers must know current technology and have some business experience due to dealing with income and costs. A lot of times, managers of larger farms have employees who help with the farm work like ranch hands and such.
Information gathered from sites:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/
http://www.campsilos.org/mod4/students/lifea.shtml
http://www.idausa.org/facts/factoryfarmfacts.html
http://greenopolis.com/goblog/joe-laur/salmonella-free-range-eggs-vs-factory-farm
http://greenopolis.com/goblog/joe-laur/salmonella-free-range-eggs-vs-factory-farm
Let My Chickens GO
To small farms and ranches that is! I am not opposed to animals being used for food sources whether that is in meat or eggs. What I do oppose though, are big name companies in it strictly for the dollar signs. The keeping of laying hens and meat birds has changed drastically in the last 80 years, since the 1920s. Factory Farming began in the 1920s, soon after it was discovered that adding Vitamins A and D to the feed resulted in the animals no longer requiring sunlight and exercise for growth or production. This gave people the ability to raise broilers or layers in an indoor warehouse situation. Animal abuse aside, I believe by reading this paper you will see my point of view.
The great idea behind factory farming is to save money while boosting production and sales. When you have a large number of animals, especially ones as messy as poultry, illness and disease is bound to run rampant. This was controlled around the 1940s when factory farm animals were given mass doses of antibiotics in order to fend off, or prevent the spread of illness. One thing I have learned while raising animals, and dealing with children is; antibiotics are NOT wonderful sudden healing gifts from God. In many cases, when overused, antibiotics are the very reason for building up immunity to the very thing you are using to help you, the antibiotics. They can also teach a virus how to beat them, therefore making a stronger more resistant virus. Yet, here they are, used at any whim of a sniffle or sneeze in mass production industries. The animals are also given hormones and a variety of other chemicals thought to increase production. If you will notice, when there is some sort of disease outbreak, it is national news. Not only that, but it is a national SCARE. How many small farms have you heard of getting shut down due to illness?
I know quite a few people who raise both laying hens and broilers in simple family farm scenarios. I asked some of them a few questions, one of which being if anybody had lost a flock of birds to illness or disease. This was excluding deaths considered normal for broilers such as heart attack, bad legs, and other weight related issues. Two out of seven people responded with having lost birds to illness, but as they explained it became clear it was of their own accidents. Both of these people took fault for the situation, and the only people affected were the owners, and those who bought from them. If you think about it, a small farm is lucky to sell 100 processed chickens a month, usually much less. If there was a outbreak of something, the entire nation would not be affected. It would be 100 people, rather then thousands. In an ideal world this would never happen, but we must be realistic. I am not saying small farms are perfect, but I am saying we have taken a step backwards and into the big mess called factory farming.
Small family run farms have much better numbers then the big factory farms when it comes to health and wellness of both the bird and finished product. Many of the family ranchers I know who raise their own broilers and laying hens always comment of the richness in taste and texture of farm raised animals and their products. You really cannot get any fresher. Eggs from battery hen houses lose so much good vitamins and minerals in transport, and did you know you shouldnt wash an egg very vigorously? Washing the egg removes a protective film from them and reduces their shelf life. According to many places including but not limited to http://www.motherearthnews.com, who did a study on store bought eggs/factory farm eggs vs small farm eggs (fresh), the fresh farm eggs were richer in vitamin A, omega 3 fatty acids, vitamin E and has 1/3 less cholesterol and ¼ less saturated fat. Farm fresh eggs are overall a healthier choice then factory farm eggs.
If the US went back to small time farming I think that would create more jobs as well. Most of the work done in large factories, whether animal based or otherwise, is done by machines. One of the biggest reasons family farms and ranches fall through is competition from the large industrial producers. Some small farms can be successful today because of new markets for specialized farm products such as sod, ornamental plants, Christmas trees, flowers, bulbs, shrubbery, and fruits and vegetables grown in greenhouses. These new age farmers must know current technology and have some business experience due to dealing with income and costs. A lot of times, managers of larger farms have employees who help with the farm work like ranch hands and such.
Information gathered from sites:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/
http://www.campsilos.org/mod4/students/lifea.shtml
http://www.idausa.org/facts/factoryfarmfacts.html
http://greenopolis.com/goblog/joe-laur/salmonella-free-range-eggs-vs-factory-farm
http://greenopolis.com/goblog/joe-laur/salmonella-free-range-eggs-vs-factory-farm
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