Hudson Valley Foie Gras: The Truth

[ChristineR]

I'm not sure if you understand that the feeding method is what most people have a problem with.

Just because they're not starving doesn't mean they are treated humanely. Hens in tiny battery cages aren't starving either, but I don't consider keeping an animal in a cage that barely allows them up move humane.

 

[DenverDucky]

Anyway you look it, these methods are cruel and abrasive. I heard about a farmer named Eduardo whose revolutionizing the methods behind foie gras. No more force-feeding. I personally never ate foie gras, I don't like the method and I also don't eat any kind of poultry. But to hear that "the lucky ones" are the ones that are stuffed till they explode, I beg to differ. The lucky ones are the ones who are given love and care and a chance to feed themselves!

http://ted.com/talks/dan_barber_s_surprising_foie_gras_parable.html

 

[Freakmonger]

Any loss is improper management, I have no problem with the method as it is no different then any other part of our food system, pigs are fattened to make prosciutto, cows are fattened to produce prime grades. The problem is the factory application to the process. When 1-3% losses are acceptable over hundreds of thousands of animals then it doesn't seem so "bad". The problem is we as a society focus on a small part of our food system. We don't wish to look at the beef feed lots with which we use for school children but some cows are fork-lifted onto the slaughter floor because they cant lift themselves, or that we are getting salmonella from vegetables because of unsanitary growing conditions , or the famine the world around, when the US the second largest grower of grain in the world has enough in storage to feed all member nations of the UN, but we seem to focus our attention on a process that has existed since ancient Egypt, while other glaring problems exist. Fat is flavor; butter, cream, that bit of fat on the outside of a rib eye, the beautiful white glistening layers of fat like the butter-cream layers of a cake in salmon sashimi, and lardons of bacon, and lastly fattened liver, for those that haven't had the luxury of eating such delicacies its like the best butter creamy and smooth with just the hint of iron. mmmmmmm All these items produced by eating more feed then an animal needed. This is not to say that love is an absent value in the process, but love should be the cornerstone ideal for food production and that's what this is about food production, these aren't pets but animals for the slaughter. At least it hasn't been labeled beef like some horse meat was in Britain.

 

[bluejeans]

The courts made them change their logo. Because their logo said somthing about them being humane. And they are not. So they didnt get anything ruled in their favor.

I doubt it would be ok with the courts if they were cruel with the animals in their care ..

I think the problem would be the controversy over what people think may be cruel and inhumane .. people on both sides of the issue would have a different opinion on that..

 

[bluejeans]

I'm not sure if you understand that the feeding method is what most people have a problem with.

Just because they're not starving doesn't mean they are treated humanely. Hens in tiny battery cages aren't starving either, but I don't consider keeping an animal in a cage that barely allows them up move humane.

i dont care for tiny battery cages to keep chickens in either .. as for now.. i dont see any problem with the feeding method for the ducks .. i think its propably the best way with so many ducks to make sure all the ducks get their fair share of food and the video like a picture is worth a thousand words if it hasnt been -------------- DUCK-TORED------ the ducks dont seem to mind the feeding method at all .. If they did they would all run to the corners and try to get away .. ..

i think the real problem is people think ducks ,, well are sorta like humans with all the emotions and thinking and feelings humans have.. ..those same people propably never had butchered their own food . or if they have butchered their own food.. felt just horrable about doing it.. many of these same people are vegeatarians for those reasons ..


the problem with this thinking is none of this butchering or not butchering one own food makes any one a better person than the other in Gods eyes .. perhaps though in some human eyes ..

 

[jdywntr]

I don't understand how you can say that battery cages are bad for chickens but gavage is an appropriate feeding method to ensure that all of the ducks get their fair share. Okay so the ducks in the video have a small area to roam in. How is that different than a battery cage?

The animals don't react because they are used to the treatment. That still does not make it right. I raise my animals for meat and I butcher them myself. My birds have a good life and I ensure that they have enough feed by providing it to them, in a cage free environment.

As someone else said, "pigs are fattened to make prosciutto, cows are fattened to produce prime grades" but the entire animal is fattened and it is done by providing them with high calorie feed, not by shoving a tube down their throat to fatten their LIVER.

This is the reality of foie gras farming.

Here is a report from Dr. Ward Stone, the former senior wildlife pathologist for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation regarding necropsies done on Hudson Valley ducks:

New York state Department of Environmental conservation
Division of Fish, Wildlife, and Marine Resources
Wildlife Pathology Unit
1OE Game Farm Road, Delmar, Ny 120,54

TOr. Holly Cheever
FROM:
Dr. Ward Stone
SUBJECT: Progress Report on Mulard Ducks (2)
wPU Case #oS-38-07A&B
DATE:

December 2, 2005
History: The hybrid, male ducks vrere received by the
wildlife Pathology unit, on October 3, 2005.

Gross Pathology:Both adult males, with yellow paste filling
the esophagrus and up to the covering the glott,is. The lungs
were edematous and hemorrhagic- the livers showed extreme
heptamegaly and light color. Both had bumblefoot Lesions on
the planlar surfaces of both feet. Bony-swellings were
present in the right and left, lateral bill of (A). Several
small, pieces of aluminum were present in the glzzard of (A) .
The diagnosis based on necropsy was that, death resulted from
pneumonia.
Histopathology: Severe steatosis of the liver, acute
bronchopnuemonia patchy and consistent with gross pathology
impression of an aspiration pneumonia. Severe pulmonary
congestion. Autolysis of multiple organs.
Comments: The birds died at the time of force f eeding. They
were filled with food paste from the proventricular area to
the region of the glottis. The ducks had pneumonia and
severe hepatameglia which causes respiratory stress by
displacing air sacs. The birds had sore feet from bumblefoot.

It would appear that the stresses of the final forcedfeeding
caused an acute respiratory limitation on ducks
already suffering from pneumonia and severe hepatameglia
restricted respiratory activity due to liver pressure on air
sacs. this killed the ducks.

Here is a letter written by the same man http://www.stopforcefeeding.com/files/Ward_stone_0.pdf


Does this sound like happy ducks that have lived a great life without any trauma?
​

 

[Coupe]

 

[Freakmonger]

I do agree with you that this is the reality of factory farming. Factory Feeding isn't right because no one cares for the animals. People become desensitized to animals well being on a whole. Someone mentioned Veterinarians at the Factory... But I highly doubt that the factory wishes to spend money on an animal that they don't deem worth the time and money spent on it, especially for a Veterinarian. Losses of the animals is acceptable as long as the numbers work out. Proper Gavage, fattens the entire animal not only its liver and the fat gained can and should be used for other culinary purposes, and should never be wasted. The duck is a wonderful animal and when properly managed can provide a bounty of items, sausage, stock, luscious potted duck, duck eggs, balout, and Foie Gras just to name a few. Its disease resistant and provides feathers for clothing and bedding. If we were to fix the other problems of our food system like battery cages, feed lots, and boxed lettuce. Maybe factory Foie would follow suit.

The traditional method of Gavage is not what you see in previous factory pictures of animals. These are my pictures that I took from my experience. These animals are brooded for 4 weeks then pastured for 12 weeks on green pasture and then into these pens for 2 weeks for 3 feedings a day. Then Slaughtered. These animals are valuable and managed to their slaughter date.