So, What Do You Guys All Think Of The Farm Animal Abuse?

[Fuzzy]

I just watched one of those videos on the PETA site. (No, I am not a member and never will) Anyway, it was on how they slaughter the chickns and cows and stuff. And they showed some pretty gross stuff on it. I know the whole thing is far-fetched but what are your thoughts on it?

[Purplebunny]

I am a vegetarian, enough said!

[Skycat]

Some of it is not so far fetched, my extended family is made up of mostly farmers. Not commercial farms like PETA always has on their website, but family farms where the cattle do graze on the range and the chickens run around the farm yard. Heck I still remember the year one of the chickens got smart and laid her eggs in the cow pasture, my Grandma was soooo mad when this mother hen and her little chicks were trotting around the chicken coop.

Anyway, the chickens were killed by chopping off their heads with a sharp knife, and while I was never allowed in to watch the cows be slaughtered I know it was much much worse, cause you could hear them "screaming". So while their end was just as bad as the commercial farms, their lives were much better up to that point.

Unfortunately family farms can't support the demands of the consumers and on the flip side commercial farms are driving them out of business.

[Sasami]

Quote: Originally Posted by Purplebunny I am a vegetarian, enough said!

Same here.

[Millimi]

I'm a vegetarian as well.
Some members of my family are farmers as well, and they do often slaughter their sheep, lambs mostly, and cows. It is very sad to hear about, but these animals have a good life until they get slaughtered. Better that then being slaughtered so cruelly and never seeing the outside of the barn you were stuffed into.

[ratty_ratkins]

i do not eat animals raised by humans only to die to be our food.
thats all i got to say.

[Ilovesmepets]

I'm not a veggie. I have contemplated becoming one because of the horrible things that go on. I WISH that there was a way I could eat ONLY organic, free range meat, but its virtually impossible here. There are alot of cattle farms around here, but I think that they sell most of their stock to the big companies. I really don't know. We have a ton of chicken processing plants in my area and there are hundreds of farmers who raise chickens for Tyson, Goldkist, etc. The way they keep their chickens is horrible.
I hope to have my own free range farm one day, to feed me and my family. We will make our own cheese and milk too (well, the cows will). I think the way that goes on in industry is bad. When I was little, we always had plenty of free range chicken because my granny had chickens. I helped with the chickens when it was their time to go. She chopped their heads off. If there is another way to kill a chicken without high tech machines, please tell me. I guess when you are a kid, you don't really think about it. At the time, I enjoyed helping her. I played with the baby chickens and even made pets of a few, but I knew they were going to end up as dinner someday, and it didn't bother me. Now, having a pet chicken and having to kill it would bother me. Which makes me wonder about having to kill my cattle and chickens when I have them. I'll have to hire somebody to do it.
Sorry to get WAY off subject. Anyways, the way industry handles the animals is a sad, sad truth. Its always been that way, and I don't see it changing any time soon. If it bothers you ALOT, and you still want to eat meat, you have to find alternatives. Hunting for your own meat, finding a free range farm near you, or having your own free range farm are about the only alternatives. I for one will not watch the PETA videos. I know what goes on, I don't have to have it in my face. Slaughter is never pretty, nor is it clean. It is never a dignified way for an animal to die. But, to feed millions, it has to be done. Even if the animals are killed by other means than having their throats cut or what have you, it is still the same. If Ted Nudgent, one of the biggest enemies of veggies, saw that video, he'd tell you that those animals were wrongly treated. Those vids are edited in such a way that it touches on our senses. Whether its revulsion, pity, anger, or whatever. I better stop talkin, I could go on forever.

[Claire]

I'm vegetarian as well (vegan, actually), because I think factory farming is one of the most destructive habits practiced by humans. Not only are the animals subjected to horrible conditions, they have to be stuffed with anitibiotics in order to survive (and some still don't!) And people are eating that!!! That's why we've become so resistant to antibiotics. Factory farms also cause a lot of pollution from all that feces concentrated in one area, and they require mass deforestation to grow crops for the animals. Furthermore, the amount of land it takes to grow food for one cow compared to the amount of meat you can make out of that cow is extremely disproportionate. If all that food went directly to people, a lot more mouths could be fed.
Anyway, my point is, people are eating too much meat. Almost every type of food in the standard North American diet contains some form of animal derived ingredient. We put such high demands on the industry that they are forced to use facotry farms to satisfy us. I mean, how much milk can you produce with five cows happliy grazing on a huge field? Not enough for every American kid to have their cheerios every morning.
My philosophy is: consider your actions on a larger scale. What if everyone did what you do? If it doesn't work, it's wrong. If everyone wants meat, the consequences are huge. That's why I'm vegan.
P.S. There is lots of scientific evidence indicating that humans are meant to be herbivores. i.e. We don't have fangs for tearing flesh, and our intestines are extremely long (unlike the intestines of carnivorous animals). That means we require a lot of fibre in our diet to keep things moving. Plants have fibre. Meat doesn't.
P.P.S. Sorry if I sound like I'm lecturing. I don't hate meat-eaters

[Sasami]

Quote: Originally Posted by Claire I'm vegetarian as well (vegan, actually), because I think factory farming is one of the most destructive habits practiced by humans. Not only are the animals subjected to horrible conditions, they have to be stuffed with anitibiotics in order to survive (and some still don't!) And people are eating that!!! That's why we've become so resistant to antibiotics. Factory farms also cause a lot of pollution from all that feces concentrated in one area, and they require mass deforestation to grow crops for the animals. Furthermore, the amount of land it takes to grow food for one cow compared to the amount of meat you can make out of that cow is extremely disproportionate. If all that food went directly to people, a lot more mouths could be fed. Anyway, my point is, people are eating too much meat. Almost every type of food in the standard North American diet contains some form of animal derived ingredient. We put such high demands on the industry that they are forced to use facotry farms to satisfy us. I mean, how much milk can you produce with five cows happliy grazing on a huge field? Not enough for every American kid to have their cheerios every morning. My philosophy is: consider your actions on a larger scale. What if everyone did what you do? If it doesn't work, it's wrong. If everyone wants meat, the consequences are huge. That's why I'm vegan. P.S. There is lots of scientific evidence indicating that humans are meant to be herbivores. i.e. We don't have fangs for tearing flesh, and our intestines are extremely long (unlike the intestines of carnivorous animals). That means we require a lot of fibre in our diet to keep things moving. Plants have fibre. Meat doesn't. P.P.S. Sorry if I sound like I'm lecturing. I don't hate meat-eaters

I agree with all that. We buy only organic food for the most part because of the anti-biotics.

[sheruns]

I'm not a vegetarian either, even though I have read about farm animal abuse and am a member of Farm Sanctuary. I object both to the way our animals are raised and by the inhumane slaughter process. I would have much less objection if the animals lived a free range existence and suffered much less in the cattle yards. All I can say is I have made it a point not to eat baby animals - veal, lamb, etc., and my protein is mainly from soy products.

[Phoebe'sBean]

I'm not a vegetarian, but I'm not at all for bad treatment of animals. My step mom's step dad.. (my step-step grandpa? ) owns a whole ton of cows. Most of them are red, but he's got a few variations. He absolutely LOVES those cows, but a lot of them do get sent to slaughter, mostly his bulls. He has one bull now, Millenium, and several littles ones roaming. He showed me one when I went to visit. It was red/white baby who had a big heart star on his head - They named him El Corazon, and Bobby has BIG plans for him. But he does care for the cow before he sends them out. They're the best looking ones in that ranch area. The others are all skinny, eating cactus, etc.. Bobby's are fat and healthy and have huge watering holes. So I 've seen some bad farmers, but they're not all so bad. It's just a living, I suppose

[mxmvlcty]

I do not hate meat-eaters, and I respect anyone's decision to do as they please.

However, I find it hard to understand how anyone who loves animals enough to be a part of this forum could eat meat, especially if they are aware of how the animals we eat live their lives. PETA may be overboard in their attempts to sway people, but at the very least, their videos get people talking. You may think that degus are different from cows, dogs from pigs, and budgies from chickens. But all these animals can suffer, and a farm animal is no less intelligent, social, or equal than your pet.

There are also very real environmental and health concerns about eating meat. As mentioned, factory farming does a real number on resources and space, and produces more waste yearly than any other industry. And not only is factory farmed meat pumped full of chemicals, the animals live in cramped conditions where disease runs rampant, and meat in general contains a lot of fat.

You can live a healthy life (sometimes more than meat-eaters!) with a vegetarian or vegan diet. If anyone would like suggestions or ideas for food, recipes, or help making the transition, I would be more than happy to help out.

Again, I respect everyone's eating choices. It's hard to show people how good cutting meat out of their diets can be with over-the-top organizations making us look like the bad guys, but I promise I only offer rational, sensical, and reasonable arguments.

You can easily make a difference, for animals and for yourself!