Factory farming is a dirty business. The life forms that evolved on this planet and were eventually domesticated by humans were never meant to be packed shoulder to shoulder in cramped, artificially lit structures. It’s easy to dismiss their suffering, to ease the mind by saying “Well, they were raised to be eaten by us. Their only purpose is to be used as food”. While this is true, those same creatures also feel pain, frustration and sadness just like your own pet dog or cat.
Pigs in a packed factory farm
Pigs are highly social, curious animals that are smarter than dogs and just as intelligent and loyal. In factory farms, their natural instincts to burrow, roll in the dirt, run around, and do anything else that comes naturally are denied for their entire lives. Piglets are taken away from their distraught mothers after just a few weeks, and their tails are chopped off, the ends of their teeth are snipped off with pliers, and the males are castrated. No painkillers are given to ease their suffering. Studies show that piglets who have been separated from their mothers after a few weeks suffer increased anxiety and aggression and have diminished problem-solving abilities than piglets who were raised normally.
Wild pigs in their natural habitat
You can help stop this abuse by pledging to stop eating the products of these large scale corporations. We can stop these companies by hitting them where it hurts. Buy pork that has been certified as free-range and naturally raised. Or you can make a change like my family made - stop eating pork altogether.
The article on antibiotics are very good.
KrisBelucci
June 2nd, 2009
[...] stopsmithfieldfoods.com“Factory farming is a dirty business.” Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the founder of Waterkeeper [...]
Sweet, Green, Indiana – After Gutenberg
October 10th, 2009