The animals we eat - how do they grow up?

Question

I moved to the US not long ago. I would like to know how animals that serve the US population as food (chickens, cows, pigs) are being held over here.
I'm originally from Europe, and the situation over there is not always pleasant, with chickens being held in cages and pigs and cows in small stables due to the lack of space.
Also: are they given hormones (i.e. for growth)?
Any farmers here that could answer my question?

Answer 1

in North America the situations for livestock are often worse (the UK is one of the more humane keepers of livestock)
chickens are kept in tiny over crowded cages - they have their beaks cut off at age of 1 day (so they dont peck each other in such crowded conditions) the males are ground up into pet food at 1 day of age...chickens lives are short - egg layers are forced to lay massive amounts of eggs in a short time which of course shortens their lifespan - all in all chickens are probably the worst off
beef cattle are either free range or in feedlot - but most are finished in feedlots - overcrowded pens where they eat and poop eat and poop - pretty boring
pigs same thing
sheep usually have it slightly better but lambs dont live long enough to know
dairy cattle sometimes are kept in the barn all day, as are goats
yup hormones are given here - which is often the reason kids are maturing sexually younger and younger (girls getting their periods at age 8-9)

what can you do?? eat less meat, certainly eat less chicken
select FREE RANGE Eggs only

I live in the country and have sheep and have worked with livestock

Answer 2

It depends on the types of meat you choose to consume. There are many website that document the horrors of farmed meat, so you might want to do an internet search for them.

Typically, earthly animals are treated horribly before slaughter. Chickens with broken legs, boiled alive, and tortured often make it to your dinner plate. Cows that have been branded, beaten, broken, watch while the others are slaughtered, or attempt to be slaughtered. Often, they miss the bolt gun or the blade and end up being butchered alive. Pigs are shipped so tightly in their trip to the slaughter house that they frequently suffer rectal prolapses (their intestines come out through thier anus), and there are numerous stories of them being butchered alive and waiting in line watching as the others squeal in pain.

Ocean Meat (fish) are often kept in tight pens and fed unnatural and chemical food pellets. They may be gutted alive or simply frozen to death. Those that are line caught have the pain of struggling against a hook for however long it takes to reel them in. The hook is them either cut and left in the mouth or torn from it. The by-catch of the fishing industry (including crabbing, shrimping, lobstering, etc) is immense. Dolphins, turtles, and other sea life are often caught in the lines and killed. Eating a shrimp dinner isn't just shrimp. You are also responsible for the dolphins and manatees that died in the process of catching the crab.

The only way to avoid this is to search for free-range and ethical slaughter meat packers. And even then, your choice are limited and not necessarily what you think they are. There is little regulation on labeling and defining 'free range' and 'ethical', so what one company considers free range, you may find abhorrant.

Answer 3

The situation here is the same, if not worse. I would suggest you look at this website. Yes, they are given growth hormones. You should consider reading the book Mad Cowboy by Howard F. Lyman, a former cattle farmer.

http://www.factoryfarming.com

or http://www.factoryfarming.com/gallery.htm

Answer 4

The conditions are no better here. I would also assume hormones unless it's organic. See the FDA's website for the definition of organic and its exceptions.

Answer 5

Well we arent very nice to them thats for sure. Check out the website below. It has some good information.

Answer 6

Well lets just say we don't let them live in the lap of luxury and we certainly don't kill them with kindness.