Question for organic meat eaters.....?

Question

I recently read that organic farmers may not give medicine to animals who are suffering because the farmer can get a higher price for their meat and milk if the animals retain organic status. Studies have found that up to one-third of pigs on some organic farms are suffering from untreated infections, and reports also state that organic pigs often suffer from internal and external parasites, which could be passed on to the people who eat them. Organic chickens on some farms suffer from higher mortality rates than drugged chickens because extremely crowded and filthy housing conditions can lead to parasites and cannibalism. When the udders of cows on organic dairy farms become infected from frequent milkings, many farmers don’t give the cows medicine because then their milk would lose the organic label, which allows the product to be sold at a higher price...
So my question is, do you still feel good about eating organic or has this changed your mind?

For anyone who thinks im being one sided or biased I can assure you I am not. I am not a vegetarian but have been considering it for health reasons & in doing some research on the subject this is just something I came across. I was surprised by this information & thought I would share it & get oppinions. I am also sorry if this should of been in another category, I have not posted a Q on here before.

Answer 1

I don't eat meat at all. I Think the organic label is grim when you point out that the animals are treat badly ie like not giving them medicines to ensure the milk/meat is organic. I'm so glad that I'm a vegan.

Answer 2

I think that the point here is that there are responsible organic meat producers and irresponsible ones.I don't follow the logic that because some organic producers are doing what you describe then there is either a case for eating inorganic meats or abstaining from all meats.
I agree with your premise that disreputable farmers need to be put out of business but there are many who follow the organic route and have genuine concern for their animals' wellbeing beyond and before considerations of profit.
The concept of organic farming encompasses other ideologies such as 'free range' and when these are harnessed together there should be a marked reduction in animal disease and therefore the need for any treatment over and above
homeopathic remedies.And that is what the responsible organic farmer is seeking to achieve.
CJD is an example of how tampering with traditional feeding methods kills humans and this,of course stemmed from those not committed to organic methods.

Answer 3

"Organic" refers to the farming technique...with animals, it probably means they are fed organic grain and such. But that is no guarantee that the animals aren't mistreated before or during slaughter. Multiple scientific studies have shown that a vegetarian diet is a smart choice for ones body. I wasn't aware that meat had any beneficial enzymes, but I'm sure there are supplements that can be taken to replace them. Carnivores have shorter intestines so that the small amount of nutrition in their kill can be processed and excreted as waste quickly and efficiently. Herbivores, however, have long intestines to absorb ALL of the many nutrients in plants (fruits and veggies). Digestion is slower, and more vitamins and minerals are absorbed. Humans have intestines that are multiple times longer than their bodies. When a human being ingests meat, it takes a while to process, causing the tissue to rot in ones stomach. Eww. Not pleasant, or beneficial to ones health. I would try to engage him in a dialogue...let him know that whatever he thinks he is getting from meat is easily replaced with supplements and that his sirloin steak isn't worth the life of an innocent animal. He's an animal lover...and as a doctor, he should understand (and perhaps consider) your vegetarianism if you present the facts. Hope this helped. :)

Answer 4

And did you know that there are also some organic farms that will give medicine to their sick animals, but they will keep the animal from slaughter for a certain amount of time after the medication is done so that it will be completely out of their system(and they also keep the milk from being sold in the same way)? Don't be so one-sided on an issue, and you might be surprised what you learn.

Answer 5

The opposite of that is that many farmers load their animals up with antibiotics, which both get passed to us and into the waste supply and therefore into the ground and water supply.

We need to be able to treat some individual animals without denying treatment to all, nor drugging all either.

Answer 6

I don't believe giving antibiotics to treat illness disqualifies an animal to be considered organic-only if they are fed to cause the animals to gain weight more quickly.

Answer 7

Not really
I buy locally at small scale farms. A lot of these farms are organic, they just dont pay the extra for accreditation.

Answer 8

there are down sides to every thing. You have to decide for your self what side effect are you will to live with. Anything an animal is treated with is passed as well.

Answer 9

Excellent post! CLAP, CLAP, CLAP. I am a veggie, and unfortunately, I doubt you will change the minds of the die hard meat eaters. They simply cannot wrap their brains around the concept-guess their minds are toxic from all that meat. You nailed it! Thanks I am giving you a big star!

Answer 10

it certainly has changed my mind..how disgusting not to treat a sick animal...just for money!! i will pass this info onto all of my friends - this is a good question!