Factory Farming

This page contains images that are disturbing, they are real images of "factory farms".

Also, this page is not affiliated nor endorsed by Farm Sanctuary. They offer great information and photos, which have been credited to them.

The life of an egg producing hen is spent in a battery cage, too small to move, lift wings or peck at the ground. She will be stacked over, below, and beside thousands of other hens. She will be debeaked to avoid causing injury (distressed chickens peck at each other or themselves). Her feathers will wear away when she puts her neck through the wires. Instead of the beautiful bird she was born to be she will look like a mutant. Her body will be taxed from egg production (calcium is lost when producing eggs. After a year, if she makes it that long, she will be destroyed. Her calcium depleted bones will likely break in transport, "They usually end up in soups, pot pies, or similar low-grade chicken meat products in which their bodies can be shredded to hide the bruises from consumers." (Farmsanctuary.org) Some operations just throw the hens into a woodchipper.


Battery Chickens Image from Farmsanctuary.org

Today's "broiler" chickens have been genetically modified and pumped full of hormones making them grow too fast for their bodies. They often die from heart or leg problems before they reach slaughter weight at only 6 weeks old. Apparently the industry thinks it is worth the losses. These chickens are kept in huge houses, crammed in. They have beaks cut as well, and live in disgusting conditions. When taken to the slaughterhouse hens are thrown into cages, misses being crushed by machinery or dying of exposure. Many die on the way because the cages are not protected from the elements.

Chickens are slaughtered in assembly line fashion. They are shackled upside down and then stunned by an electrical bath, however the current is usually too low and the birds are not stunned effectively. They are still capable of feeling pain. Next they have their throats slashed by a blade, the blade misses many that are thrashing about from not being stunned. Next they are boiled. Those still thrown into the boiling tank alive are known as "redskins".




Broiler Chickens Farm Sanctuary

The veal industry is dependent on the dairy industry. It is a way to "deal" with unwanted male calves. The calves are put into a wooden crate with no room to turn around, this supposedly keeps them tender because they don't develop muscle. They are fed a deficient milk substitute to make them anemic so that their flesh is light colored.

In order to produce milk, a cow must first give birth. The dairy cow on a factory farm is forced to have a calf every year. It takes a cow nine months of pregnancy, just like humans. Having a baby every year is very tough on the cow.

Because of genetic modification cows produce 100 times the milk that they would naturally. Normally a cow would live twenty years, but due to the stress on their bodies and diseases related to their milk production cows are made into ground beef in just a few years.

"The abuse wreaked upon the bodies of dairy cows is so intense that the dairy industry also is a huge source of "downed animals" - animals who are so sick or injured that they are unable to walk even stand. Investigators have documented downed animals routinely being beaten, dragged, or pushed with bulldozers in attempts to move them to slaughter." (Farm Sanctuary)

Calves are often born on the range, exposed to the elements and left to forage for their food. They do not receive veterinary care, many get cancer eye, which leaves a hole in their face when left untreated.

Most beef cattle spend the last few months of their lives at feedlots, crowded by the thousands into dusty, manure-laden holding pens. The air is thick with harmful bacteria and particulate matter, and the animals are at a constant risk for respiratory disease. Feedlot cattle are routinely implanted with growth-promoting hormones, and they are fed unnaturally rich diets designed to fatten them quickly and profitably. Because cattle are biologically suited to eat a grass-based, high fiber diet, their concentrated feedlot rations contribute to metabolic disorders. (Farm Sanctuary)

Slaughter is supposed to be highly efficient, however machines are overtaxed which causes them to be less effective. Cows are hung upside down, they are supposed to be stunned but often this is ineffective, they move to the knife station alive and concious.

Foie gras means "fatty liver". Ducks and geese are forcefed food multiple times a day with a metal pipe. Their livers expand to ten times the normal size and the birds become very overweight. Their diseased livers are then sold as a delicacy.



Female Ducklings Thrown in the Garbage
[Images from Farm Sanctuary]

Factory farming is a huge contributer to pollution. It is also dangerous to human health. The genetically manipulated, diseased and hormone injected food produced has been suspected of causing many health problems.

Start and Mail in a No Foie Gras Petitionor order free materials for an anti-foie gras campaign

Donate to Farm Sanctuary

Donate to the ASPCA


10 Ways You Can Help Fight Factory Farms from the ASPCA

Choose the Certified Humane Label

Buy from a local farmer! Look for farmer's markets or if you are really lucky like we are, a coop full of produce and meat from local farmers.

Raise your own animals! Even if you don't want to be a farmer, raising hens is very rewarding visit my chicken lenses.