veganism: I've recently gone Vegan (within the past month) and my mother doesn't approve. She believes that free-range animals, milk cows, laying hens, etc. are all treated humanely. Personally, I think it's a lie. Are they treated better? Treated "humanely", as in nice living space, fresh grass, etc.??|||“Just because it says free-range does not mean that it is welfare-friendly.” —Dr. Charles Olentine, editor of Egg Industry magazine, an industry trade journal As concern grows over the way the meat, egg, and dairy industries treat the animals we eat, so does the number of animal products labeled "free-range." What does this mean? Do "free-range" chickens, pigs, turkeys, and cows receive humane treatment? Are they slaughtered in less violent ways? "Free-Range" Eggs There is no inspection system for companies that label their eggs "free-range." The popular myth that "free-range" egg-laying hens enjoy fresh grass, bask in the sunlight, scratch the earth, sit on their nests, and engage in other natural habits is often just that: a myth. In many commercial "free-range" egg farms, hens are crowded inside windowless sheds with little more than a single, narrow exit leading to an enclosure, too small to accommodate all of the birds at once. Both battery cage and "free-range" egg hatcheries kill all male chicks shortly after birth. Since male chicks cannot lay eggs and are different breeds than those chickens raised for meat, they are of no use to the egg industry. Standard killing methods, even among "free-range" producers, include grinding male chicks alive or throwing them into trash bags and leaving them to suffocate. Whether kept in sheds or cages, laying hens-who can naturally live more than ten years-are considered "spent" when they are just one or two years old and their productivity wanes. Rather than being retired, "free range" hens are slaughtered to make room for another shed of birds. "Free-Range" Broiler Chickens Birds raised for meat ("broilers") may be considered "free-range" if they have U.S. Department of Agriculture-certified access to the outdoors. No other criteria-environmental quality, the size of the outdoor area, the number of birds confined in a single shed, or the indoor or outdoor space allotted per animal-are considered in applying the label. As with "free-range" laying hens, many "free-range" broilers live in a facility with only one small opening at the end of a large shed, permitting only a few birds to go outside at any given time. Even Richard Lobb, spokesperson for the National Chicken Council admits, "Even in a free-range type of style of production, you're basically going to find most of them inside the grow out facility…." According to The Washington Post Magazine, in the case of birds, the term "free-range" "doesn't really tell you anything about the [animal's]…quality of life, nor does it even assure that the animal actually goes outdoors." Aside from the birds' actual living conditions, there is no prohibition in "free-range" poultry farming against using breeds of chickens and turkeys who have been selectively bred for fast growth and high feed conversion. In the 1950s, it took 84 days to raise a five-pound chicken. Due to selective breeding and growth-promoting drugs, it now takes only 45 days. Such fast growth causes chickens to suffer from a number of chronic health problems, including leg disorders and heart disease. According to one study, 90 percent of broilers had detectable leg problems, while 26 percent suffered chronic pain as a result of bone disease. Two researchers in The Veterinary Record report, "We consider that birds might have been bred to grow so fast that they are on the verge of structural collapse."Industry journal Feedstuffs reports, "[B]roilers now grow so rapidly that the heart and lungs are not developed well enough to support the remainder of the body, resulting in congestive heart failure and tremendous death losses." Whether labeled "free-range" or not, if the birds used by agribusiness are the standard "broiler" chicken of today, buying these products involves an enormous amount of animal suffering. And, as with factory-farmed birds raised for their meat, "free-range" chickens and turkeys may undergo the same grueling and sometimes fatal transport to slaughterhouses when reaching market weight. Workers gather these birds up to four at a time, carrying them upside down by their legs before throwing them into crates on multi-tiered trucks without protection from the heat or cold and without access to food or water. "Free-range" birds end up at the same slaughterhouses as factory-farmed birds, where they are hung upside down, have their throats slit, and bleed to death, often while still fully conscious. "Free-Range" Cows, Sheep, and Pigs According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), "free-range" beef, pork, and other non-poultry products are loosely defined as coming from animals who ate grass and lived on a range. No other criteria-such as the size of the range or the amount of space given to each animal-are required before beef, lamb, and pork can be called "free-range." "Free-range" and "free-roaming" facilities are rarely inspected or verified to be in compliance with these two criteria. The USDA relies "upon producer testimonials to support the accuracy of these claims." Even when "free-range" cows, sheep, and pigs are allowed to live outdoors, they are still subjected to excruciating mutilations without painkiller or analgesic, such as castration, branding, dehorning, tail-docking, and tooth-grinding. Once they are fattened to market weight, they are trucked to slaughterhouses. They are denied food, water, and adequate protection from extreme temperatures once in the vehicles, and many die during the trip. These cows, sheep, and pigs are still slaughtered in the same violent ways as factory-farmed animals: They are pushed through narrow chutes, hung upside down on conveyor belts, and have their throats slit; some are dismembered while still fully conscious. Is a Truly Free-Range World Possible? The U.S. animal agribusiness industry currently confines and slaughters more than ten billion land animals each year, the overwhelming majority of whom live intensively confined on factory farms where many cannot even turn around or fully stretch their limbs. Would it be possible to raise ten billion animals without intense confinement? Probably not. If intense confinement operations were banned, it's highly unlikely producers could supply an entire nation of 280 million meat-, egg-, and dairy consumers with enough animal products to sustain the typical American diet. So, without even considering the ethical problems inherent in raising and slaughtering animals for food, from a practical perspective, completely humane farming and slaughtering methods aren't possible. The Bottom Line Granted, living in cramped conditions is better than living in even more cramped conditions. Laying hens who have 67 square inches of space per bird likely suffer less than those who have only 50, and giving even 10 out of 10,000 turkeys access to sunlight and the outdoors is better than denying all of them such basic needs. But, clearly, commercial "free-range" farming is not the answer to ending animal abuse.|||I grew up on a farm. We slaughtered our free range animals in the back yard. I think the way they do the job at a modern processing plant is far more humane, not to mention more sanitary. Its done under Federal inspection. Frankly animals are generally treated far better by humans than they are treated by other animals. As they say nature is red in tooth and claw, humans are the only ones capable of humane treatment. "there are insects of prey, reptiles of prey, birds of prey, fishes of prey, quadrupeds of prey. There is no instant of time when one creature is not being devoured by another."|||that all depends on what your beliefs are|||No they are not. For more information check out http://www.vegan.com and download the two shows that Erik debates Gary Francione. Gary does a great job explaining all of this free-range nonsense that groups like HSUS are pushing.|||It depends. I get my organic free range eggs from someone local. The chickens are quite free and happy.|||i don't have any proof, but i think those animals are all happy, with lots of room to roam and play with each other, and no curfues, they can stay out late and watch the stars and they got air conditened rooms, and they got healthy food and a doctor on staff, and they're not forced to do anything if a hen don'twant to lay eggs, then she can have the day off if the cow don't want to be milked, she can go home early and play with her baby cow|||Not all, but possibly some are. The smaller farms probably do a better job of raising their animals humanely, but you're not going to find their stuff at a Wal-Mart. You'll have better luck finding their products at a farmer's market, possibly at a store like Whole Foods, or through word of mouth. Just reading the words "free range" doesn't automatically mean that the animals are happy. It pays to learn about the farm and farmer/s. If it's possible, actually visit the farm. See the living conditions of the animals. (BTW, this is a good idea with fruit and vegetable farms, too!)|||You are right .... Many free range range animals do have better conditions then those in factory farms , there is less cruelty , but to what degree .. aside from very small farms which are practically non existent today ...there are still practices and treatment that is certainly not to benefit the animals and can be cruel ..physically and emotionally .. hens can be considered free range being kept in large rooms..never going outside, they are debeaked because having so many upsets their pecking order and the begin to peck each other causing injuries..so is this for their own good as someone has said here ? or is it because the conditions are so overcrowded that they can only keep a pecking order to about 80 kept in one area ... and then they get confused, frustrated,stressed , upset...they are still prisoners in a big cell.. Just to clarify..very small farms with the 80 or so chickens or more then 80 but kep under better conditions and seperated to groups..never have to be debeaked ..I wonder why since it is really better for them.to have part of the beaks cut off with a sharp blade ....OK .... I am getting sarcastic..sorry...... they are still considered property and not treated as you would your pet or even an animal in nature ... how do you feel about guard dogs...placed on chains , confined and never getting any Love , affection, attention to them..they just have a job to do ? Do you think they suffer at all? Feel bad? Not have the greatest lives ? ..just a comparison but guard dogs have it a lot better then the farm animals .... even free range|||Free range animals are given more space to roam and live in their natural surroundings, instead of penned up and de-beaked in slaughterhouses. Of course, they are still killed for meat and produce. I'm not sure if you can consider that humane, according to your philosophy. P.S. I eat meat.|||Every company is different and it's hard to tell what products are the most animal-friendly, although I'm betting that PETA's website can tell you where to find it. I think dairy products should still be okay for vegans who care about animal rights. For example, if you DON'T milk a cow, that is bad for the cow...so it's more humane to milk it, and you might as well use the milk. Not exactly a groundbreaking reference but it's just an example.|||I am an animal science major and a vegetarian. I used to do it mostly for animal rights reasons, and now I do it mainly because I personally find eating meat gross. Any how, in both large production companies, and small free range companies, the animals aren't necessarily treated as terribly as PETA shows. All chickens are debeaked to prevent them from eating each other. And the term debeaked is misleading. In both large companies and in small free range farms the chickens have the very tip of their beaks cut off at 1 day of age and it really is for their own good. For the most part, any body who invests the time or money into raising animals, even if it is for meat, do not necessarily wish to cause the animals harm. They have some interest in the animals, but farmers need to make a living somehow. They do confine them and stuff many of them in one tiny space, in all animals industries, but thats a matter of saving money. But free-range does not necessarily mean that the animal is pampered and is living a lovely life. The term free-range refers only to the fact that the birds are not in cages. Sometimes free-range birds are still stuffed into a confined space, many of them at that. If you will only consume animal products if the animals are treated humanely, I recommend seeking out products from small family owned farms. That is your best bet in ensuring the animals are free to roam around on land, and that they have the best possible treatment.