Overview of “Humane” Meat, Dairy & Eggs
As the public grows increasingly aware of factory farm cruelties, many consumers are removing animal products from their diets, or purchasing them from companies that advertise improved animal welfare.
Others similarly turn to smaller or local farms, believing that animals on small farms are not subjected to cruel practices.
Unfortunately, many of the abuses inflicted on animals in conventional factory farms are also standard practice on small and higher welfare farms.
These standard procedures include:
- painful mutilations without painkillers;
- crude and invasive forced artificial insemination techniques;
- heart-wrenching separation of mothers and newborn calves for dairy;
- the killing of hundreds of millions of “surplus” male calves and chicks; and
- the same factory farm style transport and slaughter practices (see below).
Below is general information about the processes involved in the production of meat, dairy, and egg products, even on farms with higher welfare (or less cruel) practices.
