Animal Agriculture “The average person is still under the aberrant delusion that food should be somebody else's responsibility until I'm ready to eat it.” - Joel Salatin

Domestication As with plants, each of the animals we now raise as a source of food once lived in the wild. Generations of breeding, artificial selection, has resulted in domesticated animals grow larger and produce more food, but are now dependent on us to grow. Also similar to plants, animals are grown in more crowded conditions to maximize production for each farm. These operations are called Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO).

Cattle Beef and dairy cattle are descendants of aurochs, grazing mammals that lived across Europe, Northern Africa, India, and Central Asia. Most likely lived in herds in open grassland areas. Went extinct in 1627 due to overhunting, loss of habitat, and diseases spread from domesticated cattle.

Beef Cattle Similar to their ancestors, beef cattle begin life on open pasture or rangeland.

All cattle are ruminants, meaning they have a large stomach compartment called the rumen that can break plant matter down into a form that they can extract nutrients from. The process is called fermentation – bacteria actually digest the plant matter into simpler sugars. This is a mutualistic relationship – both species benefit.

Cannulated Cow. Dirty Jobs, Season 5, Episode 21.

Feedlots Once the calves reach about 6-8 months of age, they are moved to a feedlot to be “finished”. The process of finishing involves minimizing the movement of the cattle and providing them a much more energy intensive diet. These cattle gain weight much more rapidly than if they were raised in the pasture.

Feedlots also produce a tremendous amount of manure, in some cases more than an entire small city. Satellite Image: Coronado Feeders, Dalhart Texas. By Mishka Henner

Finishing the cattle on a diet of grains has a few adverse health effects on the animals. More fat is produced and deposited in the muscle. Acidosis, a unusually high rate of acidity in the blood and digestive system. This promotes the growth of acid-resistant E. Coli bacteria, which cause food poisoning in humans.

Dairy Production Dairy cows, like other mammals, produce milk to feed to their young. Humans have harnessed this by breeding dairy cattle every 12-14 months and collecting their milk.

About 80 percent of milk is produced in factory farms. Cows are raised indoors. They are grouped and herded into milking stations twice a day. Large producers are able to schedule their cows so they are constantly milking one part of the herd, 24/7!

Dairy Farm Tour – Milking Station

Hormones Some dairy cattle are injected with growth hormones that maximize the length their peak milk production time. These hormones also increase the risk of mastitis, an infection of the udders. Many dairy companies have discontinued the use of these hormones due to public demand.

Pasteurization Most milk is pasteurized, which means it is heated to a high temperature to kill most of the bacteria that can cause food poisoning or milk spoilage. Pasteurized milk has a shelf-life of 2-3 weeks Ultra-pasteurized milk (higher temperature treatment) has a shelf life of 2-3 months.

Veal Female beef and dairy calves are usually kept within the herd. Male calves become veal. They are fed an iron-deficient milk replacer and raised in confined crates to minimize their movements.

Meat produced from veal calves has a more pale color, as the muscle tissue is anemic.

Chickens The domestic chicken comes from the Red Junglefowl, which is native to India and much of Asia. The birds are omnivorous, feeding on insects, fruit, and seeds.

There are two main types of domesticated chickens. Laying hens have been bred for high levels of egg production (~250/year). Broiler hens have been bred to grow large and quickly.

Laying Hens The vast majority of hens that supply eggs, over 90%, are raised in rows and columns of small, identical battery cages. Female chicks are placed in the cages, in groups of cour, and spend their entire lives there. Each hen gets a space about the size of a 8½ x 11 sheet of paper. Feeding and egg collection is automated. Light levels are near constant, at least 17 hours per day.

The restricted space in battery cages leads to an unusual amount of aggression among the hens. To prevent injuries, chicks are debeaked and declawed. The Animals Film.

Broiler Hens Broiler hens have much larger thighs and breasts than other breeds of chickens. Reach full slaughter weight in 2 months. Broiler chickens are raised in pens instead of cages to prevent bruising of the meat.

Food, Inc.

Pigs Domesticated pigs are bred from wild boars, native across Europe, Asia, and northern Africa. Adult males live alone, while females and offspring travel in large groups. Boars are omnivores, feeding on mostly plant matter but also insects, worms, eggs, and even small mammals.

Domesticated pigs, especially pink-skinned ones, are very sensitive to sunburn and heat stress. Raised indoors in temperature-controlled batch pens. Tails are often cut off at birth to prevent biting.

Slaughter When animals reach full size, they are sent to a facility to be slaughtered and prepared for human use. The Federal Humane Slaughter Act requires that all animals be rendered unconscious beforehand. Exceptions are made for Kosher and Halal animals, which remain conscious.

Livestock Slaughter Pigs and cattle are mostly slaughtered with a device called a stunner. Injects a metal bolt between the animal’s eyes. Chains are attached to the animal’s rear legs, which raise it up and deliver it to another person that cuts its aorta with a long knife. The animal is then sent through several other stations that clean it, remove the hide, and cut the muscle into the different portions of meat.

Cattle Slaughterhouse

Poultry Slaughter Chickens are stunned either by passing the birds through a low- voltage electric field or exposing them to high concentrations of carbon dioxide gas. Pigs and poultry are briefly placed into a bath of boiling hot water immediately after slaughter. Makes feather and hair removal much easier.

Euthanasia Euthanasia is the practice of intentionally ending a life to relieve pain and suffering. Poultry and livestock may be euthanized if they are very sick, lame, or otherwise unfit to be raised to slaughter weight. Legal requirements for euthanasia vary by state.

Health Issues Intensive factory farming of animals has created a lot of secondary health effects in both the animals and humans. Antibiotics are administered to all animals in a large operation to reduce the amount of illness and maximize their growth rate. About 70-80% of the antibiotics manufactured in the U.S. are used on animals.

Food Recalls Bacteria that cause food poisoning, such as E. coli and Salmonella, are common in large animal operations due to the amount of manure and overall health of the animals. One of the most likely animal products to be contaminated is ground beef, since a vat of it will often contain meat from many animals.

Manure Manure will be collected in large “lagoons” and stored until it can be sprayed as fertilizer on nearby fields. In the meantime, it can runoff into nearby water sources and produce a terrible odor.

Alternative Animal Agriculture Cage-Free means that the animals are not kept in battery cages. Confined pens may still be used. Certified Humane animals “must be able to perform natural behaviors such as nesting”. Free range animals receive a certain minimum amount of outdoor access. Organic means that the animals were raised with organic feed and not given antibiotics.

Fresh.

Labels Some meats are labeled as “no hormones”. The use of hormones is illegal in poultry. Vegetarian-fed simply means the animals are fed grains such as corn.

Grass-fed beef and milk must be given free outdoor access during the growing season, and may not be fed grain (e.g. corn).

The USDA shield is applied to steaks based on the amount of marbling (fat). USDA Prime has the most, followed by choice. USDA select is the leanest.

There is no legal definition of the “natural” or “all natural” designation on foods.