Thinking Intelligently About Animal Agriculture What is the difference between animal rights and animal welfare?

What do you think? Share your responses from bell work. So how do you define animal rights and animal welfare?

And now, from the experts… Animal rights, as defined by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (largest animal rights organization in the world) “Animals are not ours to use for food, clothing, entertainment, experimentation, or any other purpose and that animals deserve consideration of their best interests regardless… regardless of whether any human cares about them at all.”

On the flipside The American Veterinary Medical Association (on the website of the Animal Welfare Council) says: “Animal Welfare is a human responsibility that encompasses all aspects of animal well-being, including proper housing, management, disease prevention and treatment, responsible care, humane handling, and, when necessary, humane euthanasia.”

So what does this mean? Animal rights - animals have rights similar to or equal to those of humans Animal welfare - it is our responsibility to care for the well-being of animals

Animal Rights ≠ Animal Welfare Animal welfare is a necessity!

5 Freedoms under Animal Welfare Freedom from hunger or thirst Freedom from discomfort Freedom from pain, injury, or disease Freedom to express most normal behavior Free from fear or distress

Taking a look at controversial issues Animal management practices are often misunderstood. As agriculturalists, regardless of whether or not we live on a farm, we need to know why they are used. We’ll take a look at several controversial practices today.

HUNTING (for food) PROS CONS Tradition; Seen as important skill from ancestors Can manage populations to improve ecology Supplies food Well-regulated (bag limits, size limits, etc.) Stimulates the economy- selling supplies (guns, license, etc.) CONS Can be considered brutal Usually unnecessary in developed countries Animals can suffer Can be dangerous for the hunter, other people/property, and wildlife Overhunting can destroy populations  extinction

Gestation Crates AKA sow stall Metal enclosure used in intensive pig farming, in which a female breeding pig (sow) may be kept during pregnancy and for most of her adult life.

GESTATION CRATES PROS CONS Can monitor food intake Keeps sows away from aggressive animals Controlled climate and weather Less stress (?) Sows don’t need a lot of room when pregnant or to farrow CONS Small area = no room to turn around Often seen as cruel or inhumane More stress-related behavior (?) (bar chewing) Lack of socialization (less normal interaction) Small pens get messy quickly

Animal Testing

ANIMAL TESTING PROS CONS Has been used to develop medical treatments, determine medicine toxicity, check product safety, etc. Not many good alternatives (human testing is more ethically controversial) Well-regulated housing and transport Minimum guidelines are good enough CONS Can be considered cruel and in humane (animal can’t say NO) Research can yield irrelevant and unexpected results Experiments themselves are not always regulated Animals may be in pain or stress/fear There could be better alternatives (?)

Battery Cages Housing system used primarily for layers The name arises from the arrangement of rows and columns of identical cages conne cted together, sharing common divider walls, as in the cells of a battery.

PROS CONS BATTERY CAGES Waste falls through bottom of cage (better hygiene) Easier to control diseases and viruses Egg collection easier Production costs are lower Lower mortality rate CONS Prevents natural behavior like dust baths, nesting, etc. May increase aggression May reduce bone strength Can cause foot issues and sores Feather loss

Horse Products In the U.S. aside from keeping them as pets, using them for racing, or training to use as work animals, some facilities harvest horses for meat or to make other different products and by- products. Animal glue: made from the collagen connective tissues, hooves, and bones Gelatin is also made from similar tissues, skin, bones (but not hooves)

PROS CONS HORSE SLAUGHTER (U.S) Good for horse market (keeps prices up) Good business/sales opportunity Horses currently have to be shipped to Mexico/Canada Better regulations in the U.S. (new bill passed July 2017) CONS Most horses are/were pets Slaughter houses are designed for cattle (inhumane/unsafe) Environmentally dangerous (lots of waste) Not enough demand in U.S.

Animal Attitudes Choose a DIFFERENT color marker, pen, pencil, or highlighter, answer again. Total your scores at the bottom of the page.

Animal Attitudes How did your score change? 30-50= You favor strong animal welfare philosophies 51-75= You favor moderate animal welfare philosophies 76-104= You are neutral and acknowledge both philosophies 105-129= You favor moderate animal rights philosophies 130-150= You favor strong animal rights philosophies How did your score change?

Now Choose one issue we discussed Hunting Gestation Crate Animal testing Battery cages Horse Slaughter On the back of your AAA, draw two thought bubbles, label one “animal welfare” and the other “animal rights”. Using your understanding of the pros and cons, write a statement representing each side of the issue.