An Overview of Animal Welfare & Animal Rights Topic #3013 Tracey Hoffman

Overview Definitions Activists charges How producers can respond to activists views Setting the standards Animals in research

Why is this an issue? America’s idea of what a farm should be –Grazing pastures –Ideas come from children books, TV, etc. What America’s farms are becoming –Confinement rearing –Large scale production

Animal Welfare Proper care of animals Humane treatment is supported by producers Proper treatment keeps animals more productive Humans have more rights than animals, BUT are responsible for humane treatment

Animal Rights Animals have legal and ethical rights, just as humans Feel animals suffer unnecessary pain & stress Want animal agriculture abolished Extreme views are to eliminate animal use –food, clothing, leisure, or research

Activists charges producers: Pumping drugs into animals Undue stress on the animals Confinement jeopardizes animal and human health Raising animals in pens and crates is cruel treatment

Activists charges, continued… Eating meat and eggs is unhealthy Drinking milk is unhealthy Grain fed to livestock should be used to feed starving people around the world Using a growth-promoting hormone is cruel to animals Produces meat that is not safe for humans to eat

Producers response to overcrowding... Most producers won't overcrowd because it is very unprofitable Animals must be kept reasonably comfortable Animals are kept well fed to assure a productive growth or a profitable level of milk production Overcrowding reduces rate of gain

Producers response to drugs and antibiotics... All drugs that are used for livestock are regulated by the federal government Regulations keep food safe for U.S. consumers All animal health products are thoroughly tested and must be approved by FDA On average, it takes 11 years to bring an animal pharmaceutical to the market Only one in about 7,500 chemicals tested are ever approved

Producers response to growth hormones... Increase feed efficiency which reduces food costs Improve the ratio of meat to fat Products are generally estrogen-like substances Estrogen is a natural substance There is more estrogen in a cup of green beans than in a comparable amount of beef from an implanted steer.

What producers are doing... Support and promote human treatment of animals Do all they can to make sure animals are not mistreated Keep public and media well informed on what they are doing to protect the welfare of their animals

What does it mean to be treated humanely? That means animals are –well fed –have adequate water space shelter –kept healthy and comfortable

Setting the standards... In early times, each farmer decided In current times –Pork Producers Code of Practice –Swine Care Handbook –Cattlemen's Philosophy –Three P's prevention preparation prompt action

Economic benefits of good animal welfare... Bruises cost the U.S. beef industry $1.00 per animal on feedlot beef and $3.91 per animal on cows and bulls (Colorado State University, 1992; 1995) The U.S. pork industry loses $0.34 per pig due to PSE and $0.08 per pig due to bruises (National Pork Producers' Association, 1994)

Animals in research... Important for agriculture and human medicine Limits on animal research would threaten advances in medicine Public opinion nor scientist opinion is consistent More concern over use of dogs & cats than rats & mice

Discussion...