Workers at the Hallmark slaughter plant kicked, shocked, jabbed at the eyes, dragged with chains, and rammed dairy cows too sick or injured to walk with a fork lift in an effort to get them to stand to pass USDA inspections. “Downed” animals are by law not supposed to be added to the food supply. This is because in random USDA testing, 12 of the 15 cows who tested positive for mad cow disease, were downer animals, meaning downed animals far more likely to carry this tragic brain-wasting diesase.
The undercover investigation by the Humane Society of the United States shows that this Chino, California plant — which supplies meat to schools, and has twice won a USDA “Supplier of the Year” award — was slaughtering downed animals, and jeopardizing the health of children and others, for a few extra bucks.
As a result, 143 million pounds of beef have been recalled, making this the largest beef recall in U.S. history. Much of the potentially-contaminated meat has already been consumed. Skeptics point out that we have not suffered any major food poisoning scares lately, and wonder why all the fuss? What they don’t realize is that the incubation period for mad cow disease in humans can be 10 or more years. That’s how long it can take before this disease, which cannot be killed by cooking, starts to riddle your brain with holes.
If contamination of the food supply and animal abuse happens at this award-winning Hallmark plant — a facility with five federal inspectors and a veterinarian on staff who are there to prevent these things — it is hard to believe that it is not happening elsewhere as well.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: the best thing anyone can do to prevent animal abuse and protect their health is to go vegan.
Another video featuring the investigator explaining the abuses he witnessed can be found by clicking the second picture near the bottom of this page. showing more of the abuses at this facility. If you want a humorous video with information on the problem with farming, check out Doreen the Downer.
Many people eat pork, bacon, ham or Spam without much thought. But who are these animals whose flesh we eat, and what are their conditions like on the farm? This essay tries to answer these questions.
Pigs are Amazing Animals
Like dogs, pigs are friendly, intelligent, and loyal. Researchers have found that pigs are as intelligent as a three-year-old human child. They are good at video games, have exceptional memories, and complex social relations.
Pigs are actually very clean animals. If given sufficient space, pigs will be careful not to excrete near where they sleep or eat.
Pigs are also very social animal. Researchers have identified the meaning of approximately 20 different grunts, oinks and squeaks that are used in different situations, from wooing their mates to expressing, “I’m hungry!”
Pigs have saved human and nonhuman animals’ lives. Priscilla the pig rescued a boy from drowning. Snort the pig saved her human family from dying of carbon monoxide poisoning in their trailer. Spammy led firefighters to a burning shed to save her calf friend Spot. And Lulu found help for her human companion who had collapsed from a heart attack.
Just like dogs and cats, pig are feeling beings with intelligence, emotional lives, friends and family, and an interests in enjoying life and not being harmed.
Hens suffer miserable lives in filthy, wire and metal “battery cages” to produce cheap eggs for people to eat. View a pictoral tour of a battery cage egg farm.
In 2000, members of Compassionate Action for Animals and I did an open rescue at an egg farm in LeSueur, MN owned by Michael Foods. The eggs from this farm are packaged and sold to consumers under the brand name Crystal Farms.
Confinement, Neglect and Deprivation
Sadly, not much has changed in terms of how chickens are raised for egg production. They are still confined in filthy, barren wire and metal cages where they are unable to freely turn around, move, or stretch even a single wing.
Contagious disease is a real problem in these overcrowded prisons for egg-laying hens. Industry responds by adding antibiotics into the feed, which is producing human health consequences as more bacteria become resistant to antibiotics from their overuse.
When we visited, one million and six-hundred thousand hens were imprisoned in the facility. We found scores of sick and injured hens forced to languish untreated.
A hen, who we named Wren, suffers from an untreated ear infection. What you see is the untreated blood and puss that has been allowed to accumulate. We got her vet care and took her to sanctuary where she recovered and thrived.
They suffered from large bloody growths, ear infections, eye infections, respiratory diseases, broken bones, prolapsed oviducts, beak neuromas, and a host of other ills.
It was no suprise that workers spent nearly four hours a day removing animals who died from neglect and illness from the cages.
Dead and dying hens were dumped in wheelbarrows around the facility.
Despite this, we frequently found live hens in cages with the dead, decomposing, maggot and fly-infested corpses of dead hens.
Deprived of a Mother’s Love and Mutilated
Hens used for eggs originate in a hatchery where–instead of having a mother hen lovingly turn their eggs multiple times a day and chirp to them while they are in their shells, and then protect, love and nurture them once they hatch–they are rotated and hatched by machine. Deprived of their mother’s love, protection, and guidance, they arrive in a cold an alien world.
They are sexed. The baby male chicks, who are deemed worthless by the egg industry because they cannot make eggs, are soffocated to death or ground up alive in giant blenders so they can become fertilizer or food for other animals.
This hen, whom we named Audrey, suffered from a double beak neuroma as a result of the severe debeaking she underwent. Her comb is also floppy and pale; a sign of sickness and poor health. We rescued rehabilitated her before taking her to sanctuary.
The female chicks, however, have part of their beaks seared off with a hot blade in a process known as debeaking. No pain-killers are provided and this proceedure is painful not only at the time of being debeaked, but also for month’s afterwards. Many of them develop painful beak neuromas as their severed nerve endings try to regenerate themselves.
Industry debeaks hens to prevent fatalities from stress-induced fighting in the cages. However, another solution would be to provide hens enough space to socialize normally and the ability to escape dominant hens.
Slaughter
When the hens’ egg production delinces, usually around 18 to 24 months of age, they too will be slaughtered and used for chicken soup or nuggets.
This hen suffers from a prolapsed oviduct. We named her Catherine. This picture was taken of her immediately after her rescue. Follow the jump to see how she looked after being rehabilitated and taken to sanctuary. Read the rest of this entry »
Behind the Mustache; a short documentary by Farm Sanctuary.
“Why don’t you drink milk?” When you are vegan, like I am, you get asked this question a lot. People often think the milk industry is quite benign. However, I’ve noticed there to be a lot of misconceptions about the dairy industry like this classics: they don’t need to kill cows to get milk; cows always produce milk; and cows enjoy being milked. Read the rest of this entry »
Mercy for Animals (MFA) went public today with their most recent undercover investigation. Not suprisingly, they found that turkeys and chickens at the North Carolina slaughterhouse they investigated are grossly abused and mistreated. Check out MFA’s photo gallery, worker’s diary, and the reactions of experts at their Web site.
Interestingly enough, all of us have the power to stop our support of this abuse by changing our diet. So share this info with a friend and edge towards veg. Thanks.
Chickens are intelligent and social animals who, like us, feel pain and suffering; and also, like us, want to live free and enjoy their lives.
Despite the hens’ innocence, the egg industry treats these gentle animals worse than our penal system treats convicted murderers and rapists. Hens are locked in overcrowded, tiny, filthy cages called “battery cages,” unable to freely spread their wings or turn around. Part of their beaks are painfully cut off. Injuries go untreated, causing them to languish in agony. And when their egg production declines, they are sent to a grisly death. So I ask, how badly do we really need cheap eggs? Read the rest of this entry »
Hillside Animal Sanctuary conducted an undercover investigation of “humanely” raised ducks at a farm in England. This farm has met the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals’ humane standards, and is allowed to label their meats with the RSPCA’s “Freedom Food” seal of approval. This label is supposed to ensure that the animals had a good life and were treated humanely.
Were the ducks given a good life? According to the investigators’ report:
We filmed shed after shed where literally THOUSANDS of ducks existed in
unimaginable conditions.
The stench of ammonia enveloped hundreds of crippled, blind, injured and dying birds as they were left to linger on for days in the hope that they would draw breath long enough to make it to the slaughter line for that extra bit of profit.
Veterinary surgeon, Amir Kashiv, watched the videos and noted:
Many of the ducks are deformed – especially leg deformities leading to lameness, and many can’t seem able to walk at all – using their wings as crutches which will evidently lead to wing damage too. Other leg lesions and swellings in the limbs are also visible.
One duck is seen dragging a paralysed leg, which seems dislocated and possibly fractured. Other plumage and eye lesions are also visible. Many of the ducks also exhibit signs of nervous system problems: poor balance, can’t right themselves from dorsal recumbancy, apparent blindness.
Watch the video and see for yourself the conditions that “humanely” raised animals endure. Read the rest of this entry »
Watch this short documentary “Meet Your Meat,” and learn how animals raised for food are treated on modern-day farms.
“Meet Your Meat” is a collection of undercover investigations detailing the routine procedures found in modern-day farms and slaughterhouses. Most of what you see is legal. Those practices which are illegal (such as slaughtering conscious cows and pigs) are sadly routine because the laws are rarely enforced.
Questions to Consider
• What values do you hold dear? Compassion? Strength? Courage? Peace? Freedom? Justice? Fairness? Love? Integrity? Respect? Are your core values reflected in the way that animals are treated on modern farms? If you followed your values on this issue, what would your conscience have you do? Read the rest of this entry »
This is Compassion Over Killing’s 2006 undercover investigation at a turkey hatchery in North Carolina. Please help stop this needless violence by incorporating more vegetarian meals into your diet. Delicious vegetarian recipes and helpful tips for transitioning can be found at TryVeg.org. Read the rest of this entry »
