Most
omnivores like bacon, but I say omnivores because not every human is an
omnivore. Have you ever thought to yourself what was the process this bacon
went through? Well if you have, it was not a fun process for that pig. Farming
has helped humans advance in size, without the farming innovations created
through the industrial revolution, humans would have never had the resources to
make such a huge population.
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But is that
what this planet needs the most, more humans? Factory farming is a mass
production method of farming with small resources and big profit. This might
sound appealing to consumers because it is easy to make and easy to buy, but is
the price of these products really worth the consequences it brings with them?
Factory farming negatively impacts the welfare of animals, our environment, and
the consumer.
Factory
farming abuses all farm animals, but overall, pigs and chickens have had the
worst of it. The chicken was the first animal to be factory farmed, through the
industrial revolution farmers could keep chickens in a more confined space with
the discovery of vitamins in the 1920′s. Vitamins have allowed farmers to keep
chickens inside throughout the whole day. This is economically more efficient
for the farmers rather than using bigger plots of land to house the chickens.
Factory farmed chickens live in cages that are “six tenths of a square foot” (Organic
Consumer Association). Living in a confined cage results in the chickens
eating each other out of frustration. Farmers, trying to prevent this from
happening, de-beak these chickens. De-beaking a chicken is where you trim of
parts of the chicken’s beak, causing extreme amounts of pain to the chicken.
The
negative impacts outweigh the positive ones when you de-beak a chicken.
Negative impacts can vary from acute pain to chronic pain. Chicken beaks have
nerves that respond to pain, imagine if you were to have a bit of your nose cut
off, it is the exact pain a chicken feels when it is de-beaked. Chronic pain is
a long-term effect on the chicken, giving the chicken phantom pain. Human
amputees have a feeling of phantom pain, when they feel a limb or organ that is
missing. The only positive factor of de-beaking is that it saves farmers money.
Factory
farming has also had an impact on pigs. Pigs are raised for slaughter, and all
of a pig’s body can be used for food. Much like chickens, factory farmed pigs
live in crates that are “7 feet long and 2 feet wide” (peta.org) too
small for the animal.
Read
more at Wakefield High School.
Chicken farm image via Shutterstock.
This story is part of the Collegiate Corner, a section of ENN dedicated to student work. Student contributions are welcome. All work in this column is the product of the student in its entirely. If you have questions about the Collegiate Corner or would like to submit please contact: rblackstone@enn.com.