Free range derived animal food and products refer to a system of farming where animals can roam freely outdoors as opposed to being confined in an small space for 24 hours a day. Free range usually applies to meat, eggs and/or dairy farming.
This is one of the hardest things to write about, but staying silent doesn’t help.
Sadly, this isn’t always the case. In fact, many “free-range” farms actually cram thousands of animals together in sheds or mud-filled lots. This is done to increase profits, and it’s a popular method used by many conventional factory farms. Many animals of “free-range” farms actually suffer through the same mutilations that occur on factory farms. These atrocities include debeaking, dehorning, castration without pain-killers and more.
Here’s a video below by PETA President Ingrid Newkirk discussing how there is no such thing as “Humane Meat.”
According to PETA, organically raised chickens can suffer higher mortality rates than drugged chickens because of “extremely crowded, filthy housing conditions, coupled with a lack of antibiotics which can lead to even more parasites that are already found in drugged chickens.” (see sources)
Even “organically raised” cows are sent to factory farm feed lots so they can be fattened prior to slaughter. They are only labelled organic so far as they are given organic feed.
“Cows on organic dairy farms may be kept in sheds or filthy enclosures, where they spend their lives mired in their own waste, enduring the strain of forced yearly pregnancies and having their calves taken away from them. If their udders become infected from frequent milking, which often happens, many farmers deny them medicine, because if they medicate the animals, they won’t be able to sell the milk as organic.” (see sources)
PETA goes on to describe how free range cattle still have their horns cut off and their testicles cut out of their scrotum. They are also branded with very hot irons, which results in third degree burns. Pigs have their tails chopped off, ears notched and some even have rings forced into their noses to prevent them from rooting the grass and dirt (one of the favorite pastimes of pigs).
Chickens on organic farms often have their beaks cut off, which leads to acute pain and death. Again, none of these animals are given any pain killers, and these are very sensitive areas.
Here is a video of a PETA undercover investigation of Agriprocessors, the world’s largest kosher slaughterhouse. This is heart breaking but remaining silent doesn’t do anything. These animals have no voice and rely on us to be it.
Here is another video done by animal liberation showing what they have found to be true about the “free range” label through their investigations. Here they investigated a farm that uncovered cruelty, cannibalism and a vastly different scene to what was depicted by authorities and the RSPCA’s promotional propaganda. The investigations found the whole property to be run down and dilapidated with dead bodies in various forms of decay left lying around to rot. Pigs were living up to their shoulders in their own waste, dirty water troughs, rat infested eco shelters, barren muddy areas for mothers to raise their young and pigs cannibalizing the bodies of other dead pigs.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I cannot believe I belong to a race that treats other beings the way we treat animals. We kill billions of animals every year, but I do believe there is light at the end of this tunnel, as many others did as well.
“The day will come when men such as I look upon the murder of animals as they now look on the murder of men.” – Leonardo Da Vinci
We are rapidly approaching that time.
“Sources:
http://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-food/free-range-organic-meat-myth/
