The Abuse against Cows

When you think of cows, what do you think of? You picture a bunch of cows living freely on a farm, eating all the grass they can get and soaking up the sun, right? I wish that were the case for cows, but sadly more than forty-one million cows will suffer and die in the United States. You may be asking yourself why, why would somebody do something like this? I say that anybody who would do this is not a real human being and should have to deal with some consequences. There is no reason why any cow should suffer, it is completely atrocious and we must come together to do something to free these animals.


From the minute a baby cow is born, the baby cows are taken away from their mother and stuck in a small dark cage by themselves. The cows are then put on a liquid diet, which gives them barely any nutrients and this is all done so that the cow becomes tender (GoVeg). These cows live in the same nasty conditions that the chickens do. They have no room whatsoever, they can’t even turn around. They eat, sleep and go to the bathroom all within the same couple of inches. They are constantly breathing in feces and other chemicals, which make the cows very ill. The factory workers neglect to call a veterinarian to come give the cows regular check-ups, so most of them die from diseases dealing with respiratory problems or digestive problems. How can people just not care, sit there, and watch these animals die right in front of their face? It is so painful to have to hear these stories because these problems should not be happening. We do not need to treat innocent animals this way.


If the cow survives all the over feeding and drugs given to them to fatten the cows up, it is time for the long drive to the slaughterhouse. Cows are forced by whips to get in a metal cage in a truck, where they cannot move for days. No matter what the weather, heat, blizzards, and freezing rain, the cows will be in that truck on the way to the slaughterhouse. There had been times where cows have been frozen stuck to the floor or walls of the metal truck and then are shot because they cannot get out. (Human Society) Is that anyway to treat someone? They were just doing what they were supposed too, getting in the truck and not moving and people killed them. It is truly heart wrenching. Once the cows actually make it to their destination, they are lined up and shot in the head. They are then hung by their legs, have their throat cut and are skinned (GoVeg). Don’t you agree that is this is a little overboard? I think that if killing needs to be done, it be done in a peaceful manner. There is no need for such extreme violence.

Now some people say that all farms are bad but I don't believe that. I believe that organic and natural farms are much better than factory farms. Why can't these cows live the lives that the cows do on organic farms. Organic farms are much healthier and safer for these animals. Karl-Erik Hammarberg would agree with me saying, "Many of the regulations on organic farms are clearly to the advantage of the animals and their general welfare, e.g demands of prolonged access to milk and increased possibility to live in an environment which favours natural behaviour (Hammarberg)."
Now some of you may also argue that a cow gets to live at least one year grazing in an open field, so the cows must not suffer that much. I agree with you, it's wonderful that a cow gets a year of freedom, but that doesn't take away from the unbearable life that the cow must live after that year. Just because cows have one good year, doesn't mean that they didn't suffer. If you were tortured your entire lie, but got one year where you were never harmed, would you say you had a good life? I don't think so. These cows deserve a life where they can run free, eat what they want, and not have to suffer. Is that really too much to ask for?



Works Cited

Go Veg PETA, n.d. Web. 7 Feb. 2010. .

Hammarberg, Karl-Erik. "Animal Welfare in Relation to Standards in Organic Farming." Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica 43 (2001). Print.

Human Society N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Feb. 2010. .

The Abuse Against Chickens

What would you do if everything you took for granted was ripped away from you? What if you never got to meet your parents, feel the sun on your face, breathe fresh clean air or be able to run free? Unfortunately, that is the harsh reality for a chicken living on a factory farm. “Chickens are the most abused farm animal on the planet. More than nine billion chickens are killed for their flesh and ninety-nine percent of these animals spend their lives in total confinement.” (GoVeg) This is truly revolting and I was honestly shocked when I learned this information. How would you feel if you lived your entire life in complete confinement? The average human would probably go insane, so why are we doing this to innocent animals? I believe that all of us have a right to help these creatures who cannot do anything for themselves. We need to pull together and demand tougher laws that have higher consequences for animal abusers and provide a safe and healthy environment for all animals.

From the day a baby chicken is born on a farm, their life of misery begins. Once they are born they are immediately placed in a small, dirty metal cage, where they are forced to stand all night and day because the cages are over filled with too many chickens. There are so many chickens in one cage that none of the chickens can even spread their wings and they are constantly surrounded by feces. This is incredibly nauseating to think that all day these chickens are standing and sleeping in feces and nothing is being done. All the chickens can do all day is sit there and stare because there is nowhere to move and nothing to do. It is extremely depressing. What is even worse is the air that these chickens are breathing. Twenty-four hours a day a chicken is breathing in ammonia fumes and feces, which results in many chickens being blinded and dealing with numerous diseases including bronchitis and sometimes-even death. (upc-online) Also on the farm, the workers like to over feed their chickens so they get nice and plump. Most of the time the chickens get so fat that they can’t even stand and walk to eat their food or drink some water, so they die of starvation. The workers also like to inject antibiotics into the chickens so they can grow faster, but this too makes the chickens so fat they end up dying a slow, horrible death. Did you know that the average chicken is given four times the amount of antibiotics than a human being? (Humane Society) How do you think you would feel if the doctor gave you too much medicine? At least you would be able to do something about it, a chicken is completely helpless. It is pure torture to be living as a chicken these days, and there is no good reason for it.

If a chicken can survive through the containment, the diseases and the antibiotics, it is still has a long journey just to get to the slaughterhouse. About 100 million male chickens do not even make to the slaughterhouse because they are deemed useless and are grounded up alive or suffocated in bags. (GoVeg) The chickens are put into even smaller cages then the ones they call home and are put into a huge truck filled with hundreds of other cages filled with chickens. The chickens then have to travel miles and miles through horrible weather conditions like heat waves, blizzards and freezing rain and some of them do not even survive the trip. Once they arrive at the slaughterhouse, they are hung alive from metal shackles, put head first into electrified water and then they have their throats cut. Sometimes there are mistakes and a chicken will survive the cut and will still be alive when they are then taken and put into scorching water to get rid of all their feathers (mercyforanimals). Is this really necessary? Do we really need to go to these extreme lengths? I believe that if we must put down an animal, that we should do it in the most humane way possible. What is wrong with euthanizing chickens like we do with dogs and cats? Why do we have to cut their throats and boil them alive? It is truly sadistic and makes me very sad that we live in a world where we do this to animals. If you are one of those people who say that humans are superior to animals and animals should be treated like our slaves, I would like to ask them, who gave them the authority over animals? Weren’t animals on this planet before humans, so shouldn’t we be inferior to them? Just because animals don’t have a voice and can’t stand up for themselves, doesn’t give us the right to subject them to physical and emotion harm. Animals have feelings just like we do, even if they can’t express those feelings in the same way we do. Now I know many people out there would say that since the chickens are going to die anyway, what is the point of their life? I agree with you that yes, the chickens are going to eventually die, but does that mean that we should butcher them and make their last living moments on this earth horrifying and freighting? If everybody knew that you were going to die, would you like it if we abused you and caused you a horrendous death just because? No, of course not, so why should we do that to innocent animals? We need to stand up and do something for the innocent animals that cannot help themselves. We have to be the ones that stops this abuse and saves the farm animals.


Works Cited

Go Veg PETA, n.d. Web. 7 Feb. 2010. .

Human Society N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Feb. 2010. .

Mercy For Animals N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Feb. 2010. .

United Poultry Concerns N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Feb. 2010. .

You Are What You Eat

When you take a bite of your hamburger or pepperoni pizza, do you really know what you are putting in your mouth? Have you ever really considered the meat, or decomposing flesh that you consume nearly every day is not only antibiotic and hormone ridden but also often below the grade that the FDA claims to approve? In fact, Kim Barnouin, who holds a Master’s of Science degree in Holistic Nutrition, and Rory Freedman, authors of the number one New York Times Bestseller book Skinny Bitch indicates that “Half of all the antibiotics made in the United States each year are administered to farm animals, causing antibiotic resistant in the humans who eat them. It has become an unfortunate reality that our nation’s farm factories and government have put the financial success of the meat industry before the well-being and health of both our country’s animals and people. Due to the appalling and unhealthy conditions that most all farm factories tolerate, I feel that the treatment of animals, specifically those rose for human consumption, is commonly inhumane and unethical and the conditions must be restored.

All types of livestock, from cows to ducks, raised on modern intensive production farms reside in filthy conditions and are treated inhumanely. However of all the animals mass produced for human consumption, chickens and other poultry have the fewest federal regulations on treatment and living conditions. After birth, chicks have the sensitive tips of their beaks seared off so they do not peck at the other chickens as a result of their aggravation and anxiety from the unnatural environment (Chickens). “Like chickens, the 300 million turkeys raised and killed for their flesh every year in the United States have no federal legal protection. (Turkeys)” “They are bred and drugged to grow so large so quickly that their legs and organs can’t keep up, making heart attacks, organ failure, and crippling leg deformities common. (Chickens)” These steroid-filled chickens often become crippled under their own weight and die of starvation. If the torture these helpless animals endure during their eight weeks of life wasn’t horrific enough, the cramped and filthy living conditions they inhabit from the day they were born to the day they are shipped to the slaughterhouse is appalling. The cages of egg laying hens “are stacked on top of each other and the excrement from chickens in the higher cages constantly falls on those below. (Chickens)” The cages these hens live in are so confined that their mangled feet often grow around the wire mesh floors (Freedman 44). Furthermore, the unsanitary conditions of chicken sheds often lead to disease outbreaks. A worker at a poultry plant said, “Every day, I saw black chicken, green chicken, chicken that stank, and chicken with feces on it. Chicken like this supposed to be thrown away, but instead it would be sent down the line to be processed” (Freedman 74).

When discussing cruelty to farm animals, most people do not think of ducks and geese; however, these animals suffer the same amount of abuse and neglect from meat industries that chickens and turkeys do. “Ducks and geese raised for foie gras endure the pain of having a pipe shoved down their throats three times daily so that two pounds of grain can be pumped into their stomachs to produce the diseased ‘fatty liver’ that some diners consider a delicacy” (“Ducks and Geese”). Like chickens and turkeys, ducks and geese are also pumped with hormones, steroids and antibiotics that promote rapid harmful growth.

Similarly to poultry, cattle, which tend be loving and loyal creatures, are often mistreated and abused in farm factories. Dairy cows and cows raised for flesh endure some of the most horrendous treatment. People for the ethical treatment of animals explains that, “When they are still very young, cows are burned with hot irons (branding), their testicles are ripped out of their scrotums (castration), and their horns are cut or burned off—all without painkillers” (“Cows”). The multiple brandings these poor creatures undergo often leaves third degree burns (Freedman 45). Cows that make it to the slaughterhouse are shot in the head with a bolt gun, hung up by their legs, and taken onto the killing floor, where their throats are cut and they are skinned (“Cows”). Slaughterhouse workers inform that some cows remain fully conscious throughout the entire process and are able to feel the skin being sliced away from their bodies.

Much like the cows of the farm factories, pigs experience atrocious treatment and insanitary environments. Pigs go through the branding and castration just as the cows do; however, they also have their teeth, ears, and tails mutilated, all without any pain relief. In the same way as the feathers are removed from poultry, many pigs are still fully conscious when they are immersed in sweltering water for hair removal.

In addition to the cruel treatment of farm animals mass produced in farm factories, the voyage they take to the slaughterhouse is often the most traumatizing time of their entire unfortunate life. “According to industry reports, more than 1 million pigs die in transport each year, and an additional 420,000 are crippled by the time they arrive at the slaughterhouse” (“Pigs”). Most of the animals are extremely injured just from the abhorrent journey to the slaughterhouse. In reality, millions of animals die during transportation from the stress and physical abuse before they even make it to the slaughterhouse (“Chickens”).

However, it is hard to compare the inhumane treatment these animals endure to the malicious procedure that animals undergo at the slaughterhouse which is easily described as nightmarish. In order to be an employee in a slaughterhouse one must have much more than “thick-skin,” but also a somewhat distorted idea of the word humane. One slaughterhouse worker explains how abused these animals are by saying “One time I took my knife-it’s sharp enough- and I sliced off the end of a hog’s nose, just like a piece of bologna. The hog went crazy for a few seconds. Then it just sat there looking kind of stupid. So I took a handful of salt brine and ground it into his nose. Now that hog really went nuts, pushing its nose all over the place. I still had a bunch of salt left in my hand- I was wearing a rubber glove-and I stuck the salt right up the hog’s ass. The poor hog didn’t know whether to shit or go blind (Freedman 72).” This is just one of the many horror stories that take place inside of the slaughterhouses of our country.

With a growing concern for the quality of meat, our society has become infatuated with the idea of natural farming and organic foods. Unfortunately, greedy corporate companies have caught onto this, and have been bending backwards in order to obtain the admired organic label. Now one may believe we are fortunate to have companies that want to enhance the quality of our foods, and we would be if that was the intentions businesses had. Unfortunately, this is not the reality. Corporations, and occasionally even the government, are out to make a profit. As illustrated above they will do just about anything to do so. “The Center for Food Safety (CFS) claims that the USDA may be allowing ‘sham’ certifiers under the umbrella of the National Organic Program (NOP) (Freedman, 104).” In addition, even naturally farmed animals are subject to disease and infection. In fact one study which tested for infection within a free-range chicken farm revealed that 90.4% of the chickens had developed some form of a campylobacter infection (Colles). Overall, even if the treatment of animals or the quality of the meat has improved during an “organic” animal’s natural life, they are still subject to endure the horrendous massacre that takes place at the slaughterhouse.

Of course, many will probably disagree with the assertion that the way animals produced on both factory farms and natural farms is unacceptable. Perhaps you were already informed on the horrendous treatment of farm animals and have accepted the way your food is handled. Laura Eyck explains that many meat eaters are “Unable to confront the harsh treatment farm animals endure people don't allow themselves to think about where the meat on their plates comes from (Eyck).” Now you may believe you have come to terms with the treatment of animals produced for human consumption perhaps because there is no other way to get the meat we eat or because humans are at the top of the food chain. However this is a far too common misconception. If we continue to support the ways of the meat industry, than we are also supporting the mistreatment of our animals, our health and our planet’s environment.

Livestock produced for human consumption are forced beyond their will to live in unsanitary conditions, take steroids and antibiotics and reproduce until their bodies give out. “They all live in the filth of their own urine, feces, and vomit with infected, festering sores and wounds (Freedman 45).” As a result of the inhumane treatment that all livestock mass produced on factory farms endure is universally inhumane and needs to be restored before the mistreatment our society has accepted becomes worse.



Works Cited Page

Colles, Frances M. "Campylobacter infection of broiler chickens in a free-range environment." Environmental Microbiology 10.8 (2008): 2042-2050. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 5 Mar. 2010.

Eyck, Laura Ten. “Thought for Food.” Animals Vol. 128 Issue 2, (1995): 18. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 1 Feb. 2010.

Freedman, Rory., and Kim Barnouin. Skinny Bitch. Philadelphia: Running Press Book Publishers, 2005. Print.

“Chickens.” GoVeg.com. People For the Ethical Treatment of Animals, n.d.
Web. 1 Feb. 2010.

“Cows.” GoVeg.com. People For the Ethical Treatment of Animals, n.d.
Web. 1 Feb. 2010.

“Turkeys .” GoVeg.com. People For the Ethical Treatment of Animals, n.d.
Web. 1 Feb. 2010.

“Ducks and Geese.” GoVeg.com. People For the Ethical Treatment of Animals, n.d.
Web. 1 Feb. 2010.

My Thesis

Imagine, from the moment you were born until the moment you die, you have to spend that entire time in the exact same place. Now imagine that place is a small little cage with barely enough room for you to turn around in and not only that but you must eat, sleep and go to the bathroom in this same little cage. This is the life for the ordinary animal that lives on a factory farm. They were born and raised to die and all they have experienced their entire life is abuse and neglect. Our treatment of farm animals is revolting and sadistic and we must put a stop to it.

My Thesis

When you take a bite of your hamburger or pepperoni pizza, do you really know what you are putting in your mouth? Have you ever really considered that the meat, or decomposing animal flesh that you consume nearly every day is not only antibiotic and hormone ridden but also often below the grade that the FDA claims to approve? It has become an unfortunate reality that our nation's farm factories and government have put the financial success of the meat industry before the well being and health of both our country's animals and people. Due to the appalling and unhealthy conditions that most all farm factories tolerate, I feel that the treatment of animals, specifically those bred for human consumption, is commonly inhumane and unethical and the conditions must be restored.

My Thesis

It is a common goal many people share to go after what they want in life. It is not uncommon, however, for evil to triumph over good. People will get taken advantage of. For instance, look at human history. Consider the torturous conditions people have put other people in during America's racial segregation past. There was no need for those experiences of inhumane treatment, just as there is no reason for an animal to endure such. I am an advocate of animal welfare. I believe the way people treat animals can be necessary for human needs, but should thus be dictated by human emotion. Furthermore, when continuing use of animals for the needs of humans, we should not treat them inhumanely.

Some people may question if human use of animals is immoral. Some non-animal welfare supporters challenge that creatures that can't think or grasp the concept of morality are not worth the sacrifice of our welfare. Utilitarian Maxwell Goss asserts, "The pleasure that humans take in eating meat outweighs the suffering of the animal involved" (Qtd. in Dudley 58). Although I can agree with this up to a point, I cannot accept an overall conclusion that human emotion has to trump all steps to end animal suffering. I agree that eating meat can be an enjoyable experience. However, livestock that is raised for our consumption should not be abused during their often very short lives. I must implore that it is wrong for humans to create or endorse suffering for any animals in their care.

Farms raising animals for the production of meat are not always concerned for living conditions of their animals. Indeed cows raised for meat are fed the brains and nerve tissue of sheep (discovered to be the cause of mad cow disease), as well as fish meal, chicken litter (complete with chicken droppings), and slaughterhouse waste. On some farms, chickens meant to be eaten never go outdoors; they live their entire lives in groups of up to 20,000 birds in sheds where their droppings result in a level of ammonia that stings the eyes and is unhealthful to breathe (Lee and Warhol). These people operating these farms have no concern for the lives of those species.

Accordingly, animal rights movement groups are doing the best they can to call to attention the unnecessarily cruel and inhumane practices of large meat production companies. For example, large parts of the American cattle and poultry industry attempt to be efficient by inflicting tremendous pain and suffering upon the animals which they raise. Reports say that some animals are fully conscious as they have their throats slit (Dudley 55). In some chicken farm operations, chickens have their beaks removed to prevent them from pecking each other to death. Not to mention many of these animals are basically born to die. Cattle raised for beef are typically slaughtered at an age of 15 to 20 months, while typically cattle's lifespan is an average of 20 to 35 years old. Over 260 million turkeys were slaughtered for food in the United States, most at about fourteen to eighteen weeks of age (Dudley). Thus, this is reason we have turkey to eat at our disposal.

The way some humans treat animals can be both resourceful and unethical. People use animals in the production of steel, rubber, and plastic goods, in medical experiments, and for companionship and entertainment. These things people use animals for can create multiple industries and job opportunities, as well as provide great friends for some owners. According to William Dudley, "Both proponents and opponents of animal rights assume that treating animals necessarily means humans must make inconvenient or impossible sacrifices" (13). In other words, some people ultimately put their feelings of human well being before animal well being. Why not take into account the well being of these useful creatures?

While I do not contest that no one should eat meat or use animals for mankind in general, I am asserting that more needs to be done to ensure animal welfare. There are states that need to change their laws. In Ohio voters approved an amendment to their state constitution barring lawmakers and the voters from enacting any laws against animal cruelty applying to the agricultural industry (Clemmit). There is also little use for suffering of animals in other human enhancing welfare industries. For example, medical research on animals has had bad consequences to our own welfare. As a predictor of human reactions to drugs tested on animals they fall very short on being accurate. A drug called thalodomide, used to sedate pregnant woman used in the 1950s and '60s, failed to indicate in animal tests that the use led to children being born without limbs. Medical professionals even declare, "If we truly want predictive tests and research methods, it would seem logical to start looking intraspecies not interspecies" (Shanks and Greek). Indeed there are no guarantees in science, but why not make sure harmful tests are useful? Why not use animals for good?

In conclusion, I don't see any good reason for people to infer pain or suffering to animals. The government has already passed legislature to protect some animals from human maltreatment. The remaining problem being many of the laws passed aren't properly enforced. I am far from alone in being someone who is disgusted at the treatment of animals which some farms are deliberately practicing to ensure an idea of cost efficiency. While arguing against a movement to move animals out of the realm of property, writer Matt Kamen asserts that "banning the production of specialty foods due to such excessive methods would satisfy a great deal of animal rights activists by eliminating the more distasteful and cruel practices in the animal farming industry while not devastating the market or outlawing the products altogether"(187). In short, there has to be an effective solution for both our animals and humans welfare to be protected. We can all continuing using animals for our own purposes. However, when treating animals for our own needs, it is simply unnecessary to abuse them for any reason.

Works Cited:

Dudley, William,ed. Animal Rights. Farmington Hills: Thomson Gale, 2006. Print.


Lee, Deborah, and Tom Warhol. "Counterpoint: Industrial Agriculture Causes More Problems than it Solves." Points of View: Factory Farming (2009): 3. Points of View Reference Center. EBSCO. Web. 7 Feb. 2010.


Hauser, Mark D., Fiery Cushman and Mathew Kamen, Ed. People, Property, or Pets. West Lafayette, Ind.: Purdue University Press, 1996. Print.


Clemmitt, Marcia. "Animal Rights." CQ Researcher 20.1 (2010): 1-24. CQ Researcher. Web. 8 Feb. 2010. .


Shanks, Niall, Ray Greek and Jane Greek. "Are Animal models Predictive for Humans?" Philosophy, Ethics, and Humanities in Medicine. 4:2, 2009. Web. 7 Feb 2010.