Farmed
Animal Watch
A Project of Animal Place
November 26, 2003
(To Search This Page Press Ctrl F)
Number #36 Volume 2
CONTENTS
1. Better Business Bureau Finds Against Egg Logo
2. "Disturbing" Premarin Investigation & Video
3. Considering Turkeys
A. Breeding
B. Conventional Production
C. Alternative Production
D. Wild Turkeys
4. Activists Take Turkeys
5. Gentle Thanksgiving
1. BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU FINDS AGAINST EGG LOGO
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) has told United Egg Producers (UEP) it should
discontinue using the "Animal Care Certified" logo on egg cartons.
The BBB said the logo could mislead consumers to believe the hens who produce
the eggs are given more humane care than that afforded by the guidelines
signified by the logo. The Associated Press explains that the guidelines
permit hens "to be crammed in cages so tiny they can't flap their wings
and their beaks to be cut off." Forced molting is also allowed, which
entails depriving the birds of food. The decision was prompted by a complaint
brought by Compassion Over Killing (COK; see: item #3 of
http://tinyurl.com/wlyg
and
http://www.eggscam.com ). COK
considers the guidelines to be an improvement but not to the point that most
consumers would consider the treatment they call for to be humane. UEP has
appealed the recommendation, declaring: "When all the facts come out,
then consumers and retailers will agree that the Animal Care Certified logo
represents a scientifically proven, humane method for producing eggs." It
accused the BBB of being influenced by a radical group intent upon ending the
consumption of eggs. The BBB dismissed this, stating: "Our goal is to
ensure the advertising is truthful and accurate, and that's all." If UEP
does not abide by the BBB recommendation, the matter could be referred to a
federal agency, such as the Federal Trade Commission. The BBB press release
can be found at:
http://www.nad.bbb.org
2. "DISTURBING" PREMARIN INVESTIGATION & VIDEO
Cincinnati's WLWT aired a video produced by Last Chance for Animals (LCA) of
an undercover Premarin investigation. The tape shows "hooves in bad
shape, open wounds, horses packed in trucks, and most-disturbing, a
still-alive horse hanging face down with part of her legs cut off." LCA
spokesperson Chris DeRose said, "Inside the barns, you see ice on the
walls, and they have to lay down on cold, ice-cold concrete floors." A
spokesperson for Wyeth Ayerst, the pharmaceutical company that manufactures
Premarin, dismissed the video as "part of a long standing misinformation
campaign these animal rights groups have perpetrated and does not provide the
view of how important these animals are to us and how much we've spent on the
welfare of these horses." The government has warned that Premarin may
increase the risk of breast cancer, heart disease, stroke and blood clots (see
http://tinyurl.com/wnke ). Wyeth Ayerst
recently announced it is cutting back on Premarin production because of the
human health risks. The video can be viewed via the WLWT site below.
3. CONSIDERING TURKEYS
A. Breeding
Turkeys remained active animals after domestication, spending most of their
time socializing and exploring {1}. Turkey breeding intensified in the 1950's
as companies sought more uniform birds. In the mid-1960's, the "Broad
Breasted White" (BBW) became the predominant breed. Of the 270 million
turkeys raised in the U.S. each year (45 million for Thanksgiving), only about
10,000 are other varieties (which is twice as many as last year), hardier ones
referred to as "heritage breeds." Independent turkey breeding
companies are being bought up by large corporations, and today three
international corporations control nearly 90% of the world's turkey breeding
market. Each of them maintains at least 2 different genetic lines of turkeys,
with flocks of each line kept on different continents. This is done as a
precaution against the risk of disease wiping out the nearly genetically
identical birds. Some companies maintain a small number of turkeys who are
more genetically diverse that Broad Breasted White turkeys. (It can take up to
3 years to breed in a new trait.) {2} Broad Breasted White turkeys have been
intensively selected for a large chest to the point that it physically
prevents them from being able to couple. Artificial insemination is instead
employed, which also enables even greater trait specificity and uniformity.
{1}
B. Conventional Production
A New York Times (NYT) op-ed explains: "A few days after hatching -in the
first of many unnatural if not necessarily painful indignities- [the turkey
has their] upper beak and toenail snipped off" (the article includes
graphics of the procedure). It continues: "With its altered beak, it can
no longer pick up and choose what it will eat. Instead, it will do nothing but
gorge on the highly fortified corn-based mash that it is offered, even though
that is far removed from the varied diet of insects, grass and seeds turkeys
prefer. And the toenails? They're removed so that they won't do harm later on:
in the crowded conditions of industrial production...." {1} [Part of the
toe and not merely the toenail is removed.] The Green Guide Institute
elaborates on typical turkey production: "10,000 birds in a windowless
shed with less than three square feet per bird, the air filled with ammonia
and responsible for many respiratory diseases, the waste-filled ground leading
to foot ulcerations, the birds debeaked so they don't peck one another to
death....turkeys have trouble standing upright, develop lame and infected legs
and hips, are not genetically diverse and are thus vulnerable to disease, and
can only reproduce via artificial insemination. They can't fly and can barely
walk. They're pumped full of antibiotics and fed not nuts, grains, and grass
but high protein food, including slaughterhouse leftovers. Then they are
stuffed into crates, taken to the slaughterhouse, and electrically stunned,
often ineffectively. They die when their throats are cut, often after reviving
from their electric stun. This is the center piece you buy for a few cents a
pound" {3}. The Institute also calls attention to a PETA investigation in
which a farm manager was filmed ineffectively bludgeoning turkeys with pliers
and a stick:
http://www.peta.org/feat/nc/index.html
In order to maximize profits, both chickens and turkeys have been bred to grow
huge and fast. (See:
http://tinyurl.com/whzv
and
http://www.livefastdieyoung.org
). Turkeys eat 10% of their body weight every day explains one farmer,
"They say a turkey that doesn't eat for an hour is the equivalent of a
human who doesn't eat for 24 hours" {4}. (The NYT op-ed explains that
bright lights are constantly left on to keep the birds awake and eating. They
are also deprived of roosts which forces them to rest in unnatural positions.)
Turkeys are now generally bred to be slaughtered between 14 and 18 weeks of
age, with females weighing about 16 pounds and males weighing about 32 pounds.
Farmers have noted that the health of turkeys has been declining. "Now
the birds have trouble growing past 16 weeks and can drop dead of organ
failure," notes The Billings Gazette {4}. They also suffer from the
inability of their skeletal system to support their weight. Antibiotics are
added to their feed to encourage faster growth and control disease resulting
from turkeys' compromised immune systems, unvaried diet and lack of exercise
{1}. [Hormones are not administered to turkeys. Additional information about
conventional turkey production can be found at:
http://www.eatturkey.com/press/raising/raise.html
and
http://tinyurl.com/wm35 ]
C. Alternative Production
A number of articles and organizations, including The Humane Society of the
U.S. (HSUS), urge turkey consumers to instead purchase alternatively produced
birds. (Some heritage turkey consumers claim they taste better than Broad
Breasted White turkeys. One such consumer remarked, "They're delightful
birds, with a lot of personality"{5}. The Green Guide Institute (GGI)
cautions that labels like "free range" and free roaming" are
minimally verified by the USDA and assure little. Patrick Martins, the
director of Slow Food U.S.A. and author of the NYT piece, agrees, noting that
the "free range" and "organic" labels "have been
co-opted by big business and are no guarantee of a healthier and more humanely
raised bird" (see also:
http://tinyurl.com/wm1w
). Certified Humane (see item #6 of
http://tinyurl.com/wlyg
) recently added Organic Breadbasket to its certification program. Organic
Breadbasket works with the sustainable agriculture communities of the U.S. and
Canada to market free-range turkeys (see:
http://tinyurl.com/wm78
). Certified Humane does not require outdoor access for turkeys, and permits
beak trimming, feed restriction, and artificial insemination (
http://tinyurl.com/wlzz
). In its November 18th E-News & Action Alert, Farm Sanctuary writes that
it has uncovered gross abuse and neglect at both conventional and alternative
turkey operations. It relates: "At one ‘free-range' farm, turkeys who
died from disease, injuries or stress were left to decay on the floor
alongside live turkeys. Many turkeys were suffering from sinus problems, a
common condition found in production buildings"(see:
http://tinyurl.com/wm2q
). HSUS and the GGI also urge consumers to consider vegetarian alternatives to
turkey, such as Tofurkey and Unturkey. (See:
http://www.cok.net/feat/holiday.php
).
D. Wild Turkeys
Habitat destruction and overhunting nearly exterminated wild turkeys. They now
number about 5.6 million in the U.S., up from an estimated 30,000 during the
1930's. They, too, have become endangered by a lack of genetic diversity. The
Salt Lake Tribune article discussed efforts to reintroduce wild turkeys in
areas of the country {2}. See also:
http://tinyurl.com/wmcu
{1} "About a Turkey," The New York Times (op-ed), Patrick Martins,
November 24, 2003.
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/24/opinion/24MART.html?ex=1070254800&en=9ba2ca8
{2} "Breeds Apart: Wild and Domestic Turkeys Are Facing Genetic
Challenges," The Salt Lake Tribune, Greg Lavine, November 25, 2003.
http://www.sltrib.com/2003/Nov/11252003/tuesday/tuesday.asp
{3} "Looking For a Real Turkey?" The Green Guide Institute, Samuel
Frank, October 30, 2003.
http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc.mhtml?i=99&s=turkey
{4} "Plucked by the Big Boys," The Billings Gazette, Jan Falstad,
Nov. 2, 2003.
http://tinyurl.com/wm87 or
http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?id=1&display=rednews/2003/11/02/build/business/30-seder-ridge.inc
{5} "Gobble Something New," The Des Moines Register, Amanda Pierre,
11/19/2003.
http://www.dmregister.com/business/stories/c4789013/22794521.html
4. ACTIVISTS TAKE TURKEYS
From mid-October to mid-November, seven turkeys were removed from several
California farms by East Bay Animal Advocates (EBAA)'s Bureau of
Investigations team. Spokesperson Christine Morrissey said the turkeys were
found "surrounded by other, dead turkeys. They were living and standing
on accumulated fecal matter." The birds' beaks and toes had been
partially amputated soon after hatch. Bill Mattos, president of the California
Poultry Federation, disputed the group's claims, countering that turkeys in
California live a few hundred to a climate-controlled shed in which bedding is
changed regularly, and food and water are generously provided. "They are
probably living in better conditions than most humans," he said.
Morrissey, an education and programs coordinator for the Contra Costa County
Bar Association, said the turkeys will serve as "ambassadors for their
species" to educate the public on how animals are raised. A reporter from
the Oakland Tribune was shown two of them enroute to a private sanctuary near
Orland.
Last month, a new state law was passed which addresses "trespassers that
enter lands and facilities where animals are being raised for consumption with
the intent to interfere with lawful business practices and/or damage
property" (see item #3:
http://tinyurl.com/wmqh
). Penalties include up to 6 months in jail and a $1,000 fine. The author of
the legislation, which goes into effect January 1st, promoted it as a food
safety and anti-bioterrorism measure which would also deter disease
transmission from people to animals. (An outbreak of Exotic Newcastle Disease
last year in California resulted in the killing of 3 million birds and a
quarantine of 9 counties (see item #3 of:
http://tinyurl.com/wmqx
).) Morrissey counters that the law was passed at the behest of agribusiness
interests "trying to cover up the systematic abuse that occurs."
5. GENTLE THANKSGIVING
GentleThanksgiving.com is a new site which lists vegetarian Thanksgiving
events taking place across the country. The site offers event suggestions,
explains reasons why people choose to reject meat, and contains recipes and
media information. Posted by Farm Animal Reform Movement (FARM), the site also
includes other organization resources.
http://www.gentlethanksgiving.org
