24 May 2021

Good News! We are a step closer to a cage free EU!

by EFI | posted in: Caged animals, Factory farming | 0

MEPs – support the ‘End the Cage Age’ European Citizens’ Initiative! The European Parliament’s Agriculture Committee has just called on the European Commission to propose a revision of the EU directive on farmed animals, Directive 98/58/EC, “with the objective of … Continued

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Ethical Farming Ireland

Ethical farming means different things to different people. No animal wants to die, so the highest welfare would be to just leave them off the plate in the first place. But whilst farm animals exist we can at least ensure they have a decent life, where they can carry out all their natural behaviours, and inhumane practices have to come to an end. Have a listen to this podcast if you want to know more about what we do and why.

A topic often neglected by humans, but vitally important to the animals involved - ethical farming. Caroline Rowley, of Ethical Farming Ireland, talks ab…

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Ethical Farming Ireland

Sadly this is a far cry from the experience sows have in factory farms. Almost all sows in Ireland are forced to give birth whilst crammed in a tiny cage too narrow to turn around in. They cannot build a nest in preparation, denying them the most natural of behaviours. They are forced to urinate and defecate where they lie, sometimes even on top of their new born piglets. They cannot tend to their piglets, or escape from them. They cannot be mothers, and the piglets are also confined in a small pen on bare slatted flooring, so cannot be piglets. If they are lucky they might have a bit of shredded newspaper, although I'm not sure how safe that is. The excuse used for the cage is to prevent the sow from crushing the piglets, which can happen, but it also happens even when the sow is in a farrowing crate. Commercial sows have been selectively bred to have abnormally large litters, which means smaller, weaker piglets, which increases the risk of crushing. A return to more traditional breeds with smaller, stronger litters, and plenty of space and bedding to enable natural behaviours is where the industry needs to go. But factory farmers just want to keep churning out as many pigs as possible, if they lose a few in each litter well that's just part and parcel of it. But it shouldn't be. All animals deserve a life worth living #PigAwareIreland

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Ethical Farming Ireland

'"I’d be more worried about the international dimensions and the implications in particular for the feed stock into the winter,” Prof Thorne told the Irish Examiner. As Ireland imports almost all its animal feed stock, and if there are shortages of grain and other food sources, the likelihood is that more will be diverted to human consumption, he added.'
Ireland imports almost all of it's animal feed. Yes cattle and sheep are largely on pasture lands but dairy cows need a lot of energy to produce all that milk so are given additonal feed, cattle are often 'finished' on grain in feedlots to bulk them up before slaughter and of course the pig and poultry sectors that are predominantly intensive are dependent on impoted grain. It is a very inefficient system, this is food that could be given directly to humans. It is also at odds with the green image portrayed by the industry and the dept.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-40904315.html

Climate scientist warns of rising food prices as severe weather and Ukraine war affect supplies

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Ethical Farming Ireland

'Because it’s not just unweaned calves and young bulls that are shoved off the land these days. From the yellowhammer to the barn owl and even the once common kestrel, we are in danger of depriving future generations of their iconic sights and sounds.'
https://www.independent.ie/business/farming/comment/intensive-farming-practices-are-pushing-birds-into-extinction-41789985.html

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