I have heard that European farmers treat their farm and food animals better than the factory farming conditions of the United States. Is this true and if so, where can I get some info substantiating it?
Factory Farming Thanksgiving's Toll on Turkeys
Between 250 and 300 million turkeys are raised for slaughter every year in the U.S. – more than 45 million alone for Thanksgiving. U.S. turkey consumption, which has increased by 116 percent since 1970, averaged at 17.5 pounds per person last year.
Factory Farming
Crowded by the thousands inside huge, factory farm warehouses, female turkeys raised for slaughter in the U.S. are typically allotted 2.5 square-feet of space per bird, while toms are given a mere 3.5 square-feet of space each. The typical 50’ X 500’ warehouse holds approximately 10,000 hens or 7,000 toms. The overcrowded birds, who are unable to comfortably move, or exhibit natural behaviors, are driven to excessive pecking and fighting. Rather than alter the birds’ living space to prevent these injurious behaviors, producers cut off the ends of the turkeys’ beaks and toes, practices know as debeaking and detoeing. These painful mutilations are performed without anesthesia and can result in excessive bleeding, infections and death.Genetic Manipulation
Modern turkeys have been genetically manipulated to grow twice as fast, and twice as large, as their ancestors. Comparing a turkey poult’s growth rate with that of a human baby, Lancaster Farming, an agriculture newspaper, reported: “If a seven pound
baby grew at the same rate that today’s turkey grows, when the baby reaches 18 weeks of age, it would weigh 1,500 pounds.” The strain of growing so quickly makes young turkeys susceptible to cardiovascular disease and can lead to fatal heart attacks. Although this rapid growth poses a serious threat to the animals’ health and welfare, the turkey industry continues to push birds beyond their biological limits.
Full article at http://www.adoptaturkey.org/aat/issues/factory_farming.html