Factory Farming

Factory Farming

Image via Wikipedia

Image via Wikipedia

Factory farming is a term used for and when large production of live stock in a confined environment at high stocking densities takes place, this term is used when a farm acts as a factory, the produce made from these factory farms are usually meat, milk, or eggs for human consumption.

The large concentration of animals, animal waste, and the potential for dead animals in a small space poses ethical issues. It is recognized that some techniques used to sustain intensive agriculture can be cruel to animals. As awareness of the problems of intensive techniques has grown, there have been some efforts by governments, industry and also by animal protection groups to remove the poor techniques used.

PROS:

• The population’s demand for meat, eggs and milk can be fulfilled at an acceptable price
• Production of more “meaty” animal flesh.
• More profits can be made from farming in this way.

CONS:

• Animals generally face ill-treatment in factory farms due to space constraints and lack of health care facilities.
• Overcrowding of animals under sheds leads to rapid spread of diseases and infections which can affect the factory workers and even the meat produced from the animals.
• Factory farmers normally use chemicals and antibiotics so as to induce maturity amongst farmed animals which can hence be taken to slaughter houses.