Compassion in World Farming’s film, Farm Animals and Us 2, is every bit as captivating as the wildlife documentaries that are so familiar on TV.
It takes an illuminating look at the sentient animals in today’s farms. Watching wild boar and junglefowl, who are the ancestors of today’s farmed pigs, chickens and hens, we see that our ”modern” farm animals still have many of the behaviour patterns of their wild cousins.
Perhaps the maternal drive is the strongest natural feeling. Image: Compassion in World Farming/Karen Playford
Modern factory farms are very far from nature. A hen in a barren battery cage cannot even spread her wings, let alone carry out other natural behaviours that are so important for her physical and psychological well-being.
Piglets in a crowded and barren concrete pen have little chance to enjoy their young lives and in boredom, may turn to biting the tails of their fellow piglets – a sad cycle of distress. Their mothers may be kept in sow stalls and farrowing crates. These are effectively cages, so narrow that the sows can’t even turn around.
The scale of industrial animal farming also takes a heavy toll on the environment, the world’s water and its cereal crops. Excessive consumption of meat and dairy can harm human health.
If we have fewer farm animals in better conditions, there are big advantages for the animals, people and the planet.
Farm animals are sentient beings who have feelings that matter to them, and given the right conditions, they can enjoy their share of life’s pleasures.
In higher welfare conditions, farm animals can enjoy their share of life's pleasures
Standard documentaries about wild animals under threat often do not tell us what we can do help. While modern commercial breeds of farmed animals are not at risk of extinction, their welfare arguably is!
Farm Animals and Us 2 informs us about what we can do to help protect their welfare. Well-managed free range and organic farms can offer a much better chance for a quality of life. We can choose to consume less meat and milk, and choose only animal products from higher welfare systems.
The film is suitable for general interested viewers and is widely used in schools and colleges for students of 14+ . You can watch the film on YouTube, in three parts of 10 minutes each, or please contact us for the DVD.
Here are links to the film:
Part One – Pigs and the natural behaviour of wild boar; intensive pig farming; free-range alternatives.
Part Two - Hens and chickens and the natural behaviour of jungle fowl; intensive egg production; free-range alternatives; intensive meat chicken (’broiler’) production.
Part Three – Animal sentience; feeding the world; economics and sustainability.
For youngsters, Compassion offers the film Farm Animals and Us, also in three parts on YouTube or again, contact us for the DVD.
Farm Animals and Us 1
Part One - What we know about the sentience of our farm animals
Part Two - How intensive farming developed; farming of meat chickens (’broilers’).
Part Three - Food chains and energy; choices we make about the meat and dairy we buy.
Tags: animal agriculture, animal farming, chicken, Compassion in World Farming, Emotions, maternal bond, Natural behaviour, sentience