We have quoted broadcaster and farmer John Humphrys before but his remark is well worth repeating because this clip shows you exactly what he’s talking about:
“They tear about the field, kicking their legs into the air …For six months they have lived in sheds, slept in stalls, stood on concrete. Now, once again, they have the grass beneath their feet. They seem, quite literally, to be full of the joy of spring. It lifts the spirits to watch them.”

Fishcount.org.uk is an engaging new website created to increase awareness of the plight of fish caught for food, and to promote workable solutions for the future.

It is estimated that approximately 1-3 trillion fish are caught every year. The methods used in most fishing ventures have the potential to cause profound distress to fish and therefore more humane alternatives are proposed.

Fish farming is on the increase. Given that conditions for farmed fish too often cause suffering, it is essential that such systems are designed to pay full regard to the welfare of fish.

The evidence for fish sentience draws on wide and varied sources, from scientific studies to a really interesting film of Comet the goldfish (see clip below) who has learned to perform tricks. He can play football, fetch hoops just like a dog, swim through a tunnel or a slalom…the list goes on!

We are given a deep insight into the experience of caught fish and shown the welfare shortfalls in modern fishing techniques. These include rapid and damaging decompression when pulled in trawl nets from deep in the sea, which often results in the rupture of internal organs; being left to suffocate on ice until they die; and in the case of long line fishing they sometimes hang for days before they are ‘landed’, condemning them to a slow death and vulnerable to attack by predators. We can see how much distress these experiences could cause to a sentient being.

Some people have traditionally thought that fish do not suffer pain and distress in that the same way as land-based animals and humans. But increasingly, science now suggests that this is not the case, and that fish and indeed other underwater creatures such as crabs have the potential for pain and emotional experiences, just as we do. This clearly has enormous implications for the treatment of the fish that are caught for our tables. Fishing techniques to date have only focused on speed and quantity of catching , and have not considered the suffering of those creatures  who are caught.

Fish farming is on the increase. Given that conditions for farmed fish too often cause suffering, it is essential that such systems are designed to pay full regard to the welfare of fish. Fish are amazing animals with intrinsic value, and with our  increasing understanding of their sentience, change is urgently needed.

Visit www.fishcount.org.uk

The importance of the relationship between a ewe and her adopted lamb. Image copyright Compassion/Elli Goodlet.

Janet Taylor of Farm Animal Sanctuary near Worcester told us this touching tale of two sheep. Jasmine was a mature ewe who hadn’t had a lamb for 6 or 7 years. A group of newly rescued sheep moved into the field next to her, including some orphaned lambs, and over the next few days she began calling to one orphan named Alfie. He was calling back to her and eventually Janet decided to put him over the fence to be with her – and see what happened.

Alfie began to try to suckle  Jasmine, as he would have done his biological mother, and Jasmine let him do so. Janet felt that at least this would provide him with the comfort of contact with a ‘mother’ but continued to bottle-feed him. Amazingly, Jasmine began to produce milk herself and was able to feed her newly adopted lamb as her own.

We have heard about a number of female animals who have adopted and fed orphaned youngsters. This even happens across species; for example, pigs are known to have adopted newborn puppies.

This shows the strength of both the maternal instinct and the need to have care from a mother figure. Perhaps all the species we commonly farm have this need but sadly, they are often denied it. In the light of our modern scientific understanding of animal sentience, Compassion in World Farming believes that farming policy and practice must take full account of animal sentience – as is required by European Union law.

Santino, another clever chimp, who's at www.livesofanimals.org/2009/03/santino-rocks/

This shows us more fascinating evidence about the sentience of chimps. In this case, Sakura is in a human-designed, captive environment, which may be somewhat enriched, but which is still unnatural for a chimp. The fact that Sakura works out what to do in these circumstances tells us even more about chimp awareness and understanding. These abilities are strong indicators of animal sentience.

Sakura is not alone in preferring sweet music. Back in 2001, there was research investigating how cows reacted to fast beats or to softer music. The researchers said: “We found that slow music improved milk yields perhaps because it relaxes the cows in much the same way as it relaxes humans.”

Despite increasing awareness of animal sentience, there is still resistance to appreciating or acknowledging that animals are sentient beings and there is reluctance to peer over the barrier of “human vs other animals” that we ourselves have created.

Cows enjoy soothing sounds. Photo (c) Compassion in World Farming/Karen Playford

It was previously thought that this kind of choice and preference about music was a “uniquely human trait.” So we see that Sakura and the dairy cows have overcome yet another barrier!

The farmer of course needs to replace the collars of the sows who discarded theirs, otherwise those sows will not get any food.

A TV series called ‘Clever Critters’ filmed some of these sows and you can see them here:

The clip says the sows are only fed one meal per day. The farmer does provide straw, a really important basic enrichment for pigs. But these clever animals may be hungry and they also will look for interesting activities to fill their days of pregnancy. It is admirable how they use their wits to beat the system!

Pigs are intelligent and curious and need an interesting environment. Image (c) Compassion in World Farming/Martin Usborne

“A cat looks down on man, a dog looks up to man,
but a pig will look man right in the eye and see his equal.” 
Winston Churchill

Recent research with pigs found that they have “episodic-like memory” – a particular kind of memory which indicates highly developed mental abilities.

Despite our knowledge of their sentience, the majority of the world’s pigs are kept in factory farms. And if the animal welfare reasons are not enough to end factory farming, swine flu may give us another reason. Cramped, stressed animals in filthy conditions provide the ideal breeding ground for bugs. (The link takes you to a short clip on CNN News with disease expert Dr Michael Greger).

A better quality of life. Image: Compassion/Martin Usborne

High welfare, free range or preferably organic systems can provide a much better life for pigs. Let’s give them space, fresh air and a life worth living.

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.

Floss then spent the next nine months fending for herself. She hid during the day and looked for food at night, searching rubbish dumps and finding occasional hay supplies.

It is reported that she did not have an easy time as joyriders and others tried to run her down and shot at her.

Two local women began to help Floss. She was taken food and they raised £500 GBP to buy her from the farmer and took her to Hillside, an animal sanctuary.

One of her rescuers said: “Floss trotted off the back of the trailer and it was the most wonderful thing. She really deserves it. For an animal to look after herself all that time she deserves this life.”

Cows and their calves form strong family bonds. Image: Compassion/Martin Usborne

Sue lives at a UK animal centre, where the owner is quoted as saying:
“He certainly does a dog agility course without any trouble.  He twists and turns in both directions, he gives his trotter and he does cones, the tunnel and ramps. Everybody is always amazed, but personally I’m not because I have kept pigs for years and I know they really want to learn.”

A pig needs to rest too! Image: Istockphoto.com

Another quick-thinking pig is LuLu, who brought life-saving help for her human companion.

‘Celebrity pigs’ like Sue and Lulu show us that they and fellow pigs are intelligent and interested in their world. It underlines the fact that how we treat pigs is of vital importance to them.  Yet pigs are one of the most intensively farmed animals in the world. Millions of pigs reared for meat each year have a short and sometimes painful life in a barren concrete pen. The young pigs can never experience fresh air or daylight. They are unable to behave naturally and are likely to be bored and frustrated.  But higher welfare free-range or organic farming systems give the animals a chance of a better quality of life.

High welfare free range or organic farms can give the animals a better quality of life

She squeezed through the ‘dog door’, scraping herself in the process, and headed for the road. This meant her leaving the fenced yard, which she never usually did on her own.

Then she laid in the road waiting for a car to stop. According to witnesses, it took 45 minutes before a kind driver did get out to see what was up. LuLu led him to the house and Jo Ann’s life was saved.

 A follow-up article reported that the world was fascinated by LuLu’s courage and clever action. LuLu has had worldwide media coverage and TV appearances and she has been given a gold medal from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.