Posts Tagged ‘Compassion in World Farming’

Apr
17
2009

Films: Farm Animals and Us

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

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

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.

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Posted in Farm Animals, Films | No Comments »

Mar
06
2009

The language of hens

The hens and chickens that we farm are descended from the jungle fowl of south-east Asia. Jungle fowl and domestic chickens make over 30 different calls, which they use to alert their group members to a threat or to food, for example.  Chicks start communicating with their mother hen while they are still in the egg and cockerels make a “food call” to let the hens know that food has been found.

Cockerels tell the hens in their group about tasty food. Image: Compassion/Xiao Shibai

Cockerels tell the hens in their group about tasty food. Image: Compassion/Xiao Shibai

Scientists used to think that only a few mammal species could really understand the meaning of different calls and grunts. Now, research is showing that hens and chickens have a more advanced use and understanding of language than scientists expected. 

Recordings of cockerels’ food calls were played back to hens, either straight after they had received three corn kernels to eat, or after they had not received anything to eat. 

In response to these recorded calls, the hens only went to look for food if they had not eaten any corn. The hens who weren’t hungry ignored the calls! They didn’t just go and search for the food as an automatic response to the call.

This shows that they understood that what the call meant and could make an intelligent response to it.

Other researchers found that hens were prepared to wait longer before eating a tasty treat, if  they knew that waiting for longer would mean they received a bigger number of tasty treats.

Hens and chickens are no ‘bird brains’!

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Posted in Chickens & hens, Communicating, Farm Animals, Maternal care, Natural behaviour | 2 Comments »

Feb
06
2009

The bonds of mother and young

In commercial farming, young animals such as piglets and dairy calves are separated from their mothers at a very young age. The weaning age and the rearing conditions can affect the physical health and the welfare of these very young animals. 

This young family benefit from higher welfare conditions. (c)Compassion/Martin Usborne

This sow and her piglets benefit from better animal welfare conditions. Image: Compassion/Martin Usborne

 
Animals reared in more interesting, ‘enriched’ conditions are more settled and confident with their companions, and female animals seem to take more easily to rearing their young (when given the opportunity). For example, piglets who lived in outdoor enclosures before and after forced weaning had fewer problems than piglets in barren indoor conditions. 

Young piglets need their mum

In intensive farming piglets are removed from their mother between 2-4 weeks of age.  At this age they are still dependent on her for feeding, mothering and protection. A more natural weaning age would be 3-4 months. 

The younger the piglets are when they are removed from their mothers, the more they squeal for her, try to jump out of the pen and rub their noses against the bellies of their companions, which can cause injuries. The piglets are probably looking for their mother’s udder or to gain physical contact with her. 

This frantic behaviour is not seen in 8-week-old piglets in a semi-natural environment, but is commonly seen in commercial farms world-wide. 

Dairy calves

Dairy calves in commercial farms are usually separated from their mother at only a few hours old, but natural weaning would take place at 9-11 months old. Often a cow whose calf has been taken away will walk up and down in an agitated way, calling out and apparently looking for her calf. Calves too often appear distressed at this time.

Researchers also looked at the long-term effects on the calf of separation in this way.

If calves are removed from their mother as new-borns, they may not call out for her so much, but their health and long-term development can be affected. If they are taken away from their mother after a longer time spent with her, they may be more distressed at the time, but their long-term development may be better and they may have more confidence to cope with new situations.

Image: Compassion in World Farming/Karen Playford

The vital bond between mother and young. Image: Compassion/Karen Playford

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Posted in Cattle, Communicating, Emotions, Family bonds, Maternal care, Pigs | 1 Comment »

Jan
29
2009

In search of happiness

Farmer and award-winning journalist John Humphrys knows all about the importance of the sentience of farm animals.  Describing the importance of kind treatment of farm animals, he says:  “Good farming is about healthy and, yes, happy animals.”

Because farm animals are sentient beings, how they are treated is of vital importance to them.

Animals who are afraid of humans because they have been treated roughly or unkindly may be more stressed and suffer health and welfare problems.

Kind treatment is more likely to mean happy and well-cared-for cows. Now researchers have found that cows whose farmers talk to them by name are,  perhaps unsurprisingly, more relaxed.

You can see the clip about the cows here.

Talking about dairy cows let out from the winter sheds into the great outdoors, John Humphrys says:
“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.”

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Posted in Cattle, Emotions | 1 Comment »

Jan
29
2009

Wild at heart

There is a fascinating film about captive rats who were released to a semi-wild habitat.  The rats were descended from generations of rats who had all been born in a laboratory.  They were released into a ‘farmyard’ setting to see how they reacted to this more natural environment and whether they knew what to do in order to survive.  As the commentator says, “It is the first time they have seen the sky.” This great film shows you how they got on.

The first chapter, “Release”, is linked below and visit www.ratlife.org to see the other chapters – well worth watching!

Berdoy, M. 2002. The Laboratory Rat: A Natural History. Film. 27 minutes. www.ratlife.org

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Posted in Rats | No Comments »