The treatment of animals in agriculture, and ag gag laws.

[rmantoo]

How? See my response above. We humans have chosen to use them for different purposes (companionship vs. meat) but that doesn’t mean they are biologically different or that farm animals don’t have emotions and feel pain just like dogs and cats do.

Farm animals are livestock.

Pets, regardless of species, are not. Most people who have hobby farms, in my experience, have pets. Working farms/ranches have livestock.

I would argue that the demarcation between sensory acknowledgement and pain for a cow or most livestock is orders of magnitude away from that of a dog or human.

Of course, natural behavior, balance point, etc, of course, are a much better method of working cattle than, say, electric prods and blunt physical force.

 

[Mowingmaniac 24/7]

"I would argue that the demarcation between sensory acknowledgement and pain for a cow or most livestock is orders of magnitude away from that of a dog or human."

I really hope you're correct.......and only those two?

 

[rmantoo]

"I would argue that the demarcation between sensory acknowledgement and pain for a cow or most livestock is orders of magnitude away from that of a dog or human."

I really hope you're correct.......and only those two?

No. Goats, donkeys, and others, too, I'm sure. You'll laugh, but llamas and their relations are dang hardy, as well.

 

[Mowingmaniac 24/7]

"You'll laugh, but llamas and their relations are dang hardy, as well."

Ah, ok, whut?

 

[rmantoo]

"You'll laugh, but llamas and their relations are dang hardy, as well."

Ah, ok, whut?

llamas and emus have very tough skin.

 

[Mowingmaniac 24/7]

Great!

Bet they crisp up very nicely if cooked properly!

 

[WT_Foxtrot]

llamas and emus have very tough skin.

Emus do for damn sure! Hate those things.

 

[GoPappy]

Farm animals are livestock.

Pets, regardless of species, are not. Most people who have hobby farms, in my experience, have pets. Working farms/ranches have livestock.

I would argue that the demarcation between sensory acknowledgement and pain for a cow or most livestock is orders of magnitude away from that of a dog or human. . . .

So, a pet pig feels pain differently than a farm pig? Or a pet goat has a higher level of “sensory acknowledgment” than a farm goat?

Goats are goats and pigs are pigs. The only difference in the pet vs. the ones bred as livestock are the uses to which we humans have chosen to put them. The biology is still exactly the same.

You can take a whole litter of 10 baby pigs and make one your pet pig. Does that mean its “sensory acknowledgment” is on a higher level than its remaining 9 litter mates?

Let me be very clear. I’m not arguing that livestock should be treated as pets. Rather, I’m simply saying that you can’t justify cruelty towards a pig, goat or cow any more than you can justify it towards your pet dog or cat.

 

[Younggun]

Had a pet cow when I was 16. She was born blind and my parents got her as part of a deal when buying another cow. They had to go as a pair.

Cow walked the pasture with me, knew the sound of my truck, I could ride her around, we would sit in the shade and eat steak finger baskets (I only shared the toast and fries with her), she pretty much acted like a really big dog. Same nuzzling that we associate with dogs.

I still love my steaks and when I still see steaks and briskets when I look at cattle. I have no doubt cattle can feel the same as any other animal, but they are food for me.

While I have issues with mistreating any animal there is also the simple reality that farm and ranch work can be rough at times and some things must also be balanced with cost.

These videos by activists rarely show any context to what’s being done. At first sight they may appear extreme but it’s hard to say without knowing more. The goal of the activists isn’t to stop what we would consider cruel treatment, it’s to stop what they would consider cruel treatment. Their standard involves a total end to the consumption of meat.

For that reason, I don’t take these kinds of videos at face value. I’m also aware that most people probably don’t want to know where their meat or eggs come from. They just want them as cheap as possible.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[rmantoo]

So, a pet pig feels pain differently than a farm pig? Or a pet goat has a higher level of “sensory acknowledgment” than a farm goat?

Goats are goats and pigs are pigs. The only difference in the pet vs. the ones bred as livestock are the uses to which we humans have chosen to put them. The biology is still exactly the same.

You can take a whole litter of 10 baby pigs and make one your pet pig. Does that mean its “sensory acknowledgment” is on a higher level than its remaining 9 litter mates?

Let me be very clear. I’m not arguing that livestock should be treated as pets. Rather, I’m simply saying that you can’t justify cruelty towards a pig, goat or cow any more than you can justify it towards your pet dog or cat.

No. Simply our interpretation/perception of the event changes (and it should change, at least some) depending on whether the pig in question is a pet vs livestock. No, again, it's simply our perception thereof.

And let me be clear: I'm not arguing that cruelty to animals should ever be tolerated, either.

I am saying, though, that some things some people interpret as cruel simply aren't.

 

[TheDan]

Happy animals taste better.

Everyone should try raising/growing their own food.

 

[TheDan]

That's the type of track bands include on an album to see how retarded their fans are.

 

[TheDan]

I'm curious as to why the 1st Amendment issues aren't being discussed. Sure, trespassing is a crime and SHOULD be treated as a crime, but many of these ag gag laws prevent you from recording this kind of thing from PUBLIC roads and property. Are we just not allowed to do anything that would inconvenience a big business, even if what they are doing could be unethical?

Yep, that is a big problem with gag laws in general. Even if someone had signed an NDA it would only be a civil penalty to violate, not a criminal one. I hope I never find myself in that position, but I will defy a gag very loudly.

 

[birddog]

I volunteer at a rural animal shelter. Someone dropped off a pet pot belly pig that was a pretty good sized pig. Apparently they were moving and couldn’t take it wherever they were going. The shelter kept the pig for a period of time as they do all animals to make sure they’re suitable for adoption and don’t have the disposition of a little hellion critter, then posted it as available on their website. Some Hispanics came in to look for a pet dog and end up buying the pig for $20. They put a leash on the pig and everybody walked out happy, ncluding the pet pig. I speak Spanish and overheard their conversation before they bought it.

They leave the facility and the next thing we hear is a pig screaming it’s lungs out. Screamining a hysterical pig scream. One of the women walk out front then runs back in crying along with some folks that were bringing their screaming crying kids in to look for a pet. The new owners of the pig had knifed it and cut its throat, bleeding it to dress it out in the grass next to the entrance.

Every time I saw that pig in its pen I would think to myself, “Man, that dude would be perfect for a backyard luau”.

 

[rmantoo]

The new owners of the pig had knifed it and cut its throat, bleeding it to dress it out in the grass next to the entrance.

That's pretty freaking funny... and horrifying... depending on perspective... and it aptly illustrates how one person's pet can be another's livestock...and the culture clash inherent between the two.

 

[ZX9RCAM]

That's quite a story...

 

[birddog]

That's quite a story...

And every bit of it true.

The Collin County Animal Shelter is the only one I’ve ever seen that gets horses, donkeys, cattle, pigs, and chickens along with expensive well bred cats and dogs. Damn shame folks see pets as disposable.

 

[Mowingmaniac 24/7]

Mistreating, abusing animals isn't to be confused with raising, killing, slaughtering and eating them - humanely.

An oxymoron?

No.

Eco-freako/greenie granola munching hipsters love to pretend they know what their talking about while giddily flaunting their self-righteous conviction they know best for all, insisting on veggies or don't eat.

This group suffers from the same kind of insane, liberal guilt most neurotic liberals suffer from for simply being a live human who eats meat.

I won't be guilt tripped into becoming a soy boy, vegan and I sure as hell won't ever eat synthetic meat, cheese or some other fake food to assuage a group of self-reproaching weaklings......

 

[birddog]

I’ve known a few vegans who fell off the wagon for health reasons.

 

[ZX9RCAM]

And every bit of it true.

The Collin County Animal Shelter is the only one I’ve ever seen that gets horses, donkeys, cattle, pigs, and chickens along with expensive well bred cats and dogs. Damn shame folks see pets as disposable.

Were the police called?
I imagine it had to have broken some kind of law, trespassing, littering, loitering...