Introduction - Killing Happy Animals: Explorations in Utilitarian Ethics - page 7

probably do so if these products were as easily available and had the
same price. Due to several reasons, these moral values are very often not
followed by corresponding purchasing behaviour. 16 One reason for this
seems to be that governments, rather than individual consumers, are held
responsible for changing the agricultural system. 17 Thus, even if the actual
behaviour seems to be motivated by other interests, the ideal of animal-
friendly animal husbandry is at least theoretically broadly supported.
There are roughly two groups of people who do not support animal-
friendly animal husbandry. One group finds animal husbandry unaccept-
able , even if the animals have 'happy lives'. This group considers using
and killing animals for consumption morally unacceptable. It seems to
be a small group, as is indicated by the small percentage of vegans; i.e.
people who strive, as far as practically possible, to avoid animal prod-
ucts. The other group that does not support animal-friendly production
finds animal husbandry acceptable , even if the animals have bad lives.
This group is, I suspect, small as well. At least mammals, such as cows,
pigs and sheep, are generally conceived as sentient beings whose welfare
deserves some protection. This, again, indicates the widespread support
for animal-friendly animal husbandry.
'Animal husbandry' refers to the keeping of animals in order to produce
animal products for human consumption. This can be meat or other
animal products such as milk or eggs. Animal husbandry implies that
the animals undergo a certain treatment from birth to death. The treat-
ment, or use, differs per sort of animal, production purpose, and produc-
tion method. For instance, animals are kept in confinement; so-called
'broiler chicks' are often de-beaked; cows are milked. Besides the use
of animals, animal husbandry, as I understand it here, also implies the
killing of animals. This does not only hold true in the obvious case of
meat production. In case of milking cows, the cows are also usually killed
after several years of use, based on an economic cost-benefit calculation.
Furthermore, their male calves are usually killed. Laying hens are killed
after a period of use, and male chicks, which cannot be used as laying
hens, are killed soon after their birth. So, killing animals is implied by
animal husbandry, as I understand it here, not only in the straightfor-
ward case of meat production.
'Animal-friendly' in turn refers to husbandry systems that allow the
animals more possibilities to live out their species-specific behaviour. This
means that animals are given the opportunity to display what is typical
behaviour for their sort. For instance, cows are allowed to graze and
hens are allowed to scratch. In current intensive animal production, the
opportunities for animals to live out their species-specific behaviour are