Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
no. of animals raised on large* operations: 2002 and 1982
2002
1982
all
turkeys
chickens
egg-laying hens
no. of animals on no. of animals on
percent
the animals
large operations large operations
change
pigs
in 2002
in 1982
all
890,030,698
257,000,695
+246%
turkeys
68,417,853
33,443,754
+105%
cows (milk)
chickens
457,461,691
52,140,827
+777%
egg-laying hens
304,500,225
160,005,126
+90%
pigs
47,789,951
4,176,477
+1,044%
cattle (beef)
cows (milk)
3,183,086
632,583
+403%
0
cattle (beef)
8,677,892
6,601,928
+31%
100,000,000
200,000,000
300,000,000
400,000,000
500,000,000
600,000,000
700,000,000
800,000,000
900,000,000
disorders in birds who are the age equivalent of juveniles. Diseases
often associated with old age are widespread in animals just a few
weeks into their lives. Poultry scientist Dr. Ian Duncan notes that
“[w]ithout a doubt, the biggest welfare problems for meat birds are
those associated with rapid growth.”
The numbers are staggering. Aided in part by today's ever-faster
rates of growth, U.S. producers now raise more than 9 billion chick-
ens a year, killing 1 million individual birds each hour to sate the
average American's 80-birds-per-year consumption habit.
Jared Diamond notes in
Guns, Germs and Steel
that, in the
