Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
no. of animals killed per hour in the u.s. industries: 1,304,732
1,304,732
1,035,989
185,334
31,963
30,964
13,294
3,923
2,757
292
109
99
8
near-daily egg-laying, and their bones weakened further by virtual
immobilization in restrictive battery cages, nearly 90 percent of
these laying hens suffer from osteoporosis. This makes the birds
highly susceptible to bone fractures, which can be deadly. One
study, in fact, found that fractures were the main cause of mortal-
ity in caged hens.
The pig industry, as well, has radically departed from traditional
farming methods. Most breeding sows are confined in individual
gestation crates—two-by-seven-foot cages—that prevent them
from even turning around. These curious, social animals—who, in
an extensive system, would root around with their noses, forage,
