Kreider Farms, a dairy and egg-producing "factory farm" in Lancaster County,Pennsylvania, has contracted to build a state-of-the-art low aerobic nutrient and waste processing system.
Now the happy cows and chickens will have their "other output" recycled into fertilizer and fuel instead of fouling the land, air and water like organic farmers do things. The fishes of Chesapeake Bay would have clean water instead of dead zones if everybody did the same. Tbe birdies could sing to their hearts' content about the clean air.
There are heart-warming videos of the happy animals that can be found here, along with all manner of happy talk.
Below the fold there is a somewhat different picture provided by mean people who hate all us animals. [We are animals too. Some of us don't care to be roasted alive by organic farmers climaticiding us.]
The meanies' story is here.
Welcome to KreiderCruelty.com
Eggs. Whether scrabled or poached, sliced in a salad or served sunny-side up, eggs are often considered a healthy food choice. It's no surprise that eggs are perceived this way, as lobby groups for the egg industry spend millions of dollars every year trying to sell consumers on "the incredible, edible egg." But what the industry doesn't show consumers is where the eggs come from - dark, cramped, feces-filled rows of cages stuffed with egg-laying chickens that will never see the sun, never feel the grass, and who will never have more personal space than half of an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper. What's worse, eggs in these conditions are often smeared in feces, sit for hours on dirty collection trays, and are eaten or handled by rodents before being washed and sent on to you, the consumer.
In order to expose the realities of modern egg production for consumers in the greater Philadelphia region, The Humane League of Philadelphia conducted an undercover investigation at Kreider Farms of Lancaster, PA. Kreider produces tens of millions of eggs every year and supplies them to McDonalds, Genaurdi's, and other supermarkets and restaurants in the Philadelphia area. An undercover investigation conducted at three of their five egg production facilities revealed grossly inhumane and unsanitary conditions (please see the video clips and photos for more detail).
Nice they said "please" but prepare to be grossed out should you watch the video clips. Only people like Dick Cheney and John Yoo could enjoy such movies.
What the hell?
* "The space available in a battery cage does not allow hens even to stand still in the way they would in a more spacious environment. Some behaviours are completely inhibited by confinement in a cage causing a progressive accumulation of motivation to perform the behaviours."(6)
* "When crowded together this regulatory system breaks down and the hens appear to be in a chronic state of social stress, perpetually trying to get away from their cagemates, not able to express dominance relations by means of spacing and not even able to resolve social conflict by means of aggression."(7)
* "[T]he frustration of nesting motivation is likely to cause significant suffering to the hen during the prelaying period every day."(8)
* "Hens without access to perches may have more welfare problems resulting from increased aggression, reduced bone strength, impaired foot condition and higher feather loss."(9)
* "The fact that hens are restricted from exercising to such an extent that they are unable to maintain the strength of their bones is probably the greatest single indictment of the battery cage. The increased incidence of bone breakage which results is a serious welfare insult."(10)
Temple Grandin, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Animal Science
Colorado State University
Frankly I would believe Temple Grandin if God and Her heavenly hosts thundered from the skies Temple was lying. Might not say it out loud what with all those thunderbolts and such but I would believe Temple.
If any illiterate doesn't know, Temple Grandin is an autistic professor in Colorado who designs animal housing. "Autistic professor?" Yes - just take it on faith this once.
So who is cruel?
The answer to the conundrum may lie here. I have no more knowledge than what the Google goofus allows.
Eco-friendly Kreider Farms Announces New, State-of-the-Art Chicken Houses
Pennsylvania's largest family [heh heh] farm producer of fresh shell eggs, Kreider Farms, announces the openings of several new, state-of-the-art chicken houses.
Once again I have no personal knowledge that the truly horrendous conditions of the farm animals has been ameliorated, I have not addressed the feed or medications given the animals, etc. I simply do not know. I have spent some time studying the nutrient and waste sytem that was initially designed for municipal sewage.
I am sure there is a need to address the destruction of life on the planet through climaticide. Harming others, humans or other animals, is not the way to go about things. Some seem to think it is.
Best, Terry