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Watch the series 'The World Wild Vet' featuring RSPCA International’s work with animals in need in the poorest communities in Malawi on 14th March on Sky 1
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Your voice
Recent blog posts
Let us know what you think of the series and episode three on Malawi once you’ve seen it!by RSPCA 26/02/2010 at 2:23p.m.
Is a cull of one species justified to stop the spread of disease to other animals? If so, under what ...by RSPCA 28/01/2010 at 4:13p.m.
With approximately only 38 wild animals left in circuses in England, do you still think this is an important issue?by RSPCA 24/09/2009 at 11:35a.m.
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Comments
novasigma March 5, 2010 at 10:15 p.m.
Factory farming is one of the most disgusting things in the world, mainly because it is completely unnecessary.
I understand that people are going to continue eating meat, but the price difference between higher welfare meat and factory farmed meat is negligible. There is NO REASON for it to exist in Britain, and no moral argument against a complete BAN!
If aliens visited earth and stood in a factory farm, they would conclude that we were monsters. They really are some of the most horrific places imaginable.
So YES, the RSPCA is perfectly justified!
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animalrspca February 10, 2010 at 4:43 p.m.
Absolutely because the buyers then know that the chicken has been well cared for and had a good quality of life
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pawzdannii November 20, 2009 at 11:35 p.m.
yeah they are so right !!!
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pawzdannii November 20, 2009 at 11:34 p.m.
IM VEGERTARIAN
but the bad thing is no one else in my family or friends are so im sorta singled out i dont eat vegetables either so my diet lacks but there is no way im ever turning back to eating meat there is no point yeah quorn may be slightly dearer but its basically the same. i cant even eat the RSPCA foods i cant help it thats the way i am.
CHICKENS AS ANIMALS ARE COOL MY GRANS GOT SOME THEY ROCK!!
LOL
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tattooedgirlie September 21, 2009 at 12:45 a.m.
Dear fellow animal friends!
PETA NEEDS YOU!!
Come participate in a fun, one-of-a-kind demonstration on Saturday, 3 October, to urge Selfridges to stop selling foie gras
To create foie gras - French for "fatty
liver" - up to 2 kgs of a mixture of grain, maize and fat is pumped into
the stomachs of ducks and geese through a pipe two or three times a day for
three weeks. As the birds' livers become diseased and expand to up to 10 times
their normal size, the animals become sick, and many are unable to move. The
pipes sometimes puncture the birds' throats, which may cause them to bleed to
death.
Foie gras production is banned in the UK and more
than a dozen other countries. More than 60 per cent of Britons believe that foie
gras sales should also be banned. Not one supermarket will sell foie gras in
the UK. Foie gras has also been pulled from the shelves of House of Fraser,
Prince Charles has banned it from Royal menus and the Pope has denounced it as
cruel.
We'd like to make this demonstration as
large and noticeable as possible. Won't you please join?
The demonstration will take place outside Selfridges at 400 Oxford Street at 11 am and last for 30 minutes. However, we will meet in a location close to (but not in front of) Selfridges at 9:45 am sharp to talk through the event.
Our goal is to get 100 compassionate people out for this eye-catching demonstration. Each participant will be given a duck mask to represent the ducks and geese who are used to make the fois gras sold at Selfridges. Some people will also hold signs, while others will distribute leaflets.
It's important that you please RSVP writing to RoseG@peta.org.uk with "Birdie" in the subject line of your e-mail. The meeting location, dress code, lyrics of the chant, instructions on the dance and other fun details will be sent (to people who RSVP) closer to the date of the demonstration.
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krymzon July 21, 2009 at 11:16 a.m.
id be happy to eat chicken if it lived a better and longer life than they do now id rather no i was eatin a happy chicken
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lindaluvdup July 14, 2009 at 3:59 p.m.
Yes, I think so.
We do not have a God given right to eat anything, or to have cheap food.
I think it is simply wrong to justify animal suffering on the grounds that it gives us cheap food and, in a country like ours that has plenty anyway, it is an unnecessary cruelty. We need to recognise that we share this planet with many species, none of which have less rights than humans.
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Hannah67 May 2, 2009 at 9:22 p.m.
Mags53 - I agree. Though I do not eat meat because I can't face the thought of what I am eating! A lot of people don't think about where the meat they eat is sourced - this is wrong. I am not against anyone who choses to eat meat, as long as it has been produced to high welfare standards. This still isn't good enough for me though, in my opinion killing animals is a bit "gross"! But that is the way I have been brought up, and I completely understand why most people don't have the same opinions as I do.
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Mags53 May 2, 2009 at 7:53 p.m.
Worldtuner - humans don't go to the doctor because they've eaten meat, they go because they've eaten too much. Human's are designed to eat meat, we are omnivores and as such are perfectly well designed to digest meat with no ill effects. Homo sapiens has been killing and eating animals since we came into being, well before hospitals came into being. So, the only reason for not eating animals (and I hope that you all include fish in this!) is because you think that it's unacceptable from a welfare view. I can perfectly well understand this, you are better then me as I eat dead animals and have no wish to stop, I just make sure that I buy ethically sourced meat products. If I had to I know that I would be willing to kill to eat so feel that I am not a hypocrite; I know people who will not buy meat if it looks like what it is, nor eat fish if the head is in place - if you eat it know what it is and that it was once a living, breathing part of creation.
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Hannah67 April 29, 2009 at 6:42 p.m.
To worldtuner - yes getting rid of meat full-stop sounds nice, and I agree perhaps healthier, but the RSPCA has to work with the fact that 6 billion people world wide will not turn vegan, so campaigning to get rid of meat would be a waste of time and money - and besides - all the meat-eaters would think they are being rediculous. So generally better welfare standards all the way is a start.
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londiniumgaia April 27, 2009 at 7:53 p.m.
of course and its long overdue
The RSPCA and any other animals charities have a better chance of being heard and taken into consideration than us the public
we count on you to do more as a matter of fact!
there is still much more ground to cover for one
pet food labeling is dishonest at times or just omits to mention many of the ingredients.
free range is the very least most would expect for those chikens I'm hoping that means to RSPCA standards
keep up the good work so many of you animal charities do
for us as individuals we can shout at them supermakets till they go deaf it would not make a difference...
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worldtuner April 27, 2009 at 5:55 p.m.
No the RSPCA is not right to demand this of chickens, their suppliers or the supermarkets.
The RSPCA should be campaigning to stop the selling of any dead animal for the consumption of "human food"..... Lets look at this: is it not the RSPCA duty to campaign for the welfare of animals, isn't killing and eating animals a part of the animals welfare or doesn't it matter that the blood thirsty carnivorous human race can scoff it's way through the World's creatures, then scurry off to fill the doctors surgeries and hospitals with their illnesses of stomach problems, bones and heart, is not our own stomach's made of the same flesh and blood of that of the animals, we, whoops no not me you expect the workings of you stomach to acidize the flesh of the animal yet the flesh of you stomach is the same, remember you are what you eat, if you what to voice about the animal welfare, if you want to live longer and healthier, if you want your skin to be clean, soft shinny, if you want to stop visiting the doctor, then leave the animals alone you can live a better life on fruit and vegetables and have a clearer mind whilst doing so.
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ArcheyTheGreat April 22, 2009 at 3:08 p.m.
Veganxchick- if everyone on the planet was a vegan than all the herbivores would go becuase of the little food for them, which then results in some of the carnivores going. I just think humans should balance how much they eat of meat and plants.
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ArcheyTheGreat April 21, 2009 at 7:28 p.m.
Well obviuosly yes, it's not fair on the chickens if they have a miserable life in a very small enclosure, in fact it's probably not a life at all.
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Mags53 April 19, 2009 at 11:58 p.m.
VeganxChick - come on now, you know full well from my posts elsewhere here that I am totally opposed to factory farming, battery hens - in fact cruelty to animals for any purpose. But, define cruelty? Is it necessarily cruel to allow an animal to be born, to live a free-range life and to be killed humanely? Is cruelty not to inflict suffering on an animal? Animals can be farmed humanely (they can have as much freedom as we get in this world that we've created for ourselves). They can be killed humanely - I know that this isn't always the case but increasingly improvements are being made in how animals are treated. I know that to you it will seem perverse to allow something to be born just so that eventually it can be killed to feed people, but it is how the whole of our planet is structured - plants (and the insects to keep them going) -> herbivores -> carnivores/omnivores.
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Sasha1991 April 18, 2009 at 1:40 p.m.
I do have a sincere question about veganism though. I thought about it the other day.
Do you have to be careful of the vegetables you buy too? Cuz a lot of them are fertilized with manure and was just wondering if that counted?
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Hannah67 April 16, 2009 at 6:31 p.m.
VeganxChick - there you go again, like I said before, you need to realise that out of the 6 billion people in the world, not many will be prepared to go vegan, so we have to work with what we've got. If everyone suddenly went vegan, there would be all sorts of bad consequesnces, such as environmental, economic etc.
Regarding the arguement on "going vegan is bad for the environment/ eating meat is bad for the environment" - I think that there are pros and cons for each. There are obvious effects that the meat industry has on the environment. But if we were to stop eating meat tomorrow, god only knows what sort of impact it would have on the planet to feed all of the people, it sounds rather scary if you ask me! It is a bit of a disaster that has been caused by humans, I think some people could cut down on meat. Also, if people reared their own meat, then that would be great for the enviroment, but that won't happen either.
And on the topic of chickens - if people can't afford to buy a high welfare standard chicken, then they should go without.
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VeganxChick April 15, 2009 at 8:34 p.m.
Mags53 you keep telling yourself that its right that many billions of animals and fish are bred for food. I soppose you find nothing wrong in factory farming or the appaling way that dairy cows and chickens are treated!
There is no reasoning with people like you. Personal abuse hmmm, you think what the heck you like, your opinion is insignificant to me.
As for balance of the planet, give me a break. Methane produced by cows is bad for the world, not growing soya! gees!
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Mags53 April 15, 2009 at 11:40 a.m.
Tut Tut VeganxChick - the last resort of the beaten is personal abuse. If we all became vegan the imbalance to the planet to grow enough food would be catastrophic and to animals devastating as we would all be in competition for the land and plants. we would get rid of the herbivores (see what happens in countries where food is an issue and the trouble between man and the animals); this would then mean that carnivores would become endangered; and evetually even omnivores would be in trouble. The balance of the planet is based and some species preying on others - it's just that we've taken too much into our control.
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VeganxChick April 14, 2009 at 11:04 p.m.
R.E Sasha1991
Give your gob a rest. You talk so much rubbish with regards to veganism. Go and get educated and you might then understand what you are talking about.
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Hannah67 April 12, 2009 at 9:40 p.m.
Lyonesse - I agree, it would be great to go back to rearing our own livestock such as chickens. I doubt that will ever happen though. Also I am a vegetarian so I wouldn't do this, but I believe that people who eat meat should stop eating meat like macdonalds burgers which is pointless, unhealthy meat.
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lyonesse April 11, 2009 at 2:42 a.m.
I think that if there is a way to ensure that all chicken suppliers meet a basic standard of wellfare for the animals they intend to cull. I would love it if we could be guaranteed that all the meat in supermarkets has come from well looked after animals but how can we truely ever know how the animals are treated? unless we go back to looking after our own livestock and culling it ourselves we will never know what the animals have been through.
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Sasha1991 April 8, 2009 at 7:27 p.m.
Going vegan would not save the species.
And a lot of the Brazilian rainforest is being deforested in order to grow soy.
I'm not lying in order to justify any eatting habits, research for yourself.
And I'm not saying that every vegan should change their ways either because of what I'm stating. But forcing vegan beliefs on people doesn't help anything.
I don't care if it means embarassing myself to show people that you can eat meat or use animal products and still be someone who cares for animals.
Maybe I'm out of my range when it comes to the UK farm industry and such, seeing as I'm not from there.
I only happened to join the site because I liked the discussions and questions brought up by the RSPCA on here and statements made by the people commenting, also to find out others opinions on different aspects of animal welfare.
Anyways, that does not make me misinformed on all aspects of environmentalism.
Perhaps looking into more aspects of environmentalism than that of the UK would open the spectrum.
This is not me hating on you either.
I did not join here to start fights/arguments but someone needs to provide a better reason for why veganism is justifiable and perhaps further my understanding of it because from where I stand it does not improve the long-term situation for animal-welfare.
The whole idea of it is debatable.
B
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claireprefersanimals April 8, 2009 at 1:09 p.m.
LMAO, at Sasha 101.
Going vegan would save the species of animals..
And also the rain forest, seeing as 75% of it was cut down to grave meat, especially Beef.
I am serious Sasha your embarassing yourself, you need to really Educate yourself.
I ain't hating on you, but you really are out your depth talking about environmentalism as you clearly are misinformed.
Like I said Ignorance Hinders Progress.
Just because your not a vegan dosen't mean you should blatantly lie, to justify your eating habits.
Oh and all chickens are cramped, Free Range is a myth, it just means it chicken have a floor space size measuring about the size of an A4 sheet of paper.
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Sasha1991 April 7, 2009 at 12:57 a.m.
VeganChick
You are so quick to condemn all farmers.
Maybe perhaps instead of choking people with the idea of veganism, you should try to encourage people to buy from local farms and such. That way they know what they are getting and its beneficial for the animals.
You say not every egg is as free range as people may think. Not every egg comes from crammed up chickens either.
People are completely ready to say everyone should be vegan/vegetarian at minimal, but never follow their argument threw to the end. So what, now all the animals are not being slaughtered and eatten, now they are all dying due to habtitaton losses because there is more need for farm land to grow our crops. Plus the world's fresh water supply isn't that great currently so lets pour the remaining into more irrigation systems. So yes, the animals are not dieing by people slaughtering them, now they are dieing because we are taking away their homes, food sources and water supplies... Since when does it become one species over another? Save the cows and chickens but kill the deer in the forests, the frogs and insects under the rocks? Poison the earth with pesticides and herbicides to protect food for an ever growing population while destroying every other aspect of existence.. Sounds really fair.
Everyone being vegan or vegetarian would lead basically to the destruction of thousands of other species and the world's beautiful habitats. Stop thinking small with band-aid solutions..
Buying locally is a step in the right direction, those eggs and meat are are probably cheaper and you know exactly what you're getting.
And just because you eat meat doesn't mean you can't love animals.. you can as much as anyone else, thats not affected by the types of food you ingest.
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x_Gemma_x March 28, 2009 at 11:07 p.m.
i definately think so, as far as i kno, supermarkets such as the co-operative and lidl only sell free-range eggs now too!! :-D
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VeganxChick March 18, 2009 at 11:48 p.m.
'I think eggs are a perfectly ACCEPTABLE supplement to meat. Aslong as they of course, are not caged and treated poorly.'
How would you possibly know that unless they are your own chickens? Eggs are not as freerange as farmers would like you to believe. Most chickens spend their bleak existence crammed into cages, firstly being debeaked so as not to peck one another. They can be in these horrendous conditions for up to two years! and then ending their lives in a slaughter house!
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Sasha1991 February 28, 2009 at 1:57 a.m.
The eggs you eat are actually unfertilized, whether you would believe it or not.
Pretty much, in all the nasty ways to think about it, its like the hens period..just more frequent.
Hens/Chickens will lay eggs even when they have had absolutely no contact with a rooster at all. Therefore NO EMBRYO!!
Domestic chickens lay an egg every 26 to 28 hours I believe, for like 6 days and then rest.
Also, the blood-spots found in the egg does NOT indicate the egg was fertilized! They are just a ruptured blood vessel in the surface of the yolk while the egg was begin produced.
There are sometimes stringy pieces in the egg once you crack it, these also do not indicate a fertilized egg. They are there to anchor the egg yolk in place of the white. Pretty much the more of them there are in your egg, the fresher the egg.
Eggs are an excellent source of protein and a great supply of essential nutrients such as vitamin A, B, D, fats [unsaturated], and have loads of minerals.
I think eggs are a perfectly ACCEPTABLE supplement to meat. Aslong as they of course, are not caged and treated poorly.
And to VeganxChick and m4rkym there will ALWAYS be people that eat chickens, cows and pigs. Whether or not that is something you agree with. SO! If people are going to eat the animals anyways, Then providing them with the best possible life, prior to the day they are sentenced, would be the proper thing to do.
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Shrike_xX February 16, 2009 at 5:57 p.m.
Absolutely! I didn't even know they were trying to do that, is there a petition I can sign?
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ZDrache February 13, 2009 at 11:09 a.m.
m4rkym; Yeah, that's right. Thing is, the chickens don't know they're going to be killed. How wonderful and tasty that simple, blissful ignorance must be.
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givepigspace February 6, 2009 at 12:33 a.m.
Some people eat meat.
Some people don't eat meat.
Many animals suffer on farms because of the conditions they are kept in.
Conditions need improving upon,
We can help reduce the suffering of farm animals by supporting campaigns which are suggesting methods and laws, for high welfare standards to be in use.
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VeganxChick February 5, 2009 at 2:22 p.m.
m4rkym I completly agree with you.
It angers and upsets me so much to see the way the human race treats animals. Animals are special and should be treated as such. I understand why the RSPCA want chickens to be treated better, but at the end of the day they still end up being killed for greedy people!
People do not need to eat meat to live a healthy life. I don't know why people say they love animals one minute but in the next breath they are eating them! Eating animals is wrong!
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m4rkym February 5, 2009 at 1:57 a.m.
"Give animals a voice". A hen once said to me... "Please don´t eat me", and I said, "but what if I let you roam around in a field for a few days, then killed you and ate you?", the hen said "ok, that sounds nice! Thank you".
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
Complete rubbish!!!!! STOP EATING ANIMALS. That is the only solution.
The only protection of animals is to let them live a natural life. They live, they play, they build a family, eventually they die a natural life. Animals are NOT food!
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chopper7uk February 3, 2009 at 10:32 p.m.
Mankind is too obsessed with being the "Superior Species"(is that why we destroy the planet and everything in it?)We need to understand and accept "ALL Creatures have a right to LIFE,from plankton/insects all the way to whales/elphants/humans",and that life should be "A Good Life" no matter how short or long.Make all Farm Animals Free Range,Stress Free,folowed by a painless,humane death(if there is such a thing),until such a day that we evolve enough ourselves to not eat meat at all.Human Beings are not "natural meateaters biologically" thats a fact.
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givepigspace January 27, 2009 at 8:38 p.m.
Yes, only higher welfare chicken should be allowed to be sold in supermarkets.
What's happened to the law,that it allows broiler chicken high stocking densities,thus not allowing the animals room enough to spread their wings, run around or to perch.
What a sad reflection of a cruel farming system.
It's not the shopper driving this cruelty by buying cheap chicken,it's the supermarkets for stocking it,and it's the sub standard welfare regulations that allow it to happen in the first place.
It's time to change it.
The meat production industry need laws to help protect farm animals from suffering within cruel production (and slaughtering) systems.
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VeganxChick January 26, 2009 at 2:17 p.m.
Eggs are not neccessary to have a healthy diet. Like I said before, you can't trust a word that farmers tell you. Until more people become vegan and vegatarian the suffering by the farm animals will continue.
You all do know that an egg has an embryo inside it... I would have thought that alone would make people think twice about eating them.
It is sad that so many people still contribute to the misery that is enjured by dairy cows, calves, chickens and goats in the dairy industry.
You would not purposely put your pet dog through pain day after day. But yet thats exactly what you do to chickens and the other animals!
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Jimmy-Jen January 25, 2009 at 4:33 p.m.
Its not fair on the poor chickens! I hope the RSPCA can stop it! Save the chickens!
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Catlover12132 January 24, 2009 at 6:40 p.m.
I agree with you HelpingAnimalsGirl, only free range and barn eggs should be sold in shops. Farmers should really give chickens a good life while they ARE alive. I know I have said this before on the rooting for pigs blog, but it's true. LET'S ALL CAMPAIGN FOR FREE RANGE CHICKENS!!!!!!!!!
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VeganxChick January 20, 2009 at 11:34 p.m.
Farmers can easily say their chickens are of higher welfare. It does not mean it is true.
I wil give an example with free range eggs. For every 500 chickens that are sopposed to spend time outside, only half do. Instead they spend their lives cramped together in large sheds. Then they end their lives in a slaughter house.
The two eateries which subject their chickens to a living hell and should be avoided at all cost are KFC and Subway. Never heard of the term 'Kentucky Fried Cruelty'?
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HelpingAnimalsGirl January 10, 2009 at 8:13 p.m.
I think it should be only freerange and barn eggs in shops.
I would hate to be a caged hen, if I was I would feel sad and angry.
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lulu_n_misu January 6, 2009 at 1:30 p.m.
I wish people would understand how the chicken must feel being cramped and slaughtered! Im a vegetarian, AND PROUD OF IT!
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diddldream January 1, 2009 at 6:43 p.m.
I only eat free range now. I saw a tv programme about killing chickens and i went on this game that said stuff about what KFC do too chickens it was gross and mean i hate KFC and people that sell thoose chickens that had been cramped upin holding pens and not allowed free space outside.
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georginga December 26, 2008 at 6:58 a.m.
I used to be veggie, but now I'll eat free range... be it meat or eggs -and that goes for ingredients too! Stops you pigging out on cakes which is good as only some supermarkets use free range in their produce, eg marks and i think waitrose are introducing more along those lines too! Not so bothered about organic mind - animals don't care wot they are given as long as they'v had a happy life!!
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Genie December 14, 2008 at 4:05 p.m.
I neva used to eat KFC anyway but this campaign has just made me even more determined not to eat it. It shocked me and made me feel physically sick.... It distgusting that major companies can treat animals lyk that!
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devilsdance November 30, 2008 at 8:02 p.m.
Great idea! I have decided to buy free range eggs, about meat-I have stopped eating it. But I really back this campaign up. It would be a big step towards important changes.
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Dobiegirl November 29, 2008 at 3:12 p.m.
Its a fantastic campaign! You guys are definitely taking the right steps, hopefully others will follow.
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clgoh November 28, 2008 at 12:28 p.m.
Haha, I boycott KFC already.
Eventhou it used to be one of my favourite.
I do not tolerate those who are cruel to animals or any living organisms.
I always stay with the saying "Do not treat others the way you do not want to be treated"
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Genie November 28, 2008 at 11:53 a.m.
I've seen that site too....! It disgusting how major companies like KFC can get away with things like that!
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PlaygirlNix November 28, 2008 at 11:02 a.m.
I used to love KFC, until i came across this website: www.kentuckyfriedcruelty.com
It's completely changed my opinion. These companies and people should be banned from keeping animals because this is intentional animal cruelty!!
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Freedom4animals November 22, 2008 at 12:38 p.m.
YES, I saw video footage of how these chickens are raised only a short while ago, the little chicks were picked up in handfuls as if they were inanimate objects, then they were dropped onto a fast moving conveyor belt (all wriggling and squirming) and they were dropped down several steep shutes and they passed people who sprayed them with disinfectant. Then they were picked up again in large handfuls and dumped into large crates (the type that usually contain apples in supermarkets) and all the crates were piled on top of each other, all full of these poor little chicks, all piled on top of each other.
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Genie November 14, 2008 at 3:31 p.m.
I agree with Fizbug, Not onli should chickens be bred to high standards all animals should, just because people are going to eat the eggs that come from the chickens then in the end eat the chickens themselves doesn't mean that they should be treated badly or be crammed together for practicality. They should have a comfortable life where they have wide op-en spaces to run around in and shelter to keep them warm ande dry, so that when they go you know that they've had a good comfortable life before hand.
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saffroncat November 13, 2008 at 7:52 p.m.
All chikens should be free. Instead of locking 50 of them in a shed they should be let free in a giant 300 acre field and they should all be free range!!!!! All those people who treat chikens badly should be banished and sent to live in a desert with no food or water!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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nora1 November 11, 2008 at 7:22 p.m.
i think that ALL chickens should be free range!!!
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animalmad November 10, 2008 at 4:49 p.m.
I think that supermakets should only sell chikens that got there FREEDOM!!!
i had 4 pet chikens in my garden they where
ex-battry hens,the state they where in was horrible when we got them,the lady that we bought them from said "They were loked up in tiny cages about 2 to 4 in each and never got let out,they came to me to be sent off and turned into chiken pie" i could not belive it and she only charged us 50p each for them.
but sadley after they had got all attention,food and water they needed {they locked like normal hens} the Fox got them.
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banthebang November 8, 2008 at 11:33 p.m.
the rspca needs to montor it's freedom farms better there is a horrible report on the density & conditions at one farm, but the idea is a good one.they also need the powers to prevent the atrocities currently carried out in these battery so called farms. I can't see how it can be called farming, if the average person on the street kept their animals like this, they would be prosecuted & banned from keeping them. The hidden egg products are the difficult ones even Waitriose with it's policy does not use free range eggs in its bakery! I just wonder how many of those people that say they cannot afford a few pence more for FR egg, still buy crisps, chocolate,alcohol and FIREWORKS!
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fizbug November 3, 2008 at 11:53 a.m.
the RSPCA is totally correct that all meat let alone chickens should be bred to a high welfare standard. People need to eat less meat, but better meat. Please keep asking in your local shops for them to stock rspca monitored meat and do without if it isnt on the shelf...
I agree with Carly, the RSPCA need to extend their duties if they have any time left, and demand better labelling on all meat foods. Really tho you would be better not eating anything, than eating re formed chicken burgers or cheap beef burgers.
we have made a real change to our shopping habits over the last year, we only buy environmetally friendly packaged products, RSPCA or outdoor bred, free range etc and we cook more from scratch. It was hard at first, but soon becomes habit. Meanwhile we nudge the shops to stop packing everything in plastic!
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ZoeE November 1, 2008 at 11:27 p.m.
This is a great campaign & people seem to be listening. This was apparent when the free range chicken was sold out at my local supermarkets after Hughs chicken out campaign!
Big companies make their money and keep their mouths closed - what we dont know doesnt hurt us as long as they are making their money.
It should be clear on the labels what people are buying so people can make a choice.
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Mags53 October 17, 2008 at 6:40 p.m.
Sue - yes, that's the one. Mind you, we don't adopt all of the measures, for example, we still haven't brought in all of the employment legislation nor the companion animal regulations
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Sue October 17, 2008 at 12:02 p.m.
Mags53 - The EU? Isn't this the body that makes rules which the British have to adhere to but the rest of Europe gets away with completely ignoring?
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Mags53 October 16, 2008 at 12:36 p.m.
Sue - absolutely agree with your comments. The people who should work in the slaughterhouse are animals lovers who'll treat the animals with compassion. But, they'd either not be able to do it or it would take so long no-one would be able to afford the meat. Killing on the farm used to be done but was stopped many years ago, and the EU brought in such stringent hygiene, etc. regulations that most "local" abbatoirs went out-of-business. Don't know what the answer is just know that being vegetarian isn't it. Perhaps we do need to go back to the days when slaughtermen went round the farms and killed the animals in situ and then took them away for selling. Do know though that some animals going for slaughter panic dreadfully at the smell of blood and the noises of the other animals. And, I know that I say that we can't put human feelings onto our animals but I do have to keep reminding myself of that - especially when one of mine finds some smelly, rotting item to eat!
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Sue October 16, 2008 at 11:25 a.m.
Sorry, misprint in my last comment. I did not mean to say we should make slaughter as traumatic as possible, I meant to convey that we should make it as least traumatic as possible!!!!
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Sue October 16, 2008 at 11:19 a.m.
Mags53 I don't think all farmers are cruel, though I know some are. I just think the whole slaughter process is cruel. I think we have got so used to killing animals in large numbers that people who work in that industry become inured to their stress and suffering. It is after all to them a production line, a process. In the hurry to get the job done, nobody seems to pay much heed to the animals themselves. I suppose that if we could all put ourselves in the position of the animal who is being taken for slaughter and give any consideration to what they must be experiencing, then probably none but the most sadistic of humans could ever do that job. But we don't want sadists doing that job do we? I suppose what I am saying is that if animals bred for food were viewed as sentient beings rather than items for despatch on a production line, then the whole process of slaughter could be improved. I try not to attach human emotions to animals, but nobody can tell me that animals entering a slaughterhouse are not stressed by what they sense, see, hear and smell, and by the reaction of their companions. The whole environment is so far removed from what is natural for them for a start. They should certainly not be transported long distances for slaughter. I agree with you about the foot and mouth crisis, but it didn't help the image of farmers that most of the media coverage at the time concentrated on the financial impact on the farming community, carrying with it the suggestion that farmers were more concerned with their financial loss than with the welfare of the animals. I know this was not the truth of it, but that is how it was frequently portrayed. I know that animals will always be exploited and used by humans to some extent, and they will always fall victim to our cruelty. Nothing we do will change the nature of some humans to inflict pain on those unable to defend themselves. But the abiity to empathise and feel compassion is one of the few qualities which separates us from our animal cousins, and if we are going to use animals for food, the duty of care we owe them is to ensure that we treat them as humanely as we can, and to make the process of slaughter as stress free and traumatic for them as we possibly can. How we actually do that is another issue, but slaughtering animals on the farm is probably much more humane than hauling them to a "factory".
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Mags53 October 14, 2008 at 7:59 p.m.
Sue - some religions believe that we do.
You know not all farmers treat their animals badly, I know of some who were heart broken at the mass slaughter of their stock after foot-amd-mouth, herds of beautiful animals that they'd bred for generations. Part of the problem is that some farmers are dreadfully cruel to their animals and so they all get accused of cruel practices. On other Blog pages some people have held out dairy farming in this country as being the cruelest abuse of animals ever, but that isn't true. We put human thoughts and emotions onto animals too much AND, by concentrating energies into something like that, fail to take action over far more urgent cruelty issues or devalue our opinion, because we concentrate on issues that may be upsetting but are not exactly cruel.
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Sue October 14, 2008 at 1:19 p.m.
Mags53 - of course you are right, which is why more and more often, before I buy a chicken in the supermarket, I picture the bird being slaughtered as a means of putting me off buying it. I agree that animals which have to be slaughtered should be slaughtered on the farm, where they are relaxed and comfortable, and they shouldn't have to watch their companions die first. Let's face it, death comes to us all at one point or another, and if I had any choice about mine, I would want to die in my sleep, at home in my own bed, knowing nothing about it. That I suspect would be the choice of most people, so if we want that for ourselves, why should it be okay for animals to be subjected to such an undignified, violent end? I suspect the answer from most people would be because we are human and superior. But being superior doesn't give us the right to abuse our position in life. What would we do if there was any truth in the idea of reincarnation and we came back to earth as an animal to answer for our human crimes? Now there's an idea!!
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Mags53 October 10, 2008 at 8:41 p.m.
Sue - the very fact that you eat it means that you kill it as it wouldn't be killed unless for food, but then if you weren't going to eat it it wouldn't be born, at least not farm animals.I agree, all animals deserve to be kept kindly and well and yes, there probably is no such thing as an ethical death. If it were possible they should all be killed on the farm where they live, away from others being killed. I knew someone many years ago who worked in a slaughterhouse and the stories that he told were horrific. Someone else I know was once doing some installation work at a factory that was "processing" chickens from killing them to packing the joints ready - again, some horrific stories. I suppose that I'm probably borderline vegan BUT I have debated the issue in the past and have come to the conclusion that so long as the animals are treated kindly it is better to have lived than never to have lived at all, they wouldn't be bred unless we were going to eat them. We couldn't just release them all to live natural lives, they'd eat what we would need to live AND they couldn't be allowed to breed too much as we'd be competing for land for food and would therefore end up killing them and to kill something unless for food is wrong.
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Sue October 10, 2008 at 1:01 p.m.
Mags53- You say that "if you weren't willing to kill it you shouldn't be willing to eat it". This is EXACTLY why I wish I did not eat any animal flesh of any description. The truth is, I will not kill anything. I don't even kill insects - oh unless they are fleas on my dogs or cats that is. Ethical slaughter is probably a contradiction in terms, as how can you kill anything ethically, but painless slaughter which could be made stress free for the animal would be a massive improvement on what we have now, if that was possible. They way we do it now, animals are made to suffer prior to slaughter, they are transported live often in poor conditions, they are manhandled by people they don't know, they are taken to a "meat factory" where they can smell the remains of other animals who have gone before them, they see or hear other animals being killed, they KNOW what is about to happen to them. We console ourselves that animals are stupid, so they don't understand, hence it doesn't matter so much how much stress we subject them to. But I don't believe that. I believe that animals can be just as sensitive to their environment as people, and they are certainly not as stupid as a lot of people I meet. So for me, all animals reared for food deserve our respect and our compassion, right through from the moment they are born to the moment we despatch them for our convenience. When we decide to rear animals and birds for food, we become responsible for them, for every aspect of their short lives. We have a duty of care as humans to ensure that they are happy, healthy, well cared for and compassionately treated from beginning to end. Whether you eat meat or not, this surely has to be a basic minimum requirement of us all.
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Mags53 October 9, 2008 at 9:49 p.m.
The reason that vegetarians and vegans can exist without becoming ill is that we are Omnivores, this means that we can manage to live by existing entirley on meat or entirely on vegetables/herbs. Carnivores have to have meat to live. I agree that animals have been treated dreadfully for decades to mass produce for the table - I can remember when we had chicken just a couple of times a year because it was so expensive, that was when it was all free-range, beef was the usual meat for sunday! It is possible for anyone to source ethically raised meat (ethically killed is less easy to guarentee). There are web-sites for meat sourced from farms where the animals live "free-range" in a more natural way. I actually buy my beef from a local farmer, his cows can be seen in the fields, he has 3 per month killed and sells it all straight from his farm. Other farmers in the area sell lamb and pork. BUT, it is more or less double the price of the supermarkets - I choose to eat less of it so spending the same as I would at the supermarket - you can do it if you want. Mass produced pigs are probably treated as badly as chickens. The RSPCA code doesn't go far enough, some of the chickens still kept too many to too little space. I used to keep "real" free range chickens and we sometimes killed and ate them, completely different taste from the "free-range" ones from the supermarket. And, before anyone throws their hands up in horror that I would kill them - if you aren't willing to kill it then you shouldn't be willing to eat it! I obviously don't kill cows, etc., I'm not a licensed slaughterman - but if I had to do so to live (and more importantly, if I could do so quickly and painlessley), then I think that I could (?).
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Sue October 9, 2008 at 5:52 p.m.
I would like to answer those people who feel that we could all become vegetarians or vegans to help stamp out cruel farming methods. I am sorry that I do eat poultry and fish. I do look for evidence that the animal has been reared free range, and I will always buy RSPCA approved meat if I have a choice. I will pay more for meat if I think the bird has been more humanely reared than its cheaper counterpart because it matters to me. I have more or less stopped eating other meat. I do in fact enjoy a good meat roast just as much as anyone else, but I can't ignore the fact that an animal died a cruel death to put that meal on my plate, and it does affect my appetite when I stop to consider it. However, humans are and always have been carnivores. It is far more natural for us to eat meat than not to, although I accept that there are alternatives. I would imagine that in 100 years time, fewer people will be eating meat than there are now, and as attitudes evolve over time, it may be many years after I am gone that we will see a world where the majority of people do not eat meat. But that is not now. So we have got to strive for a regime whereby the actual process of slaughter is more humane. For example, no animal should be fully conscious when killed. Stunning methods are not adequate, and too many people do not care if an animal or bird is properly stunned before it is killed. Sheep, cattle and pigs should not have to stand and watch their companions slaughtered. They are not as stupid as it suits us to believe, they can smell death, they can hear their companions cries and sense their fear. Methods of reducing these stress factors would of course slow down the production line, and would probably make meat a lot more expensive to buy, but for me, this is a secondary consideration. Sadly we live in the commercial world where profits come before compassion. Becoming vegan or vegetarian would be great, but it is not that simple, because we are reared as carnivores. I am always striving to cut down my intake of meat, but it won't happen overnight. I have tried meat substitutes with a view to cutting out meat completely but they were tasteless and bland, and quite frankly, I would rather have gone hungry. Wherever possible I cook meals using cheese and eggs to avoid eating the chicken itself, and I am getting better at it, but I can't, if I am honest, see the day coming where I will be completely meat free in my diet. It might happen, but for now, whether it does or not, the majority of the public will continue to fuel the demand for fresh meat, so although I agree with the vegans and vegetarians out there, I think the emphasis has to be on more humane treatment of animals reared for food and more humane methods of slaughter, even if it drives up meat prices.
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whippet October 5, 2008 at 7:24 p.m.
Of course the RSPCA are right in demanding this. This should also apply to all the other animals as well. But, being a vegan, I still find this unacceptable. If you can kill it...eat it. Meat is murder.
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Georgia September 22, 2008 at 5:49 p.m.
It is hard to comment because most people like eating animals others dont but it affects chickens the most they should cut down the amount if chickens being killed beacause if they become instinct it stops eggs and chichen as food...its just creul
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sammyvanstaden September 15, 2008 at 6:30 p.m.
Yes yes yes yes yes yes yes! It's a really good campaign.
If they're going to go, they should at least go happy.
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WolfGirl September 15, 2008 at 6:15 p.m.
It's great that the RSPCA is saying this. Like another blogger said, they deserve a great life before they go! They are still living creatures and they also have feelings. They should have the freedom they deserve.
Go RSPCA! ^_^
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Sophie. September 12, 2008 at 2:56 p.m.
Ofcourse! if an animal has to be killed for food it may as well have a nice life before it has to go! Animals deserve pleasure just as much as we do. And, it's better for us aswell!
"Good all around - sortof"
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ILHehir September 10, 2008 at 7:32 p.m.
I only eat freerange chicken but I could never go veggie I can't go 2 days without eating meat. I would never eat battery chickens. Its like a game: who can cram the most chickens into a crate!
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Claire000 September 10, 2008 at 6:55 p.m.
I'm not a vegetarian but I also buy food that has an RSPCA sign on it or has proof that it is free-range! I also have a few friends who are vegetarians though!
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Inoccent penguin September 10, 2008 at 3:47 p.m.
Why go veggie?
Vegtables are GROSS and meat is the most delicois thing on earth you need a balenced diet thats fact!
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lil_los@hotmail.co.uk August 31, 2008 at 8:02 p.m.
me too (Secret), i wont eat food that hasnt got the rspca sign on or free range. why treat chickens like that. there is soo much land on this earth so much so that there is well enough to keep chickens outside free to roam about! keep yourself cooped up day and night, let yourself be grabbed by the throat and dragged into little crates with loads of others, but you wouldnt let that happen! NO, so why do it to chickens, they have the right to a happy life just as much as we do. Ohh and people please do NOT buy bernard matthews products, he is cruel to his animals!
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Secret August 29, 2008 at 9:41 a.m.
i'm not veggie but refuse to eat anything that doesn't have the RSPCA freedom food logo on it or it has proof it is free range
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k9kathy August 25, 2008 at 5:39 p.m.
I understand the last comment and would never support cruelty for whatever reason, for example, I only buy free range chickens & eggs and will NEVER buy veal but if people eat meat, thats OK in my book as long as the animals are reared with compassion, kindness & live happy. After all we have been eating meat since we were living in caves.
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KayleighLouise August 23, 2008 at 11:52 a.m.
if you really cared about the welfare of the animals, you would go vegetarian or vegan.
THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS AN ETHICAL DEATH
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voiceforanimals August 10, 2008 at 9:51 p.m.
We need to campaign for new legislation for the welfare of ALL animals produced for food to ban animals reared and slaughtered in in-humane conditions. It just should not be allowed! We are campaigning against animal cruelty for domestic animals so why should agriculture be any different? Our country needs to learn to eat less food of higher quality. So many animals are slaughtered and end up in waste bins, its so tragic. To end a life and then not repect it and put it in the trash - we would not do that to our pets... The mac donalds and the kfc's of this world are not to be forgotten! Isn't there something we can do?
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Julia August 1, 2008 at 10:50 p.m.
Absolutely! Life is more valuable than money could ever be. I became very aware of how expensive and tricky trying to be an ethical consumer is. That is my main reason for becoming a vegetarian. It turned out to be the only way of guaranteeing that I could avoid plumping the profits of supermarkets with no real consideration of animal welfare, whilst keeping to budget!
I agree that the labelling of food sources and animal welfare standards should be far more detailed, and featured on ALL products. The RSCPCA has my full support!
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jms August 1, 2008 at 10:44 a.m.
I try to eat ethically and only buy free range chicken and eggs. A couple of years ago having veiwed a video of the treatment of battery chickens I was horrified and made the decision only to buy free range poultry and associated products in the future although it isn't always easy as many supermarkets make a song and dance about their free range products but stock only limited amounts and charge outrageous prices. I've also found that it is now almost impossible for me to ever eat ready meals containing chicken as they don't use free range ingredients.
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Alfiethelurcher July 31, 2008 at 3:28 p.m.
Definitely. I am a meat eater but I always try to buy free range chicken and meat from my local butcher/farm shop so I know exactly where it has come from. I too am fortunate to be able to get free range eggs from the farm, where I keep my horses.
People complain about not being able to afford free range, and while I am sure for some this is the case, a great deal of people could make savings elsewhere in there lives to free up a few extra pounds to buy free range. If not then the answer simple. Don't buy chicken. There are plenty of other ways to ensure you have enough protein in your diet.
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dnortier July 25, 2008 at 2:51 p.m.
I hate to see the way chickens are treated in battery farms, should be outlawed! Shame on the supermarkets and others to allow this!
Just let chickens be chickens.
I really admire vegetarians.
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Gemma... (((<3))) July 22, 2008 at 3:11 p.m.
I turned vegetarian recently, but i still make sure the rest of my family gets free range stuff. Or try to :$. I can understand how it's easier sometimes for people to buy cheap stuff because its affordable, but its not fair on the chickens!!! People dont think about what theyre eating anymore. Food=food. Which is wrong. Free range is what chicken actually tastes like. ;].
anddd...
Sweetie, that's awesome! you are SO lucky to be able to get fresh eggs from a farm,,, i would do that if i could. Hope you get more money soon [:
+
Rock on, other vegetarians :)
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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magentadivine July 15, 2008 at 5:09 p.m.
sweetie.. good for you!!! i dont really eat eggs, now i know their chicken periods....gross really...
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sweetie July 15, 2008 at 10:21 a.m.
I recently turned vegatarian and only buy free range eggs from a farm i can visit, but at the moment we are really skint as we are moving home so we decided we would just get some cheap eggs! i couldnt do it i stood there staring at them but just couldnt pick them up so i walked off and we dont have any eggs and wont have till i can get free range.
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magentadivine July 14, 2008 at 4:52 p.m.
yes, our feathered friends need to be looked after, i personally dont eat any form of meat, but if you do, DEMAND better standards.
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Grace.Garner July 14, 2008 at 1:41 p.m.
Its a great campaign! im a vegetarian and have been for three years, i also respect not everyone wants to stop eating meat and i have no problem with that. all i want is animals to be treated right and not cruelly, im so happy about this campaign. i am going to write to my local supermarket now to get some answers! Jan is right all these high profit supermarkets care about is money. we have to use our people power to the max.
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Jan July 13, 2008 at 3:16 p.m.
Trouble is people want cheap food if they have families and higher welfare chickens would cost more. Supermarkets are greedy. They don't care about animals, only their profit!
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iluvpepsipig July 11, 2008 at 6:12 p.m.
I think that supermarkets should only sell higher welfare chickens, i am a veggie, but i still believe that if people are going to eat chickens they should at least of been kept in good conditons first!!!
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Lilia July 3, 2008 at 3:43 p.m.
I think supermarkets should definitely only sell higher welfare chicken. They bang on about consumer choice, but there will still be different price levels for their indoor reared, free-range or organic chickens - but they'll just all be higher welfare, rather than the cheap standard chicken that they pack the shelves with now!
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Carly July 2, 2008 at 10:52 a.m.
Its a great campaign - especially for the chickens!
The problem is that people don't check what is in their food enough. You are drummed into checking for fat, sugar and all that but not actually the contents. And there isn't actually the chance to see if your process food is made from higher welfare chicken or from battery farms. I would like to see the suppliers putting more information on the labels of food, and ask supermarkets to back on this too!
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