"Baby lambs! God is as bad as the video you posted! " Not how I feel about the issue, but if the video is so cruel, God apparently is by those same standards.
I did click the link. Just because I'm not as affected as you doesn't mean I skipped over it. It could be an indicator that I understand more about what's going on in the video, and didn't have as much of an emotional reaction.
I can't explain all of the video, and I thought about doing this when you posted it but I figured you wouldn't like me doing so...
Before I start, Animal Cruelty is wrong. So the only question left is, "Are the events in the video cruel?"
I lived on a farm in north central Kansas from the years of Kindergarten to Christmas of fourth grade.
I lived west of town about a mile.
Castration - The removal of the testicals
Castration is one of the various things we did with our hogs and cattle. There are multiple reasons for this. If you eat beef, and would prefer that it have the consistancy of shoe leather, then by all means keep the testicals on the animal. Testosterone toughens muscle, which your hamburger and your pork chop is beef/pork muscle. It also makes it a lot easier for the farmer. Male animals with in-tact testicals, are much more aggressive. I'll let you decide between having livestock castrated, or having farmer John Mauled.
Also...
[/size]
The video may not have mentioned it, but cutting off the tips of the chicken beaks prevents cannibalism.
Not a fan of the crammed cages.
Killing the Holstein calves is a waste.
Horns Removal - This is something we did, and I witnessed this personall several times. It's not always nice to watch, but for the most part the vet we used was pretty skilled, and the cattle never seemed to notice. I remarked to my father yesterday about having watched your video, "I can't believe how many city people seem to think milk comes from the grocery store.." According to him, the removal of the horns in is done in the United States, primarily for two reasons...
In English breeds, the horns grow in a direction that when two males start fighting, the horns can pierce the skull of the other male, and kill one, if not both. So in many cases, the removal of the horns is a preventive measure. Also, it's very hard to round up steers who can fight back with horns.
Killing Runt Pigs - This is something I never had to witness in person. My father however had to a couple times. When asked, his attitude changes. If that's telling of anything. The killing of the runt pig, is in most cases a preventive measure, or one of mercy. Most runt pigs are born too far behind (hence, runt) and will die due to starvation. However, often they cause the death of other piglets, and entire litters. How this goes about is, the sow lays down and throws out the dinner table, the little piglets come up and get some dinner. The runt pig often get's pushed out by the other piglets, or is too weak to get a teat. The runt will then squeel and squeel... and squeel.. eventually the sow will become freightened, think a piglet is under attack... She will jump to her feet, and spin in a circle looking for the predator. In the process, trampling and killing the other piglets. Relativistic ethics, sure.. Killing one to save six.
Just to give you an example of the size difference, and how easy it is to crush a piglet...
YouTube - ‪Mangalica sow responding to piglet squeals‬‏ <--- click
The sow sat on the piglet, and as you can see it had hind leg issues, and likely internal issues as well. Now image a sow spinning in circles with a bunch of piglets underneath it. I'll let you chose.
Feed lots are going to be where your atrocities occur. This is because the small-farmer can't afford to lose his livestock. We immunized and cared for our sheep, cattle, and hogs like they were family.
If you feel something is unsatisfactory, please make note of it so I can respond.
[/size][/font][/size][/font]
