For those who don't know what factory farming is, here's what it is in a nutshell. It's the unsanitary and inhumane production of meat products.
For instance all meat-producing animals such as beef cattle, pigs and chickens etc; are subjected to production by horrendous methods. Most beef cattle spend the last few months of their lives at feed lots crowded by the thousands into dusty, manure-laden holding pens. The slaughtering process is even worse and too gross to mention here.
The chicken production process is just as bad and inhumane. Around 95% of the eggs available from these chickens come from egg factories, where the birds are held in battery cages which are very small with slanted wire floors. Five to eight birds are crammed into 14 inches cages. To prevent aggression (due to the stress) chicks are debeaked. To lift the production up hens lives in constant light.
As male chicks are not useful for the broiler industry, and 50% of chicks hatched are males, they need to be disposed and killed at birth. Broiler chickens are selectively selectivity bred and genetically altered to produce bigger thighs and breasts, the parts in most demand. This breeding creates birds so heavy that their bones cannot support the weight. As they are bred to grown fast they reach market weight of 3 1/2 pounds in seven weeks.
Broilers are raised in overcrowded broiler houses instead of cages to prevent the occurrence of bruised flesh, which would make their meat undesirable. Their beaks and toes are cut off and the broiler houses are usually unfit to prevent fighting among the birds. A mix of confinement, little moving space, little or no sunshine, too little vitamins and dietary deficiencies can result (and they usually do in factory forms) in a variety of health conditions and diseases.
Darkened rooms and close confinement result in animals being bored, frustrated and fearful. In reaction to this stress animals burn up available energy and healthy nutrients that would otherwise go toward growth, resistance against diseases, lactation and gestation.
In the 1940's it was discovered that chickens grew faster when fed the mash left over from the antibiotic process. To this day no one really knows why antibiotic drugs speed growth, but within years of this discovery they became standard feed additives for poultry, cattle calves and pigs.
In the 50's and 60's animal scientists mapped out the role of hormones in growth and production and started making hormone-effecting products as feed additives and implants.
Now if you believe that any of this shouldn't raise any medical concerns for humans. I guarantee it should. If you are concerned about living a healthy life you do not want to eat any products produced in a factory farm. The safest food of any kind should be brought in organic supermarkets. Their meat and chicken products and even chicken eggs are not subjected to any factory farm processes.
If you have heard about the e.coli virus the factory farms could be where it starts. This virus can not only create some horrendous health conditions but it can also cause death too. In a story recently in the New York Times was the sad story of Stephanie Smith, children dance instructor. Stephanie contacted the e.coli virus when she consumed a burger patty her mother grilled for their Sunday dinner.
Stephanie thought she only had a stomach virus. The aches and cramping were tolerable that first day and she finished her classes. Then her diarrhea turned bloody, her kidneys shut down and finally seizures knocked her unconscious. The convulsions grew so relentless that doctors had to put her in a coma for nine weeks. When she emerged she could no longer walk. The affliction ravaged her nervous system and left her paralyzed.
Because of situations like these you must learn how vital it is to take personal charge of your health. You cannot trust the medical community, government or Big Pharma to care about your health. After more than five years of researching information on the Internet, reading medical newsletter and special health reports of doctors well educated in nutrition, this is the criteria I use to manage my health. I'd suggest that you do your own research about your health and even visit my website for infomation on many health matters.
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