Author
homefries
People from around Massachusetts are seeking to ban veal crates, pig gestation crates, and force-feeding of ducks in the state of Massachusetts. These tiny crates immobilize pigs and cows before they're killed for gourmet food. Force-feeding of ducks -- normally involving a metal pipe thrust down their throats -- swells their livers and makes them grossly overweight. Listen to audio interviews from people challenging these practices.
People from around Massachusetts are outraged at the extreme violence against animals perpetrated on factory farms. In particular, they are seeking to ban the use of veal crates, pig gestation crates and the force-feeding of ducks from the state.
In order to produce veal, "young calves are taken from their mothers and chained by the neck in crates measuring just two feet wide," according to animal activist organization Farm Sanctuary. They usually become extremely frustrated and start to kick, toss their heads, scratch and shake. They become weak and antrophied, and they difficulty walking before they are eventually killed for meat.
In order to produce pig products, pregnant pigs are kept in "gestation crates". These crates fit around their body so tightly that they are immobilized. After giving birth, they're artificially inseminated in order to breed more piglets. After their bodies are worn down, they're killed for their meat.
Ducks are force-fed to produce the gourmet dish "foie gras". Metal pipes are thrust down their throats, and they're pumped full of gran to swell their livers to around 10 times their normal size. According to Farm Sanctuary, "the mortality rate for ducks raised on foie gras farms is among the highest in the farming industry. Necropsies performed on foie gras ducks have shown extreme obesity, impaction of undigested food in the esophagus, lacerations in the throat, and a proliferation of bacterial and fungal growth in their upper digestive tracts."
On Monday, March 14th, people converged on the state house. Two bills are currently up for consideration that would ban pig gestation crates, veal crates, and the force-feeding of ducks. Other states and nations, including Florida, California, Germany, Italy and England (among many others) have already banned some of these practices. Will Massachusetts take a stand too?
See http://www.factoryfarming.org
and http://www.nofoiegras.org