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Factory
Farming: Key Facts
In
1996, more than 850 million animals were killed for food in the
UK, of whom more than 760 million were broiler chickens.
 
Broiler chickens are housed in huge windowless sheds - holding, on average,
45,000 birds - for the duration of their six-week growing period. As birds grow,
space for each individual decreases. By the end of the growing cycle each bird
has only 0.5 sq. ft. of floor space.
Turkeys have been genetically selected for high and rapid meat yields. They
have a natural life span of approximately 10 years, yet are slaughtered at between
12 and 26 weeks. In this period they may grow to nearly twice the size of their
predecessors of only 25 years ago. Approximately 2.7 million turkeys (or 7%
of the total) die in their sheds every year. Ulcerated feet and hock burns are
common - caused by continual contact with litter contaminated by urine and faeces.
Of the 744,000 UK breeding sows, approximately 80% are housed permanently indoors.
Of these, 95% give birth in barren structures built from metal bars and concrete
known as farrowing crates. New-born piglets suckle from a small area known as
a 'creep', adjacent to, but separate from the sow. Sows are usually considered
‘burnt out’ after the continuous cycle of impregnation and are killed
for low-value foods such as sausages and pork pies when they are 3-4 years old.
The figure for early mortality of lambs born in the UK is approximately 20%.
Every year some 4 million lambs die from disease, malnutrition, and exposure
in their first few days of life.
In order to produce commercial quantities of milk, dairy cows are
forced to endure a constant cycle of pregnancies. They are expected
to carry milk that may be in excess of 20 litres at any one time
– ten times as much as would be required for her calf.
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