HBO Special: Death on a Factory Farm - Starts Tonight.

[Nikki+2]

Oh Ann I don't know how you made it through that. I know how disturbing factory farming is- I've heard all the same horror stories I'm sure you have but reading your post made me sick (and teary). The good thing is knowledge of these situations is becoming more mainstream.

[Wylie's Mom]

Originally Posted by Nikki+2

Oh Ann I don't know how you made it through that. I know how disturbing factory farming is- I've heard all the same horror stories I'm sure you have but reading your post made me sick (and teary). The good thing is knowledge of these situations is becoming more mainstream.

I don't know either, I had such a headache afterward from being so tense.

You're right, it is very hopeful that this is more in the mainstream than ever. Even though there were only 1 or 2 (think it was 1?) charges of guilty, for about $250 - it can still be seen as a success (sad as that is). The group who paid "Pete" (the investigator), the Humane Farming Association (HFA), viewed this small victory as a success.

Pete, at the end, was rather heartbroken that all of his work, risk, energy, and horrid memories only resulted in a $250 fine. However, he said there was no way he'd ever give up being a voice for animals, and would continue his work.

[Nancy1999]

Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom

I don't know either, I had such a headache afterward from being so tense.

You're right, it is very hopeful that this is more in the mainstream than ever. Even though there were only 1 or 2 (think it was 1?) charges of guilty, for about $250 - it can still be seen as a success (sad as that is). The group who paid "Pete" (the investigator), the Humane Farming Association (HFA), viewed this small victory as a success.

Pete, at the end, was rather heartbroken that all of his work, risk, energy, and horrid memories only resulted in a $250 fine. However, he said there was no way he'd ever give up being a voice for animals, and would continue his work.

In the ending credits, I think it said something about the pork association had to fork over $10,000 to help with the defense. I think this might also help persuade them to persuade farmers to be more humane.

[veguroev]

I wanted to watch it, but I don't have HBO .

[Wylie's Mom]

Originally Posted by Nancy1999

In the ending credits, I think it said something about the pork association had to fork over $10,000 to help with the defense. I think this might also help persuade them to persuade farmers to be more humane.

Yep, you're right - the association took up donations so that the Wiles, the hog farm owners, would not have to shoulder any legal fees. You can imagine what I'd like to say about that....

[Nancy1999]

Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom

Yep, you're right - the association took up donations so that the Wiles, the hog farm owners, would not have to shoulder any legal fees. You can imagine what I'd like to say about that....

Well this is the first time, I was glad to hear lawyers charged a lot for something. People may have helped them out, but often times they later recent it.

[Lou]

Ann,
Thank you so much for bringing attention to this program. I can't bare to watch it but I am grateful for people like you who are brave enough to shoulder the sadness and grief. I know you didn't enjoy it and feel the urgent need to get the word out. You are a blessing to the rest of us!

[Wylie's Mom]

Originally Posted by Lou

Ann,
Thank you so much for bringing attention to this program. I can't bare to watch it but I am grateful for people like you who are brave enough to shoulder the sadness and grief. I know you didn't enjoy it and feel the urgent need to get the word out. You are a blessing to the rest of us!

Wow, Lou...thank you so much for your kind words, it meant so much to me! Your thoughtfulness just made a lot of the discomfort from that show so much easier to bear. You provided even more reason to make it worthwhile. Thank you.

[RMKC]

Sorry but i cant watch it either, cant stand to see an animal suffer...

[yorkiekist]

Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom

I watched the whole thing and have been meaning to post about it, but ugh...it's just hard sometimes after seeing all of that.

Nancy, you missed what I thought was the absolute *worst* part of the footage. I'm going to describe it, not bc I'm trying to be morbid or graphic - but bc it was *the* piece of footage that confirmed to me that our current anti-cruelty laws are not well defined and are archaic. If you don't want to, don't read what I'm going to describe next...

Some of the baby piglets are not considered "good enough" to...continue...with life - often, they're considered too skinny and they are called "Skinnies". The farm owner's son, who was just sick imo, took this baby Skinny by the back 2 legs, and swung it up into the air in a circle and coming down hard so that its head hit the side of a table - trying to kill it. Without checking to see if he was successful, he tossed the piglet (about the size of a large yorkie) into a white bucket and walked off. "Pete", the investigator, waited some minutes and then walked over to the bucket and pointed his hidden camera into the bucket. The baby piglet was curled in the bottom of the bucket, twitching/convulsing - still alive. He was left there dying, in the bottom of that bucket of filth.

Next, the owner's son, with a smirk on his face (bc someone made a comment that maybe there was a better way to kill the piglets) - grabbed a hammer. He said he was going outside to bash-in the other piglets' heads with that hammer. They didn't show this footage, if there was any.

Even more upsetting, it is LEGAL to bash-in the head of a baby piglet to kill it. There were no charges brought for that footage, even though the baby was still ALIVE. I don't get that part at all. This showed me that our cruelty laws are absolutely outdated and ineffective as written -- they ENABLE cruelty.

Now for the "downed hog" - that is when a hog is sick and probably will die without vet care. NO vet care was provided. They moved these hogs into a "dying room" (basically) and just left them there - not providing ANY food or water. They would also sometimes let in healthy hogs, who would then CANNIBALIZE the downed/sick/dying hogs. They showed this on film.

Most confounding on that last part is that, even though it seemed, by LAW, that you MUST provide food/water - the charges against Ken Wiles (owner) for cruelty related to not providing these basics were given the verdict of not guilty.

There is so much more - including the disgusting enjoyment by the worker when they were hanging the hogs to kill them. They just stood around and watched these hanging, suffocating, flailing animals - some of them laughing afterward/during.

I fully understand that not all farms are like this - I get that; but many of them are - even the very farmers who were there to support the hog farmer said so on film - that it's "just the way it is".

Well for me, once again - it just proved beyond a doubt that "the way it is" just isn't good enough.

THIS IS GRAPHIC!!!!
I didnt see this film because I dont have TV. But it sounds all too familiar. I went to a pig farm as part of a class I was taking. I think that this farm had about 3000 pigs on about 10 acres(cant remember exactly) All of them were housed in a building. Pigs were crammed into pens based on the size of the pig. There wasnt even room to move. The ones that got trampled died and workers waded through the pigs to get the dead ones out. Back then, these small shelping pens were legal and the moms couldnt move as if they did, they would crush the babies. They were only in the pens until the piglets were weaned, about 6 weeks. Then they were put in a pen outside with a boar to be bred again. I did not witness any cruelty at all, except for the crowded conditions. The smell wasnt great either. But I am sure that they were also on their best behavior as this was a school class that was visiting. The workers did carry clubs as pigs are very dangerous. They will eat you too if given the chance.
I think that this undercover guy should have to visit a slaughter house. If he couldnt stomach the pig farm, he would never stomach a slaughter house. If he want s to see some cruelty of animals that are not dead yet, he needs to visit the slaughter house. He will get the thrill of a hog being butchered. First, they use a hot shot to get the hog to move blindley down a shute. A metal bar is shot into the hogs head, stunning him, but not killing him. The hog wildly thrashes on the floor until men can "hook" him up. They shove big iron hooks through the hocks and hoist the hog up into the air, face down. Another man slits the throat of the hog and the hog is "bled out". This means that the heart is still beating, pushing the blood out of the animal. Big barrels are put under the hog to catch the blood. The hog is still alive through all of this. Then the men start to cut open the hog. The hog is still moving a little. This was another class trip I went on. Did I see cruelty?

Sorry this was a little graphic. Farming is not for the faint of heart, but is a necessary evil if you want to feed the public. I dont predict that all humans will become vegitarians in the near future. Killing baby piglets as you described, is commonplace at alot of pig farms. One bullet to the head doesnt always do the trick either. Sometimes it takes 3 or 4 bullets to kill a pig. I wish I knew of "nicer" ways to kill our livestock to feed the people.

[yorkiegirl83]

I didn't see this as I don't have HBO but I have watched other videos on factory farming practices and I have to say that is what brought be back to vegetarianism after years of being away from it.

I feel like the treatment of livestock animals is seriously so underexposed in this country so I am glad there are documentaries out there to shed light on the horrors that these poor animals suffer through.

I talk to my husband about this all the time as he still eats meat. It's not even that I'm against eating meat exactly, but it's more about the senseless suffering and all out cruel ways these animals are killed or disposed of.

[Wylie's Mom]

Originally Posted by yorkiekist

I went to a pig farm as part of a class I was taking....

I think that this undercover guy should have to visit a slaughter house. If he couldnt stomach the pig farm, he would never stomach a slaughter house. If he want s to see some cruelty of animals that are not dead yet, he needs to visit the slaughter house....

Oh Lyn...I'm really sorry you have those memories, I know how much you love animals.

Originally Posted by yorkiegirl83

I feel like the treatment of livestock animals is seriously so underexposed in this country so I am glad there are documentaries out there to shed light on the horrors that these poor animals suffer through.

I talk to my husband about this all the time as he still eats meat. It's not even that I'm against eating meat exactly, but it's more about the senseless suffering and all out cruel ways these animals are killed or disposed of.

This is exactly how I feel. My hubby eats meat, though I don't, and I'm not opposed to eating meat - to each their own, absolutely ! I just wish we could find the way to better treatment of these animals who we force to PROVIDE us food. Nothing is impossible, and I hope we can get there someday.

[Lou]

Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom

I just wish we could find the way to better treatment of these animals who we force to PROVIDE us food. Nothing is impossible, and I hope we can get there someday.

I'm in! But what and how? I think you have started us all down the path now where do we go?

[Bianca]

I just couldn't bring myself to watch it, I just get to emotional .
I am however happy this has been addressed and more people are knowing what is going on.

[Wylie's Mom]

Originally Posted by Lou

I'm in! But what and how? I think you have started us all down the path now where do we go?

Exactly! I too want to know where to go, what to do. I mean, I can donate some money and blah blah, but I wish I knew how to better help w/ progress.

I wonder if one of the UK'ers would share w/ us how the UK did it, bc I've always been so curious about how they addressed the progression toward less-cruel treatment of livestock. UK folks? Anyone? Buellar?