me, him, and the girls: 2010

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Christmas 2010

Friday, December 10, 2010

100 things you've been DYING to know about me

Most of you have seen the infamous "100 Things" post floating around out there on at least 1, if not 100, other peoples blogs. I figured I would give it a go. I've actually been compiling this list for several days, it's not as easy as you may think to come up with 100 random things about yourself!!

My name is Meagan Paige. I have always wished my mom bypassed the Meagan and named me Paige instead.

My birthday is April 20th 1984. I've always loved the fact that my birthday was 4/20- a day shared with Hitler and Carmen Elektra. One is ingeniously crazy and one is hot...where I fall in that line up is yet to be determined! :o)

My favorite color is black. I love black and usually wear at least one article of black clothing everyday, if not the entire outfit.

I have two older siblings, and one older step brother. That makes me the baby. I have always wanted a little bother or sister to torment.

I have 4 tattoos. Left foot= three tiger lilys and tribal. Right foot= a large nautical star centered on my foot with three surrounding smaller stars, and then two star on my toes. Back= Chinese symbol, suppossedly meaning dragon but who knows. Shoulders= the girls first and middle names and birthdates.

I have plans for several more tattoos, at least 4-5 more.

I have had almost every body piercing you can think of: lip, monroe, belly button, nipple, nose, tongue, and a few others. They are all gone now....sad

I used to have dred locks, synthetic of course, but I loved them. If I could get away with having my hair in dreds now i totally would do it again in a heartbeat. BUT, working in a hospital that would never fly, plus at $550 a pop every three months, I'm not sure it's worth it.

I've been to 35 of 50 states.

I've been to Europe twice, visiting a total of 5 countries: Spain, England, the Netherlands, France, and Belgium

We just bought our first house. Not too shabby considering I'm only 26, bought it when I was 25, on just MY income alone and without any help, and with me having horrible credit

I listen to rap all the time. I love the real "thug" stuff. No candy rap like flo-rida or timbaland. i'm talking the Game, Three Six Mafia, Bone Thugs n Harmony,etc. i love listening to it on my way to work.

I totally day dream that I'm a famous rapper and an all around bad bitch when i'm listening to rap...ahem....yea

I eat in the bath tub. Not little snacks, like full blown meals. Basically every night I grab a plate full of food and head to the bath tub to eat it. Don't ask me why.

I LOVE cereal, but can't tell you the last time I ate it for breakfast, or really breakfast period for that matter. I eat breakfast foods all the time, just NEVER before about 11-12.

I always thought I wanted a bunch of kids. Now that I have them, I know that two is plenty.

I have lived in 7 different states- Idaho, Oregon, Georgia, Iowa, Texas, Alaska, and Florida. I claim Alaska since i lived there for about 3 months one summer with my Aunt Shannon. Florida I claim as a psuedo live in since I spent basically every summer there with my grandparents from the time I was about 8 till the teens.

I graduated high school a year early. Moved out when I was barely 17, started college and have NEVER moved back in to my parents house. Not even for one day.

I work as a CT tech at a local hospital and love it.

I have an uncanny ability to read people, and I pretty much always know when someone is trying to bullshit me.

I love to do artsy things like paint, scrapbook etc.

I'm crazy superstitious. I won't walk under ladders, step over a broken mirror, etc.

I almost always have my nails painted. Both finger and toes.

I bite my nails, such a disgusting awful habit.

I was raised very liberally. I was allowed to do pretty much whatever as long as I kept my grades up.

I was virtually kicked out of public school in fifth grade, so I had to go to private school for three years. I went to St. Marys, a catholic school, even though we aren't Catholic.

I pretend to believe in God even though I was raised in a household that does not, nor do they support any type of religion.

I am a firm believer in premarital sex. Absolutely. just do it. You wouldnt buy a car without test driving it first, so why would you marry someone without sleeping with them first. What happens if you don't "click" in the sac?? That's what a marriage is based on basically so there goes your marriage!

I think Amsterdam is the best country ever. They have it figured out. Legalize pot, legalize prostitution and make some skrill off it! Who cares as long as it doesn't affect me. I could care less what anyone does.

I have been a vegetarian several times in my life. Starting in my teens I would go through month or so periods where I would refuse to eat meat. damn. I love prime rib though, so it gets me every time.

My birthday falls on an astrolgical cusp. Meaning, I'm on the cusp of Aries and Taurus, and depending on what horoscope you read I may be either one.

I drink Pepsi like it is going out of style. I love it from a fountain. Not crazy about cherry though.

I see shadows all the time when there is nothing there. I don't know if i'm ubber sensitive and seeing ghosts or just schitzo....

I am extremely outgoing and can talk and talk for days, but hate talking on the phone

I have only one friend from highschool that I keep any sort of contact with. Marcie is my best friend and affectionately known as my wife.

I've broken two bones, well technically quite a few more, but for ease we will just say two body parts! My arm in three places. I fell out of a two story window when I was 14 trying to sneak out. Fall all the way out, and landed two stories down on a brick walkway. That was fun going home at 330 am to explain to my mom. Then, when I was five I tripped and fell on the direction to Hi Ho Cherry O and spiral fractured my tibia all the way down. I barely escaped surgery twice.

I have seen many people die. I've seen people choked to death, people who have shot themselves in the head, OD'd on drugs and pills, drowned, suffocated, heart attack, etc. It never gets easier and you never become immune to it. However, when it is a child or baby, it ALWAYS hits you in the bottom of the gut and almost makes you sick. I remember the names and cause of death of every baby/child death I've been involved it. Morbid i know, but it really hits you.

I also read the obituaries on a daily basis....same thing....you start to see names you know after you work in the hospital for any period of time

I dream all the time, but i haven't had a nightmare in years.

I suffer from horrible headaches and migraines. out of a seven day week I have a headahce probably at least 4 if not 5 days out of the 7.

I pee in the shower

I am virtually impossible to embarass

I am super tender hearted about so much, but then on the other hand I can be the biggest b-i as well

I have pretty much perfect vision, although I have glasses, they have no prescirption in the lenses they are just special lenses to help ease the strain on my eyes from staring at the computer all day

I am fascinated by vampires....always have been even before the Twilight days.

The whole history of Halloweens I have dressed up I have been one of two things: vampire or witch

Halloween is my favorite holiday

I always start things that i will never finish

I get out of the shower without drying off

I always use my husbands toothbrush and it drives him crazy

I think it is absolutely one of the most disgusting things ever to wear someone elses earrings

I freak out if anyone touches my neck, it is aboslutely positively the place no one touches me

I have this crazy fear of having my throat slit...I don't know why but I do

I have a horrible temper

My natural hair color is auburnish. When I was little it was bright red, like Chuck E.

I have been dying my hair since I was 12, I haven't seen my natural hair color since then.

My mom took me to get my tongue pierced when I was 15, and then again when I was 16.

I got my first tattoo at 17 yrs old in Spain

I walk like I'm pregnant, I don't know why, but it is like I have no sway in my hips

I thought I had O+ blood, ya know the most common type, up until I was 21 years old and was pregnant with my first daughter. I discovered I was indeed B-, the second rarest blood type you can have. only 1 in every 67 people have B- blood vs 1 of 3 with O+

I tried to donate blood once and was turned away....I don't weigh enough

I throw up a lot....like probalby 2-3 times a month on average..for no good reason

I only find my bed comfortable during the day when I nap, at night I would actually prefer to sleep on the couch.

I do not like to snuggle. I get too hot.

Speaking of being hot while I sleep, I sleep completely nude. have since I was probably about 10 or so. I love it. it is very comfortable. My girls both sleep almost nude or stripped down to undies only.

I hate sleeping in a made bed. Too confining.

I can't sing or dance, but if I had to pick between the two it would be dancing for sure.

I dont like chocolate or peanut butter.

I believe in Karma and Dogma.....you better watch what you say and do cuz you're gonna reap what you sow.

I have a huge goal to be fluent in Spanish

I think we should have mandatory sterilization, if you cant support your first 15 kids, then why do you need more? oh, a bigger welfare check...right

I think the death penalty should be legal in every state

I think we should stop housing so many criminals and we should just kill the ones that can't be rehabiltated. Kind of like a rabid dog-just shoot them. If you wanna rape little kids and murder and stuff like that.....lets just do away with ya.

I have bad credit...like really bad credit. But I got it high enough barely to buy a house. Granted my buying power was quite a bit lower due to debt to income ratio and such, but hey, for horrible credit, using only one income source, and only 3% down, I think we did pretty good on our little house.

Our next house will be much more impressive than this one, but we are in no hurries to purchase again..probably at least 5-10 years.

I gag almost every time I brush my teeth.

I am pretty mouthy and quite confrontational, you never have to wonder what I am saying behind your back, cuz I just said it to your face

I am totally like a guy friend...just much more male like than female like I guess

I have never been to Disney Land, but have been to Disney world about a hundred times

I went out of the country before I ever went to California for the first time

my mommy is my best friend....EVER

I am afraid of snakes

i never had a formal wedding

I never went to prom.....actually my homecoming and prom both were spent at raves with my date

If I was a boy I was going to be named Benjamin

pretty sure I was accident although my mom won't admit it

the closest I ever came to going to jail was for driving with a suspended license that i didnt even know I had

I wish I could be a godmother....not to small children but ya know like the movie the Godfather...but I wanna be the Godmother..the big kahuna, running those mafia families like a true Don :o)

I have never had a suprise birthday party

I am horrible at keeping presents secrets....only the ones i bought....9 times out of 10 you will receive your gift the minute I buy it

I dont like ice cream. Every once in a blue moon I will it, but I really am not impressed by the stuff.

I got fired for a job one time for not being Gay. yes that's right. crazy right....well I went ballistic on my manager, as soon as he fired me. I worked in the mall, so I was literally ranting and raving, walked right over to Mr Rags-when it was still in the mall, and got hired immediately, even though I was yelling less than PC comments at my manager at Spencers next door.

that is the only job i have ever been fired from

I have never given 2 weeks notice.....hmmm...crazy

I have moved in one year about 7 times....that is more than most people move in their entire lives

I can't stand boring people, there is nothing worse than being boring, maybe being stupid, but i'm not sure thats worse either.

I tazed my husband with a 300,000 volt taser once

I am quite violent in my sleep, and have hauled off and whomped Jason more than once in a peaceful slumber....too bad I wasn't awake to get the full joy of it.....

I drive way too fast. i have tons of tickets to prove it. But, I have never been in a car accident.

I am completely ADHD and have been medicated for it, but the medicine messed my blood up really bad so I was bruising like crazy, so now they have taken me off it. So i am a lot like hotsauce...a lil dab'll do ya

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Becoming Vegetarian

Once again I have made the vow to be vegetarian. We have done this at least once or twice a year for probably the last 6 years or so. This time however, I hope it's for good.

Why go vegetarian? Well, for us it is a matter of really two things: 1) the health benefits and 2) due to the poor treatment of the animals, it really breaks my heart.

Here is a quick view of some of the issues that surround the production and consumption of meat:
*courtesy The Meatrix

Additives

Much of the food we find at today’s supermarkets is highly processed and contains numerous food additives. These substances are used to change the way food tastes and looks (altering the color and texture), to improve the nutritional quality of foods (adding vitamins and minerals), and to increase the food’s shelf life to prevent spoilage.

Air Pollution
Industrial farms produce massive amounts of animal waste that is known to release greenhouse gasses into the air. Aside from the air pollution that comes from farm waste, the industrialized food system also burns significant amounts of fossil fuels to power the trucks that distribute products.

Animal Welfare
As farms have become more industrialized, animals have become more of a commodity. They are considered units of production, rather than living, breathing beings, and as a result these animals are treated inhumanely. But increasingly, more and more consumers are demanding better treatment of animals.

Antibiotics
Because of the crowded and unsanitary conditions on factory farms, animals are often fed low doses of antibiotics. Antibiotics are also used to make the animals grow faster. This is contributing to the growing problem of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in humans.

Biodiversity
Biodiversity is important because ecosystems rely on the interaction of a variety of plant and animal species, and because various breeds of animals and plants have valuable genetic material. Industrial agriculture is one among many unsustainable human activities that has lead to rapid decreases in the world’s biodiversity.

Climate Change
So how is food—supposedly life-sustaining stuff—one of the key factors in an environmental crisis that threatens the basis of life on earth? A big part of the answer is in the rapid and radical twentieth-century transformation of our food system from sustainably based, locally focused production, to a fossil-fuel addicted industrialized system.

Cloning
Cloning of animals used in food production is a controversial issue both because of its ethical implications and the potential threat it poses to human health.

Dairy
Dairy foods production is a multi-billion dollar industry, and over the past century it has grown increasingly concentrated in the hands of a few major corporations. This has lead to widespread environmental damage, low standards of animal welfare, and mass production of milk tainted with antibiotics, artificial growth hormones and pesticide residues.

Economics
Proponents of industrial agriculture claim that large-scale factory farming is the most efficient way to produce huge quantities of inexpensive food and that without industrial agriculture, food prices would be excessively high. But the price of industrial food does not take into account the true costs of production. When these hidden environmental and health costs are factored in, industrial food costs more than sustainable.

Environment
Agriculture has an enormous impact on the environment, but whether the impact is good or bad depends on the type of agriculture used. Sustainable agriculture puts back what it takes from the environment, while factory farming pollutes our air, water and soil.

Factory FarmingMeat and dairy production in the United States has changed dramatically over the past 30 years. Small family farms have been replaced by huge livestock facilities, where animals suffer horribly, workers are mistreated, the environment is being destroyed, and where rural communities are falling apart.

Family Farms
Family farmers are being forced out of business at an alarming rate, and hundreds of small farmers sell their land every week. The dramatic expansion of industrial agriculture has made it increasingly difficult for small family farmers in the US, but many small family farms have found hope within the sustainable food movement.

Feed
Animals on industrial farms are fed the cheapest grains and waste products in order to fatten them quickly. This leads to widespread health problems, so low doses of antibiotics are also added to the feed. The result is unhealthy animals and unhealthy food for consumers.

Food Irradiation
Irradiation is used to increase the shelf life of the food so it can travel longer distances and keep for as long as possible. This processing method has not been properly tested for safety and it depletes the vitamin content of food.

Food Safety
The significant corporate consolidation of global food production has created a food system that values quantity over quality. Every single decision a farmer, or corporation, makes about growing or raising a certain kind of food affects the final product. Cutting corners on the quality of animal feed, waste management, level of training for farm workers, processing methods and distribution all contribute to the safety of our food.

Fossil Fuel and Energy Use
Industrial agriculture relies on machinery to produce food and trucks to transport the food throughout the country, and likewise consumes massive amounts of fuel and energy. Sustainable farms work to minimize their energy use, and since their products are bought locally, minimal fuel is burned in order to transport their goods.

Genetic Engineering
Genetic Engineering (GE) is the process of transferring genes from one plant or animal to another. The technology has not been properly tested, so no one knows if GE food is safe to eat. Currently, crops are genetically engineered, and some believe that animals are next.

Health
Sustainable foods are healthier than industrial food because of higher levels of “good” fats and nutrients in grass-fed animal products and lower pesticide residues in organic foods. Meanwhile, industrially-produced food is detrimental to our health because it leads to outbreaks of food-borne illness, contributes to antibiotic resistance, and pollutes drinking water.

Heritage and Heirloom Foods
Farmers throughout the world once raised thousands of different animal breeds and plant varieties. However, since today’s industrial farms rely upon only a few specialized livestock breeds and plant varieties, thousands of non-commercial animal breeds and crop varieties have disappeared, along with the valuable genetic diversity they possessed. Fortunately, a growing number of sustainable farmers are preserving agricultural variety and protecting biodiversity by raising “heritage” or “heirloom” animal breeds, fruits, and vegetables.

Hormones
Artificial hormones are implanted in beef and dairy cattle to make them grow faster and produce more milk. The US government claims the hormones are safe, but the European Union has banned hormones because of a possible link between hormones and some types of cancer.

Mad Cow Disease
Mad cow disease is transmitted when one cow eats the brain and spinal tissue of an infected cow. Humans can also contract vCJD (the human form of mad cow) this way, and over 150 people have died from this disease since the 1990’s.

Pesticides
Pesticides are sprayed on crops that are fed to farm animals. Residues are stored in the animals’ fat and tissue, and enter our bodies when we eat the meat. Pesticides have been linked to many medical problems.

Policy and Legislation
Current agricultural policy promotes industrial farming and neglects small farmers. In many cases, our tax money goes to support research and operating costs for large food corporations.

Precautionary Principle
Rather than banning the use of new technologies before they’re shown to be safe, our federal agencies allow potentially dangerous products to enter the food supply, putting public health at risk.

Poverty & Hunger
The new development philosophy helps those in poverty help themselves. In both rural and urban areas, individuals are being encouraged (or taking it upon themselves) to take control of their own food security. Urban communities are reclaiming brown-fields and, using sustainable agricultural techniques, are providing their communities with healthful, fresh food while creating small businesses around selling these products to their communities.

rBGH
Artificial bST is produced using recombinant DNA technology (biotechnology), also called Bovine Growth Hormone (BGH), and known as rbST or rBGH for short. When injected into cows, rBGH increases milk production 10-15 percent and in some cases up to 40 percent.

Slaughterhouses and Processing
The US meatpacking industry is dominated by a handful of corporations that process massive quantities of meat in huge plants. As a result of inadequate food safety standards and lax inspection practices by the USDA, these corporations are able to operate unsanitary facilities and send out meat contaminated with dangerous bacteria. These facilities are also extremely dangerous, and meat-packing is among the most hazardous jobs in the nation.

Waste
Some industrial livestock facilities produce as much sewage as a small city, but they are not required to treat all this waste. Instead, the waste is held in large pools and spread on farm fields where it often runs off into nearby water systems.

WaterAmerican consumers are drinking more bottled water every year, in part because they think it is somehow safer than tap water. Tap water is generally just as safe, clean, and healthy as bottled water—in many cases even more so. By taking back the tap, you can save money, protect your health, and help prevent environmental and social problems as well.

Water Pollution
The waste from industrial farms leaks into streams, lakes, oceans and ground water with bacteria, antibiotic residue, pesticides and chemical fertilizer. This pollution can lead to the destruction of aquatic ecosystems and contamination of human drinking water.

Workers
Workers on industrial farms and in meat processing facilities work in hazardous conditions, and are underpaid and mistreated.

Here is a little bit of detailed information regarding the way animals that are intended to be eaten are treated:

once again, courtesy The Meatrix

Every year, hundreds of thousands of animals raised for food experience terrible living conditions because the majority of meat, dairy, and poultry production in the U.S. takes place in industrialized or factory farms1. These factory farms are large, profit driven companies which view animals as units of production, rather than living creatures, and exchange the animals' health and welfare for efficiency and profit. While views differ about the degree of comfort and freedom that farm animals deserve, most people can agree on a minimum standard of cleanliness and space, and that animals should not needlessly suffer.

The basic structure of industrial farms is at odds with the well-being of the animals they raise. Confining animals indoors as closely together as possible, rather than letting them graze on open land, exposes them to high levels of toxins from decomposing manure. To counteract the disease inherent in such conditions, animals are given constant low daily doses of antibiotics which are contributing to problems with antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Though they are also exposed to pesticides, other unhealthy additives, and types of food they wouldn't normally eat. The animals can also be bred and given hormones only to increase production.

Life on a Factory Farm

Other common practices, such as debeaking chickens or cutting off cows' tails, are said to increase efficiency and safety, but they also cause discomfort, pain, and stress for the animals. Though these tactics may help "mechanize" the animals and can increase yields by causing less interference with production, this does not justify the resulting suffering. In every stage of development on a factory farm, animals suffer needless mutations and cramped, confined living conditions. Scientists have even linked animal stress to food quality and safety2. When an animal is subject to stress and pain, it is more prone to disease and can produce lower quality meat, milk, or eggs.

Cows
The First Year

Calves born into dairy production are usually removed from their dam, or mother, after only about 12 hours. Once a male calf born into a dairy factory farm is weaned, he will be raised for veal, castrated and sent to feedlots to be fattened, or in rare cases raised for breeding3. The heifers, or young female cows, will be raised as "replacement heifers" on the same farm or sold to another dairy farm. All calves born into factory farms undergo procedures usually unnecessary outside of a factory farm setting. They are dehorned, have extra teats removed (if a heifer), and are usually fed a milk replacer (a dried product made from cheese-making by-products or other sources of proteins like soy)4. The use of a milk replacer brings up concerns about the spread of BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or Mad Cow's Disease) because some of the allowable protein content in milk replacers is derived from cow's blood cells5. Common practice on dairy factory farms also includes tail docking, or the removal of approximately two-thirds of the tail. This painful procedure is conducted without anesthetic and is supposedly meant to keep the cow from developing infections caused by constant exposure to manure. Studies have shown that this process not only causes the animal a significant amount of pain and stress6, but also has no benefit for the animal's health. In fact, tail docking has been shown to moderately increase stress for cows because they are no longer able to use their tails to swat flies. This results in a greater number of flies around the cattle and the use of other fly-avoidance behaviors7. For these reasons, the American Veterinary Medical Association officially opposes the routine tail docking of cattle8.

Breeding and Growth

In the U.S., dairy cows have been bred to produce higher and higher amounts of milk, and evidence shows this practice has led to a higher occurrence of disease9. While the average dairy cow produced almost 5,300 pounds of milk a year in 1950, today, a typical cow produces more than 18,000 pounds10. In addition to the breeding, in order to artificially increase milk production, a certain number (estimated around 33%) of dairy cattle are injected with rBGH, an artificial growth hormone.

For the duration of their productive lives, factory farmed dairy cattle are kept in one of three types of housing units: tie-stall barns, where they spend their life tethered by their neck to a stall; free-stall barns, where cattle are kept indoors and provided stalls for milking and rest; or dry lots, which is an area with no vegetation where the cattle are kept between trips to the milking barn11. Beef cattle are usually raised on dry lots, but so are some dairy cows. In all of these situations, cattle are in high concentrations and often suffer diseases of the feet and udder from standing in their own manure and being exposed to harsh weather conditions. Stripped of the ability to graze, cattle are given feed which contains some straw and grass, but also protein sources from "by-product feedstuffs", including meat and bone meal, an inappropriate food for herbivorous (vegetarian) cattle. The harsh living conditions, excess hormones, and inappropriate diet provide a perfect mixture for disease and injury.

Slaughter

Once beef cows have grown to an adequate size and dairy cows are no longer producing milk at an acceptable rate, the cattle are taken to be slaughtered. In August 2008, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it will draft legislation completely banning the slaughter of any downer-cattle (those too sick or lame to walk) - though as September 2008 no legislation or regulations had been passed. Before May 2008, USDA regulations stated that downer-cattle could be slaughtered for food if they passed the ante-mortem, or before slaughter, inspection at the slaughterhouse12. This practice of slaughtering sick or injured cattle caused much pain to the already suffering animal, as they were pushed, prodded and shoved into the slaughterhouse by any means possible, since they were unable to walk. While slaughterhouses are required to meet USDA standards for cleanliness and humane treatment during slaughter13, they are also in the business of killing animals: the faster the slaughter and butchering, the more meat produced and the more money made. Because of the pressure to slaughter animals quickly, mistakes that result in the violation of USDA regulations and lead to the mistreatment of the animals, unavoidably occur. In some slaughterhouses, almost 400 cattle per day are slaughtered, and at this speed it is "nearly impossible to guarantee each is slaughtered within the regulations".14 Cattle are ushered as quickly as possible from farm to truck to slaughter, sometimes resulting in injury. In addition, slaughterhouses have been reported as regularly failing to completely stun animals before the slaughtering process begins. This results in cows being hung and bled while they are still conscious.15

The First Year

On a factory farm, just before giving birth, a sow, or mother pig, is placed into a small crate on her side, completely limiting her movement, but still allowing the piglets to feed16. Sows will often spend their entire life encaged in the crates or in a cramped pen that encourages pregnancy17. The piglets' teeth and tails are clipped soon after birth. The practice of tail clipping or docking is done to prevent the piglets from biting each other's tails, but this phenomenon has only been observed in pigs in a factory farm environment18.

Growth and Development

Once the piglets are weaned, they are separated from their mother and confined in pens with concrete floors. Rooting, or digging in the dirt and straw, is a natural activity for pigs; and when restricted from this activity, they show visible signs of stress and aggression19, such as tail-biting. The concrete floors have also been linked to skeletal deformities of the feet, and the poorly ventilated confines have resulted in frequent lung damage and pneumonia20.

Slaughter

The stress and mistreatment pigs experience during transport, in combination with illness and injury from the poor housing conditions, causes many pigs to die on the way to the slaughterhouse21.

Chickens

Breeding
Broilers (chickens raised for meat production) have been bred to grow muscle at a rate faster than ever and now reach market weight in half the time than they did in the 1940's. This fast rate of muscle growth is often not matched by bone growth and can cause serious deformities and loss of the ability to walk22.

Growth and Development

Approximately 98% of chickens used in egg production live in a cage of only about 48 sq. in. (about half as big as a piece of letter sized paper)23. Broiler chickens are often reared at similarly high densities in pens with concrete slatted floors or occasionally litter (straw) covered concrete floors24. Because of this high density and a limited ability to forage, chickens often display aggression and can peck each other to death25. In order to prevent this, it is common practice to sear off approximately half the chickens' beaks, which has been shown to cause severe and lasting pain. 26 The close quarters is also a haven for the spread of disease.

Layers (or chickens used in egg production) can essentially be starved for up to two weeks, to induce molting and increase egg production once the feeding cycle is resumed. While molting is a natural response to the onset of a winter season, in its Animal Husbandry Guidelines, the United Egg Producers (UEP) condemned the use of starvation methods to induce molting.27

Looking Forward

Because of the increased awareness that factory farms create an environment where animals are treated as "factory parts", consumers have demanded change and the better treatment of animals. In response, some large food service enterprises like fast food giants McDonald's and Wendy's have required some better standards of animal welfare from the factories that produce their meat28 and eggs. Beef producers for these restaurant chains have showed significant and rapid improvements in the treatment and slaughter of their cows because of consumer demand. For example, since 1999 McDonald's Corporation has demanded of their beef suppliers a great reduction or complete elimination of the use of electric prods as agents to move cattle. Both Wendy's and McDonald's have implemented and maintained success of stunning audits for the plants that supply them with beef to improve the rate of successful first stun attempts. This means more cattle are stunned (knocked unconscious) before slaughter so that when they are bled, they do not suffer. However, much more can still be done to improve the situation.29

Improving animal welfare in today's industrial agriculture system will require widespread changes in the attitudes of farm owners, managers, and workers, but many technical adjustments that make animals more comfortable and content are simply a matter of better training and attention to the animals.30 Many practices considered to be more humane are beneficial to both the farmer and the consumer: happy animals tend to be healthier, less prone to disease and premature death, and produce better quality meat, milk, and eggs.

The best possible thing consumers can do to improve the standards of animal welfare in farming is to buy from local, independent farms and small-scale, sustainable family farms that provide their animals with good food and housing, promote general health and allow them to carry out their natural behaviors like rooting, pecking, and grazing31. Meeting the farmer and visiting their farm will give you a good idea of how their animals live. By supporting sustainable farming, consumers vote with their dollars for a higher standard of treatment and quality of life for farm animals.

Additionally, there are several organizations that have developed standards and a label that guarantees the humane treatment of animals. The Animal Welfare Approved program and food label promote the well-being of animals and the sustainability of humane family farms and provide a vehicle to "unite conscious consumers with farmers who raise their animals with compassion". Its standards are based around the principal of "five freedoms": that humanely raised animals have freedom from hunger and thirst, discomfort, pain, injury and disease, fear and distress, and have the freedom to behave normally32.

Do animals really feel pain from tail-docking & debeaking?
Research conducted by USDA Agricultural Research Service immunologist Susan Eicher and neuroscientist Heng-wei Cheng indicates that behavioral and physiological signs suggest that the practice of tail docking causes animals to suffer from chronic pain33. Additional research has shown that inhumane practices like trimming birds' beaks can cause animals "lasting pain" and the process is too stressful to be condoned5

What You Can Do
Finding humanely-raised meat, dairy and eggs can take a little research because organic standards do not adequately cover animal welfare issues Therefore, it is important to know your farmer or local butcher, and ask them how the animals were raised and if they were slaughtered humanely. If you can, visit the farm and judge the conditions yourself. Visit the Eat Well Guide to find farms, stores, and restaurants near you.

Search out companies and brands that follow very strict animal welfare guidelines.

Look for the Animal Welfare Approved label to ensure the products were produced on family farms where the animals were allowed to behave naturally and socialize freely.

Did You Know?

In the 1960s, the US Congress received more letters from citizens concerned with animal welfare issues than letters concerning civil rights and the Vietnam War34.

Due to genetic manipulation, 90% of broiler chickens have trouble walking17.

Ammonia and other gases from manure irritate animals' lungs, and one study of 34,000 pigs found that 65% of the animals had "pneumonia-like lesions" in their lungs13.

Farm animals are regulated under the USDA's Animal Welfare Act (AWA) only when used in biomedical research, testing, teaching and exhibition, not those used only for food and fiber production. 35

stay tuned, coming up next are some delicious VEGETARIAN RECIPES from around the net that I can't wait to try!