Simple Ideas to Improve Farm Animal Welfare
Like it or not, the fact is that most people in England are not vegan (or vegetarian). So it’s super-important to focus on ideas to help our barnyard friends, who do sadly end up on the dinner table.
England has better farm animal welfare laws than most, but that’s quite shocking. As outside the certified organic free-range labels, there is lots to improve.
Animals That Escape Slaughterhouses
Chantal Kaufmann is an artist from Zurich, Switzerland. Who uses her astonishing artistic talent to help animals of all kinds. She hopes these pictures end up with a more peaceful world for all beings.
She is especially courageous, as she has actually followed the journeys of some animals to abattoirs, and then makes paintings from photographs. Above is the cow that famously escaped an abattoir truck in Europe. She painted Tilda from photos of the campaign, then later visited her at her new sanctuary home, where she will live in peace for the rest of her life.
What was surprising however, was the on hearing of the escape, the slaughterhouse manager was happy – and helped to transport Tilda to her new home. Showing perhaps that underneath, nobody really wants to do this job?
Matilda (the escapee pregnant pig)
When Pigs Escape is a non-profit documentary (contact to host a free public screening) that tells the story of Matilda, a pregnant pig who escaped an abattoir, by digging under a fence, while in a temporary outdoor enclosure (this happened at the same time as 40 cows made a bid for freedom in the US, though only two were saved).
The pig put in Matilda’s nose (to stop her digging) is now removed. She now lives happily in a farm sanctuary with her piglets!
Does ‘Humane Slaughter’ Exist?
We all hear the marketing of animals that have have been ‘humanely-raised’. This is true if the creatures are certified free-range. This means they had good lives, only coming inside when necessary, and generally being treated well by expert farmers.
But of course (even if using local abattoirs), an animal’s instinct is to live. So not only is the journey to the abattoir stressful, but of course killing any animal is never humane (even before stunning, the creatures are likely terrified, knowing what is about to happen).
And a lot of stunning goes wrong (and many laws let animals stay conscious for up to a couple of minutes, before they die).
One farmer (who grew up in India) drove his sheep to abattoirs for years. One day a few years back, he could not do it anymore. About to make £9,000 from selling lambs for meat, he instead drove 200 miles to an animal sanctuary, and rehomed them. Staff at the sanctuary send him photos!
A few years ago, a lorry accident ended up with pigs being injured on the roadside. But rather than being put to sleep or rehomed to sanctuaries, they were put back on the lorry (injured and traumatised), and sent to the abattoir, at the request of the supermarket, to ensure profit.
And this was a ‘high-end better welfare’ supermarket.
Religious Slaughter (no stunning)
Then of course we have ritually slaughtered chicken due to the Muslim and Jewish faiths. In New York, live chickens are swung around a preacher’s neck while praying.
Compassion in World Farming vets say ritual slaughter causes immense suffering without stunning, and it’s perfectly fine for either faith to be vegan or vegetarian, so there is no excuse for governments adjusting laws to suit, breaking animal welfare laws.
If you follow Halal or Kosher food laws, then know that it’s okay within either religion to be vegan or vegetarian, to avoid eating meat from animals that have not been stunned.
Meet a Middle Eastern (vegan) Prince!
Prince Khaled bin alwaleed (above) is so passionate about the vegan lifestyle, he invests heavily in vegan brands. He previously lived a party-boy lifestyle with meat and several cars, and is now a simple-living plant-based environmentalist, his dad has even gone vegan!
Compassion in World Farming says that many ‘Halal’ meats are from stunned animals (so not compliant). While some supermarkets sell Halal meat, without labelling it properly. So people buy it, not realising that it comes from animals that were not stunned.
Jewish Plant-Based Recipes
Before cooking, read up on kitchen safety for people & pets.
After Germany, Israel has more vegans by ratio, than anywhere on earth.
- Jewish, Sustainable, Vegan and The Jewish Vegan Society
- Isa Chandra Moskowitz is a sassy New Yorker, who began her career with a tiny cable TV show from her kitchen. This led to a cookbook deal, and she’s now a best-selling cookbook author.
- Mayim’s Vegan Table is a cookbook from Mayim Bialik, who plays a nerdy scientist in The Big Bang Theory. She’s as brainy in real life (degrees in neuroscience, Hebrew & Jewish studies).
- The Jewish Vegan is a recipe blog with recipes for Passover.
- Jewish Veg offers recipes by holiday (Hanukkah to Yum Kippur) and encourages to avoid animal skins for Torah scrolls. Watch the video Shalolom Begins On Your Plate.
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֗ים הִנֵּה֩ נָתַ֨תִּי לָכֶ֜ם אֶת־כׇּל־עֵ֣ש זֹרֵ֣עַ זֶ֗רַע אֲשֶׁר֙ עַל־פְּנֵ֣י כׇל־הָאָ֔רֶץ וְאֶת־כׇּל־הָעֵ֛ץ אֲשֶׁר־בּ֥וֹ פְרִי־עֵ֖ץ זֹרֵ֣עַ זָ֑רַע לָכֶ֥ם יִֽהְיֶ֖ה לְאׇכְלָֽה׃
We pasted this (we don’t speak Hebrew!). It’s the Bible phrase:
Then God said: ‘I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth. And every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. Genesis 1:29
Islamic Plant-Based Recipes
- There are also plenty of books of vegan middle Eastern recipes.
- Plant Based Arab is another nice recipe blog, by a man who is a part-Syrian Palestinian, born in Jordan. His site offers Ramadan recipes, and an e-book of Middle Eastern Recipes.
- Middle Eastern Vegan Society and One Arab Vegan
- Jewish, Sustainable, Vegan and The Jewish Vegan Society
Allah (God) will not give mercy to anyone, except those who give mercy to other creatures. Prophet Mohammed
