Livestock Boards

Animal Welfare has come to the forefront of many ballot measures and news articles lately. Proposition 2 in California was a law passed to regulate cage laying hens, farrowing crates and veal crates. It had the loose restrictions of the animal being able to turn freely and extend limbs without touching the sides of enclosure, among other things. I guess there was very dramatic commercials that went along with the campaigning for this proposition. We don't have TV so I didn't view any of them. Sounds great, right? What voter wouldn't want their food animals to have free movement?

The problem is the commercial were put together by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). A known lobbying group against animal agriculture in any form. They give very little of their multi-million dollar budget to help animals (sources quote from less than 0.05% to 5%). They are not helping your local humane societies and are a close partner to PETA.

The science shows raising animals in the current confinement structure is actually more beneficial for the animal and efficient for food production. Chickens raised in "free range" situations tend to be cannabilistic, have increased disease, and are less healthy than those raised in cage operations. Farrowing crates are used to decrease the incidence of females eating their young or laying on them and smothering the young pigs.

Lastly, why can't people vote at the grocery store? If they want cage free eggs then buy them! Don't push businesses out of a state by over regulation. All that happens is: Businesses move to surrounding states that are less regulated and California then imports eggs or whatever that are raised in the same manner as before the law was passed.

Prop 2 didn't help animal welfare! It helped the economy in Nevada, Idaho, Oregon, and Arizona. It is going to reduce the tax base in California- a state that is currently facing a 20 BILLION dollar deficiet. Doesn't make much sense to me.