Factory Farms Factsheet

Pigs

Currently, there are 18 million pigs raised on factory farms in Canada, with this number set to rise over the coming years as export markets for pork increase. Every one of these animals suffers tremendously for the entire duration of their lives.

Mother pigs, known as sows, live a life of continual impregnation and delivery. During their lifespan of 8-10 pregnancies, they will spend their entire lives in gestation stalls or farrowing crates, cages that are barely bigger than their body. There is no bedding, so the mother must endure pregnancy and birthing on a dirty concrete floor.

Piglets are born into farrowing crates where they are allowed to nurse from their mother for two weeks before being transferred to a feeder pen. At this time they are castrated and have their tails cut off, teeth ground and ears notched - all without any anaesthetic. The pens are positioned over liquid manure pits, forcing the pigs to live with constant foul odours and flies. The piglets are confined in this way for about 24 weeks, until they reach market weight. The only time these pigs get a breath of fresh air or see daylight is when they are shipped to slaughter.

Cattle

In Canada, Alberta and Ontario are the principal beef producers with Quebec being the major dairy and veal producer.

Throughout their lives, dairy cows are forced into a never ending cycle of pregnancy and birthing to ensure a steady supply of milk. On some farms, dairy cows are chained by the neck in a barn for the entire duration of their lives. When the dairy cow is unable to produce anymore after about 4 or 5 years, she will be shipped to slaughter where her carcass will be used for hamburger.

Calves are taken from their mothers at the age of 1 or 2 days, and shipped to barren feedlots. Here they will be castrated and de-horned without any aneasthetic, and then live in their own faeces, without protection from the elements, until they reach market weight.

Veal calves suffer an even worse fate. They are permanently confined to stalls in which they cannot move or turn around. Because of the limited space and their iron deficient diets, veal calves suffer from chronic ulcers, diarrhea, and leg injury. They are slaughtered at anywhere from 1-3 months of age.

Chickens

There are over 26 million laying hens and over 84 million broiler chickens on factory farms in Canada - all debeaked without anaesthetic and confined under deplorable conditions. The only time they see daylight is on the way to slaughter.

Laying hens spend their lives inside small wire cages measuring 40cm by 45cm. These cages contain five to six hens, each with a wingspan of approximately 80cm. This lack of space prevents the hens from performing even the most basic of instinctive behaviors, such as moving and stretching out wings. Up to 20% of the hens raised under these conditions die of stress and disease. Hens can live up to 20 years, - on factory farms they are killed at just 1½ years.

Broiler chickens live their entire lives in darkened sheds with automated feeding and watering systems. By the time they are fully grown, these chickens do not have any room to move. This results in frequent cases of hysteria, which cause stampeding and suffocation. Feces and urine production in these sheds cause high ammonia levels, leading to severe respiratory problems in most birds. The stress of the overcrowding leads to self-mutilation and cannibalism.