On February 25, the Australian Capital Territory (home to Canberra, the capital city of Australia) passed the Animal Welfare (Factory Farming) Amendment Bill. This act bans some of the cruelest factory farming practices currently in existence.
The new law makes it an offence to keep hens in battery cages, to keep pigs in gestation or farrowing crates, and to debeak hens.
Battery cages are defined under the new law as cages that do not allow hens to fully stretch, perch, access litter, and lay eggs in a nest.
Pigs must now be kept in “appropriate accommodation,” which means accommodation that allows each pig to turn around, stand up, and lie down without difficulty; have a clean, comfortable and adequately drained place in which to lie down; maintain a comfortable temperature; and have outdoor access. If the accommodation is for more than one pig, each pig must be able to lie down at the same time. In addition, if the person keeps more than one pig, the pigs must be allowed to see other pigs, unless they are farrowing.
The law prohibits “removing or trimming the beak of a fowl” unless it is performed by a veterinary surgeon for a therapeutic purpose.
A previous Mercy For Animals Canada investigation revealed the inherent cruelty of keeping pregnant pigs in crates so small they can’t even turn around or lie down comfortably. These mother pigs are left alone to suffer from horrific physical illnesses and driven mad from boredom and loneliness.
MFA Canada also exposed the horrors of barren battery cages – tiny wire cages in which hens are crammed for virtually their entire lives, unable to stretch their wings, build a nest, or even take a single breath of fresh air.
Canada should follow the lead of the Australian Capital Territory and ban the most inhumane practices employed by factory farms. It is simply common sense that intelligent and sensitive animals should be spared a life of misery.
Compassionate consumers, however, always have a choice when it comes to refusing to support cruel factory farms: by choosing a vegan diet.
