Business Commons^™

Contribution To A Concept Of Behavioral Abnormality In Farm Animals Under Confinement, U. A. Luescher, J. F. Hurnik

Agribusiness Collection

Farm animals housed in close confinement often engage in activities that do not occur with animals maintained in traditional and more complex environments. Many of these activities consist of species-typical motor patterns directed towards unsuited or inappropriate objects, or performed as vacuum activities. For example, piglets fed from a trough from day 2 to day 21 after parturition display much nosing. of penmates and ear sucking (DeBoer and Hurnik 1984). Similarly, confined veal calves in crates may lick their pelage excessively, or, when housed in groups, may suck the naval area of penmates; laying hens and broilers often engage in …

The Psychology And Ethics Of Humane Equine Treatment, Sharon E. Cregier

Equines Collection

The effect on animals of man-induced stressors, such as the disruption of herd bonds, stabling, medication procedures and the like, has been the subject of increasing investigation. Obvious and shocking abuses against animals, bullfighting, certain training practices in the racehorse industry, and rodeo events such as wild horse races, steerbusting or calf-roping, are readily recognized and have, in some instances been stopped. (Steerbusting refers to roping, from horseback, of running cattle in such a manner as to flip the animal backward or jerk it down, knocking the wind out of the animal and occasionally breaking ribs, vertebrae, and neck.)

However, …

Providing Humane Stewardship For Wildlife: The Case Against Sport Hunting, John W. Grandy

Hunting Collection

Sport hunting has no place on the National Wildlife Refuges of this nation. To even consider it is an affront to the concept of a Refuge, the right of wild animals to safe haven, and the wishes of society The question of sport hunting in society at large is slightly more complex because society, its thoughts and values, are evolving. Thankfully, we are moving more and more to a view that wildlife should be treated with the same dignity, respect, and freedom from avoidable cruelty that we would ask for ourselves. That process can be moved miles ahead if we …

The Case For Intensive Farming Of Food Animals, Stanley E. Curtis

Agribusiness Collection

Our world is still a hungry place. At the same time, the number of people worldwide who grow food for themselves continues to dwindle. Most U.S. citizens have never set foot on a farm or harvested one mouthful-let alone a lifetime's worth-of daily bread. Yet our farmlands and climates and our agricultural and food industries are this nation's ultimate resources. By increasing productivity, our farmers and the scientific and business endeavors that support our nation's food production, processing, and distribution have proved to be able and reliable husbands of these precious resources. But make no mistake: The challenge to increase …

Horsebreakers, Tamers, And Trainers: An Historical, Psychological, And Social Review, Sharon E. Cregier

Equines Collection

To my knowledge, there has been no organized synthesis describing the historical development of horse handling, management, lore, and training. This discussion offers, in capsule form, some of the historical, psychological, and social considerations which might be taken into account when evaluating horse-handling skills.

First, I would like to describe the natures of the emotional and psychological bonds between man and horse. I will also look at the consequences of various types of bonding on horsemanship or management. We can increase our understanding of the role of the horse in our history and lives by thus seeing how the animal …

The Case Against Intensive Farming Of Food Animals, Linda D. Mickley, Michael W. Fox

Agribusiness Collection

The well-being of American agriculture is indeed a complex subject, fraught with interrelationships, predictions, recriminations, and at times, high emotionalism. In this paper, we will be concentrating on several aspects of the entire picture that we feel are fundamental to the issue of animal welfare in modern agriculture. First, we will take a brief look at two farm animal species maintained in very restrictive systems, that is, battery-caged laying hens and tethered and/or crated brood sows.

Next, the human costs in terms of occupational diseases and consumer health hazards will be considered. Finally, some humane alternatives to the factory systems …