This image is a sad one. I can hardly think of anything that's more cruel than to keep a new mother separated from her young... Yet, this is what the industry calls "animal friendly comfort". Every instinct tells her to care for her baby... Just as a human mother wishes to touch, smell and hold her infant. But as the photo shows, she's imprisoned - unable to fulfill any natural desire.
It's heartless to deny this maternal instinct. To prohibit contact - And sadder still, for this is all she has. This is the sows whole world... that of mothering. It's not like a human mother... who would have the distractions of a shopping list, or a book, or a telephone call. In contrast, the animal's entire being is centered on experiencing this inborn need... to mother.
The industry says this system prevents injury to her young and keeps them "protected" from her because she would crush them. But of course without enough room for even her own body, how could she avoid accidentally harming them?
Left to their natural habitat a mother pig would gently kneel on her front legs and with great care, she would lay down to allow her young to suckle. But then she would also have selected an area free from predators with sufficient forage; she would have had straw for bedding... a place away from her nest to defecate and so forth... This would all be natural to her just as the salmon know to spawn upstream.
But nothing of what is natural exists in today's "modern" farms.
Their practices, and our acceptance of them have caused shame to the human species... We've defiled the nurturing earth with an infestation of factory farms, manure lagoons and slaughterhouses. And we certainly have shown contempt to the devotions entitled to mothers.
The industry has made machines of the female body... exploiting sows who will never share affections with their young... hens who will never hatch a chick... and don't even get me started on dairy!
With reverence to motherhood and deep respect for the bringers of life - May 10, 2009
Animal Ag Wounds Mothers - Offends Life
This image is a sad one. I can hardly think of anything that's more cruel than to keep a new mother separated from her young... Yet, this is what the industry calls "animal friendly comfort". Every instinct tells her to care for her baby... Just as a human mother wishes to touch, smell and hold her infant. But as the photo shows, she's imprisoned - unable to fulfill any natural desire.
It's heartless to deny this maternal instinct. To prohibit contact - And sadder still, for this is all she has. This is the sows whole world... that of mothering. It's not like a human mother... who would have the distractions of a shopping list, or a book, or a telephone call. In contrast, the animal's entire being is centered on experiencing this inborn need... to mother.
The industry says this system prevents injury to her young and keeps them "protected" from her because she would crush them. But of course without enough room for even her own body, how could she avoid accidentally harming them?
Left to their natural habitat a mother pig would gently kneel on her front legs and with great care, she would lay down to allow her young to suckle. But then she would also have selected an area free from predators with sufficient forage; she would have had straw for bedding... a place away from her nest to defecate and so forth... This would all be natural to her just as the salmon know to spawn upstream.
But nothing of what is natural exists in today's "modern" farms.
Their practices, and our acceptance of them have caused shame to the human species... We've defiled the nurturing earth with an infestation of factory farms, manure lagoons and slaughterhouses. And we certainly have shown contempt to the devotions entitled to mothers.
The industry has made machines of the female body... exploiting sows who will never share affections with their young... hens who will never hatch a chick... and don't even get me started on dairy!
With reverence to motherhood and deep respect for the bringers of life - 
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4 comments:
At least sows get the chance to become mothers, to fulfill their most natural instinct, their strongest desire, the ability to pass their genes to the next generation.
Farrowing crates allow the sow and her piglets to enjoy the intimacy of snuggles and sniffs, and full body to body contact between mother and offspring while giving the piglets a better chance of avoiding being crushed by their mother who is around 300 times heavier than they are.
Have you ever witnessed the horrifying sight and sound of a piglet being crushed by it's mother Bea? I guess not. I have though, and it's not a pretty sight.
Have you ever witnessed the sight and sound of a newly born piglet, who scampered to it's mother's face in anticipation of a motherly sniff, only to be greeted by a snap of teeth that severed the end of it's snout, resulting in a slow and painful death? I guess not, but I have and it's not a pretty sight.
Have you ever witness the sight and sound of a piglet eaten alive by it's "loving" mother? I guess not, but I have and I can tell you, it's not a pretty sight.
No, you would never see these things because you would never allow a sow to fulfill her natural instincts and have a litter of piglets would you?
You would prefer to deny an animal it's most basic right, that of motherhood, because it is more convenient for you if there are no piglets, kittens, puppies, calves, foals or chicks. How selfish is that?
I realize that there are circumstances where babies are consumed by their mothers... I once had mice that did that - and yes, it was awful. But it is a rare exception and not the norm. At least not in nature - for if it was, especially in the case of pigs - why then is there a feral hog "overpopulation" problem?
Yes, I would deny animals the experience of being artificially inseminated and caged away from their young. I would deny them the fate of being trucked to the slaughterhouse. I would prevent if I could, their moment of being stunned and shackled to have their throats slit. You are absolutely right. I would if I could, forbid them all of life, to avoid all that needless suffering.
Hence a broiler chicken would be spared it's 42 days on earth... a pig his 6 months... and a cow her year. The truth is, we a slaughtering babies ourselves... no need to look to the mothers who do such - we've got her beat hands down.
Nobody condones hurting other beings, whether animal, human, or other. Bea, I know what kind of person you are, and I applaud the truth you print. You have opened my eyes to many things and I am thrilled to support you!
Thanks for your vote of confidence Serenity... Considering the many things I've learned from you - it's quite a compliment. :)
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