Reply #19: humane animal slaughter is something that I care deeply about

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and for many of us in agriculture it dictates a lot.

With cattle Temple Grandin's handling equipment and her lifelong work have really changed things radically for the better. If you can try to watch the HBO special about her life and work. One person can make a difference. If they stick with it and are brilliant, as she is.

My neighbor raises organic pasture hogs and drives them to a humane facility where the pigs all walk into a room, CO2 is pumped in, they all go to sleep and then after that they are killed.

Sheep in the facility near me follow a lead trained sheep with a bell down an alleyway, where they are picked up on slings - which causes them to relax completely and in this state- six at a time so they are not alone and prone to panic they are stunned and then killed. The USDA inspector is there at all times. No shouting, so prodding, every person bringing animals has to sign an document attesting that they have not traveled more than 2 hours without a rest outside of the tailer with food and water. No one is allowed to speak over a whisper to keep the sheep calm. And they are quite serious about this.

Chickens remain the nightmare it seems, but Temple Grandin has been working with this industry to improve things. IMO they have a very long way to go. There are humane chicken slaughter facilities, but one has to look long and hard for this.

There are nightmare facilities still for cattle and hogs and sheep, but we have to keep working at eliminating them. The slaughter has been getting better, but the way they are raised must really be addressed. No one should allow the terribly tiny cages for hogs and chickens. Feed lot agriculture has to be stopped. There is no justification for it other than greed.