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Emaciated Animals, Crated Calves, Starved Hens…

Humane Standards?

NEW JERSEY, June 20, 2003 - The New Jersey Department of Agriculture (NJDA) is under heavy fire since publishing standards in early May for the "humane" treatment of farm animals. Citizens, humane organizations, veterinarians, and even farmers are outraged by the department's proposal, which endorses some of the most contentious industry practices on U.S. farms.

New Jersey has become a key battleground state for opponents of cruel agribusiness practices. Over 100 citizens are expected to speak today at a public hearing at Rutgers University on the standards. The Department has received thousands of comments from concerned citizens.

Reasons the "Humane Standards" are repugnant to animal advocates include:

• The NJDA endorses forced molting, whereby egg-laying hens are starved for up to 14 days to shock their systems into an additional egg-laying cycle.
• The NJDA allows the transport and marketing of emaciated animals and downed animals (i.e. animals too sick even to stand).
• The NJDA endorses gestation crates, narrow metal enclosures in which breeding pigs are confined for most of their lives, unable to turn around or even lie down comfortably.
• The NJDA adopts, verbatim, the practices of the U.S. Veal Industry, including tethering calves by their neck in crates, denying them movement, solid food, and adequate dietary iron.
• The NJDA allows painful mutilations, including tail docking, ear notching, toe and beak amputation, and castration, to be performed without anesthesia.

Research indicates that animals subjected to the industry practices endorsed by the NJDA suffer both physically and psychologically. Many of the practices have been banned in Europe.

At a June 19 press conference at the state capitol in Trenton, Gene Baur (formerly Bauston) of Farm Sanctuary stated, "The NJDA not only failed to meet its legal obligation to produce reasonable humane standards, it also ignored extensive scientific evidence detailing animal welfare problems caused by these farming practices, and disregarded public opinion."

Photos and videotapes of current industry practices are available upon request. Additional information is available online at: www.njfarms.org.

REACTIONS TO HUMANE STANDARDS

• Mary Tyler Moore, Hollywood Legend: "I am writing to express my concern over the standards for the 'humane' treatment of farm animals recently issued by the New Jersey Department of Agriculture…Cruel practices such as forced molting of egg-laying hens, confining veal calves in crates so small that they can not lie down comfortably or even turn around, and confining breeding pigs for almost their entire lives in two-foot-wide crates have been banned in other countries, and can in no way be considered 'humane.'"


• Grant Aleksander, Television Drama Star and Emmy Nominee: "I am proud to make my home in New Jersey because it is often at the forefront of enacting progressive and compassionate laws. Unfortunately, the standards proposed by the New Jersey Department of Agriculture are a step backwards. They promote cruelty instead of compassion."
• Michael Jones, Farmer Coordinator, North Carolina A&T: "I was appalled to note that farming practices which are widely know to be inhumane are sanctioned by the department and deemed 'routine.'"
• Dr. Michael Appleby, Humane Society of the United States: "The draft standards inappropriately endorse many common agricultural practices that cannot be considered humane according to scientific evidence, ethical considerations, and public concern."
• Compassion in World Farming: "On the basis of the scientific literature on the welfare of farm animals, in certain crucial cases the proposed standards are far too low to qualify as 'humane.'"
• Simply Grazin' Organic Farm: "As a farmer who practices the humane treatment of animals, I'm sending this letter to express my concern over the standards allowed by the Department of Agriculture. These standards need to be revised to better protect these farm animals. Animals do not have to be subjected to confined areas in order to produce for the farmer."
• Holly Cheever, DVM: "The definition used in the document for 'humane' is 'marked by compassion, sympathy and consideration for the welfare of animals.' Yet, the suggested regulations codify practices that could not possibly be considered humane by that definition, and are, conversely, cruel...Unfortunately, instead of instituting a baseline for determining inhumane treatment of animals, these new regulations legitimize current unacceptable practices."

About Farm Sanctuary
Farm Sanctuary is the nation's leading farm animal protection organization. Since incorporating in 1986, Farm Sanctuary has worked to expose and stop cruel practices of the "food animal" industry through research and investigations, legal and institutional reforms, public awareness projects, youth education, and direct rescue and refuge efforts. Farm Sanctuary shelters in Watkins Glen, N.Y., and Orland, Calif., provide lifelong care for hundreds of rescued animals, who have become ambassadors for farm animals everywhere by educating visitors about the realities of factory farming. Additional information can be found at www.farmsanctuary.org or by calling 607-583-2225.