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What would be the most humane way to raise animals for meat and milk?

951 views 4 replies 5 participants last post by  Poppy 
#1 ·
I want to start a very small farm where I can raise the animals my friends and I eat in ideal respectfull conditions up until their humane euthanasia at ages much older than industry standard.

I have heard that CO2 can be a painless and non toxic way to kill animals for consumption. If the life of an animal is full of enrichment and affection and the death is not traumatic and painless would the product of the animal be ethically appealing to people who might otherwise not eat it?

Also, I was looking into dwarf cows and inducing lactation in bovines without pregnancy. I can afford more expensive options than a larger producer because of the micro scale of the farm I intend to have. There have got to be safe, humane ways of inducing lactation in a very small scale system.

If any of you have constructive comments or resources for humane options (not videos of inhumane treatment, I know what I don't want my farm to be) I would really appreciate it!
 
#3 ·
Hmm...well, it's really nice that you're looking for humane options. In my opinion, the kindest approach is to have a no-kill policy, where you let the animals live out their lives in a comfortable, natural way. You can have a dairy and egg farm with this approach; of course, you have to be especially sensitive to the needs of the parents and offspring. Calves and chicks need to be in the company of their mothers, for example, and you must also keep in mind that the reason cows produce milk is to nourish their calves. If the milk is taken for human consumption, the calves will be deprived of their natural food source.

Not sure how lactation could be induced, but I have a feeling it would involve hormone therapy, which is probably just as unhealthy for the cow as it would be for the humans consuming the milk.

Regarding "humane slaughter," that's something I can't help you with because I don't believe slaughter could ever be humane.
 
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