Cattle. Went extinct in 1627 due to overhunting, loss of habitat, and diseases spread from domesticated cattle.

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1 Animal Agriculture The average person is still under the aberrant delusion that food should be somebody else's responsibility until I'm ready to eat it. - Joel Salatin 1

2 Domestication As with plants, each of the animals we now raise as a source of food once lived in the wild. 1. Generations of breeding, artificial selection, has resulted in domesticated animals grow larger and produce more food, but are now dependent on us to grow. 2. Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO):Animals are grown in more crowded conditions to maximize production for each farm. 2

3 Cattle 3.Beef and dairy cattle are descendants of aurochs, grazing mammals that lived across Europe, Northern Africa, India, and Central Asia. Most likely lived in herds in open grassland areas. a. Went extinct in 1627 due to overhunting, loss of habitat, and diseases spread from domesticated cattle. 3

4 Beef Cattle Similar to their ancestors, beef cattle begin life on open pasture or rangeland. 4

5 4.All cattle are ruminants, have a large stomach compartment called the rumen that can break plant matter down into a form that they can extract nutrients from. 5

6 Feedlots Once the calves reach about 6-8 months of age, they are moved to a feedlot to be finished. 5.The process of finishing involves minimizing the movement of the cattle and providing them a much more energy intensive diet to gain weight rapidly. 6

7 5.a.Feedlots also produce a tremendous amount of manure, as large as an entire small city. Satellite Image: Coronado Feeders, Dalhart Texas. By Mishka Henner 7

8 Finishing the cattle on a diet of grains has a few adverse health effects on the animals. 6. a. More fat is produced and deposited in the muscle. b. high rate of acidity in the blood promotes the growth of acid-resistant E. Coli bacteria, which cause food poisoning in humans. 8

9 Dairy Production Dairy cows, like other mammals, produce milk to feed to their young. 7. Humans collect the milk by breeding dairy cattle every months. 9

10 8.About 80 percent of milk is produced in factory farms milking and cows are milked twice a day in milking stations. Large producers are able to schedule their cows so they are constantly milking one part of the herd, 24/7! 10

11 Hormones 9.Some dairy cattle are injected with growth hormones to maximize the length peak milk production time. a. These hormones also increase the risk of mastitis, an infection of the udders due to injections. Many dairy companies have discontinued the use of these hormones due to public demand. 11

12 Pasteurization Pasteurized milk is heated [161 F (72 C for 15 seconds] to a high temperature to kill most of the bacteria that can cause food poisoning or milk spoilage. shelf-life of 2-3 weeks 12

13 Veal a. Female beef and dairy calves are usually kept within the herd. b. Male calves become veal. They are fed an iron-deficient milk replacer and raised in confined crates to minimize their movements. 13

14 c. Meat produced from veal calves has more pale color, because muscle tissue is anemic. 14

15 Chickens 12.The domestic chicken comes from the Red Junglefowl, which is native to India and much of Asia. a. The birds are omnivorous, feeding on insects, fruit, and seeds. 15

16 13.There are two main types of domesticated chickens. Laying hens have been bred for high levels of egg production (~250/year). Broiler hens have been bred to grow large and quickly. 16

17 Laying Hens c. 90% of laying hens that supply eggs, are raised in rows and columns of small, identical battery cages. Female chicks are placed in the cages, in groups of four, and spend their entire lives there. 17

18 The restricted space in battery cages leads to an unusual amount of aggression among the hens. To prevent injuries, chicks are debeaked and declawed. The Animals Film. 18

19 14. Broiler Hens have larger thighs and breasts than other chickens. Reach full slaughter weight in 2 months. b. raised in pens instead of cages to prevent bruising of the meat. a. 19

20 15.Pigs Domesticated pigs from wild boars, native across Europe, Asia, and northern Africa. a.boars are omnivores, who eat plants, insects, worms, eggs, and even small mammals. 20

21 b. Domesticated pigs, pink-skinned ones, are very sensitive to sunburn and heat stress and raised indoors in temperature-controlled batch pens. c. Tails are cut off at birth to prevent biting. 21

22 16.Slaughter The Federal Humane Slaughter Act requires that all animals be rendered unconscious beforehand except for Kosher and Halal animals, which remain conscious. 22

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24 Livestock Slaughter 17. a. Pigs and cattle are mostly slaughtered with a device called a stunner. Injects a metal bolt between the animal s eyes. b.chains are attached to the animal s rear legs, which raise it up and deliver it to another person that cuts its aorta with a long knife. The animal is then sent through several other stations that clean it, remove the hide, and cut the muscle into the different portions of meat. 24

25 Poultry Slaughter 18. Chickens slaughtered a. passing the birds through a low-voltage electric field OR b. exposure to high concentrations of carbon dioxide gas. c. Chickens are dipped in to boiling hot water baths to remove feathers easily. 25

26 Euthanasia 19 Euthanasia is the practice of intentionally ending a life to relieve pain and suffering. Poultry and livestock may be euthanized if they are very sick, lame, or otherwise unfit to be raised to slaughter weight. Legal requirements for euthanasia vary by state. 26

27 Health Issues Intensive factory farming of animals has created a lot of secondary health effects in both the animals and humans. Antibiotics are administered to all animals in a large operation to reduce the amount of illness and maximize their growth rate. About 70-80% of the antibiotics manufactured in the U.S. are used on animals. 27

28 Food Recalls Bacteria that cause food poisoning, such as E. coli and Salmonella, are common in large animal operations due to the amount of manure and overall health of the animals. 21. Ground beef, is likely source of bacterial contamination since can be mixed with meat from many animals. 28

29 Manure: Manure will be collected in large lagoons and stored until it can be sprayed as fertilizer on nearby fields. In the meantime, it can runoff into nearby water sources and produce a terrible odor. 29

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31 22.Alternative Animal Agriculture a.cage-free not kept in battery cages. Confined pens may still be used. b. Certified Humane able to perform natural behaviors such as nesting. c. Free range receive a certain minimum amount of outdoor access. d. Organic raised with organic feed and not given antibiotics. 31

32 Labels Some meats are labeled as no hormones. The use of hormones is illegal in poultry. Vegetarian-fed simply means the animals are fed grains such as corn. 32

33 Grass-fed beef and milk must be given free outdoor access during the growing season, and may not be fed grain (e.g. corn). 33

34 e. The USDA shield is applied to steaks based on the amount of marbling (fat). USDA Prime has the most, followed by choice. USDA select is the leanest. Prime Choice Select 34

35 f.there is no legal definition of the natural or all natural designation on foods. 35