A34—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, November 14,1981
Animal rights
(Continued from Page A 33)
since rail earners could sign
waivers.
In 1959, the federal government
passed the Humane Slaughter Act
and in 1966 the Laboratory and
Animal Welfare Act was adopted
The veterinarian pointed out the
1970 s saw the “evolution of how
society feels about animals.” The
Horse Protection Act was passed
in 1970 and the Animal Welfare Act
was amended. Legislation to
protect wild horses and burros was
created, too Then in 1976, both the
Horse Protection and Animal
Welfare Acts were once again
amended.
Schwindaman noted the animal
welfare groups are concerned
about the rights of animals, a
movement that began in Europe.
“We must try to understand their
concerns,” he advised. “They are
reasonable people for the most
part. We must be careful not to
become polarized.”
Penn State’s Kenneth Goodwin,
head of the Poultry Science
Department, voiced his opinion
that farmers are under a mandate
to produce livestock as efficiently
as possible, while keeping the
welfare of those animals in mind
Over the years, farmers have
seen a transition in animal
husbandry that moved livestock
and poultry from a range situation
to confinement in order to control
predators and execute proper
management.
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Calling on his experiences in the
poultry field, Goodwin noted
“birds in cages today produce as
well as, if not better than, floor
raised bird He stressed the caged
birds’ “livability” was better than
range or floor birds.
With improved health and
feeding management, Goodwin
stated poultry producers have
been able to surpass goals m feed
conversion in the broiler business.
Instead of producing a 4-pound
bird with 12 pounds of feed in 12
weeks, producers now can produce
a 4-pound bird with 8 pounds of
feed in 7 weeks.
“There has been no time in the
history of the world when people
have been able to eat as cheaply or
as safely as today,” Goodwin
exclaimed. “And farmers are
being criticized for doing this.”
Goodwin conceded there are
some management practices that
might need changing, however,
and suggested that discussions on
animal welfare be kept open
basing these debates on things that
can be measured, such as fertility,
productivity, and abuse.
The poultry scientist defined
animal rights as ‘an
tropomorphism’ assigning
human feelings and thoughts to
animals. “When I’m asked how I’d
like to be kept in a cage, I respond
that I wouldn’t But, neither would
I like to eat my own feces like
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Robert Johnson ot the
Massachusetts Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
told the group his agency’s task
was to “prevent cruelty to
animals.”
“There is a growing conem and
awareness among nonfarm,
nonlivestock people about animals
used to produce food,” he ex
plained, “People over the years
have made an intentional blank in
their minds between the animals
and the end product. Now they’re
asking ‘Does the end justify the
means? Are bargain prices worth
the way animals are raised?’.”
Johnson noted that original
animal welfare concerns centered
around horses overworking and
overdriving. But now they concern
all management systems
overcrowding, deprivation of feed
and water, absence of social
behavior.
“Neither the livestock industry
or the humane groups could
condone flagrant cruelty,”
Johnson stated. “The issues need
to be defined and measured.
University of Maryland’s
Thomas Hartsock, associate
professor of animal science,
commented that farming and
nutrition cannot be separated. He
said farmers have been asked by
consumers to take a closer look at
how and why they’re doing things
However, he asked, “Are farmers
obligated to keep their animals
better than Mother Nature
would’”
Farm Bureau's Bruce Hawley
brought the group up-to-date on
federal legislation cone rnmg
animal rights. House Joint
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PFA President Keith Eckel delivered ms luncheon speech
to the conference participants on Tuesday, voicing his con
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future for farmingand PFA.
Resolution 305 which would create Agricultural Committee. “This
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