Animal cruelty

Old Shep

Member
Livestock Farmer
Some of the posts in this thread are so adolescent in their acceptance of cruelty it makes me sick. This movement is the biggest threat to farming in the UK and bury your head in the sand at your peril! There is no smoke without fire and cruelty certainly takes place. Are those on here who make jokes about cruelty some of the perpetrators? Should the rest of us who treat our animals with respect protect them or shop them to protect our industry? Maybe we have to purge from within.
 
I noticed that there was a plague of rats somewhere ( Birmingham bin strike ?? ) and the authorities were catching a lot of abuse for animal un-necessary animal genocide when they set out to do their duty and eradicate them . I know it sounds like a lot of fake news , but it could just be true in the present animal welfare climate . I also note that the photographer who published a macaque selfie photo has won his case after 2 years against people who said the monkey was a sentient being and had every right to royalties. You couldn't make it up !
 

Old Shep

Member
Livestock Farmer
I'm sure everyone can tell stories of silly "do gooders", but how does that condone the slaughter of animals who haven't been stunned properly? And not by ethnic minorities.
 
If we start condemning everything that fanatical vegan groups describe as cruel, we will be sliding down the slippery slope of waving goodbye to all livestock.

Yes, there are some cruel and illegal things that happen within the UK livestock sector, which should be fought by the agriculture industry as a whole, but pandering to the lunatic fringe is not the way forward.

Always winds me up when people say "Im a vegetarian, but i eat a bit of chicken now and again", not comprehending that cheap supermarket chicken is the most intensively produced meat available.
The old "part time vegetarian", they probably have the odd bacon sandwich too, ffs:rolleyes:
 
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Dry Rot

Member
Livestock Farmer
Let's start with the definition. I believe cruelty is defined as "Causing unnecessary suffering". That definition in legislation is left deliberately vague for the courts to decide on the facts of the indvidual case.

Are the jokers on here saying that causing unnecessary suffering is alright and something we don't even need to consider? Of course not.

What upsets me most are those who are cruel through ignorance and stupidity. No, I am not a vegan or even a vegetarian. As I have shot and fished (and kept and trained) animals all my life I am certainly not a fluffy bunny. But if the suffering is "unecessary", and can be avoided, why tolerate it?

Yes, I'd shop 'em. I have done so...and will continue to do so.
 

SLA

Member
Location
Lincolnshire
I can still remember a local chicken place (don't know if hens or growers) being burnt down by animal rights activists with birds in when I was still at school. Scary to think how popular they are getting, and how they seem to target impressionable youngsters, unfortunately they'll always be about to some extent but they should not just be laughed at and dismissed. Large portions of the population have little/no contact with farming/livestock etc and they need to hear more positive things about them. Countryfile doesn't really help but this farming life etc are really useful at showing why things are done and how much the farmers genuinely care. They need to be publicly challenged about the"facts" they are pedling.
Genuine cruelty should never be ok, although it can often be unintentional.
 

Old Shep

Member
Livestock Farmer
The market for lamb meat is far from what it was say 20 years ago. Ask people why they dont eat lamb and the 2 answers you get are its expensive, and more commonly I cant eat little lambs its cruel. Pork and beef will follow, dairy already is. Footage from slaughter houses on social media is creating a whole generation of vegetarians. As an industry farming needs to put out some better PR and be seen to be cleaning its act up or in 30 years time we will all be growing vegetables!
 
I think ear tagging sheep is cruel - I only find it necessary as its a legal requirement.

I remember going to a sheep sale as a kid in the 80's, watching a young lad whose job it was to follow the auctioneer down the row of pens with some pliers, punching every sheep's ear to stop them getting sold twice in one day.

The first thing they do is shake their heads and there was blood p!ssing all over the shop, all down his leggings and everywhere. Definitely cruel, justified at the time, but thankfully not carried out any more.
 
Where do we draw the line at? What do vegans deem acceptable?

Moths and flys being collided with and killed by motor vehicles driven or rode in by vegans enroute to a demonstration?
Headlice being burned to death by headlice shampoo?
Millions of grass living insects being trod upon, maimed and killed by wildlife and people?
Millions of tons of veg being pulled up and chopped to bits. If the veg was left it would produce seed. Does the veg feel pain who really knows?
 

spin cycle

Member
Location
north norfolk
i've just been asked to provide some part time work experience for a teenage slightly autistic lad....whether i do or not i'm undecided.....but he might be handy helping to weigh lambs.....that got me thinking that if i could teach him how to move and move amongst sheep quietly that might stand him in good stead....thinking on i thought that perhaps a vocational qualification in simply handling /moving animals would be a good idea

bit off topic but hopefully you sorta get the thought train:)
 

Bruce Almighty

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Warwickshire
I remember going to a sheep sale as a kid in the 80's, watching a young lad whose job it was to follow the auctioneer down the row of pens with some pliers, punching every sheep's ear to stop them getting sold twice in one day.

The first thing they do is shake their heads and there was blood p!ssing all over the shop, all down his leggings and everywhere. Definitely cruel, justified at the time, but thankfully not carried out any more.

That was for grading & the variable premium.
Agreed it would be frowned on today & rightly so
 

unlacedgecko

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Fife
I remember going to a sheep sale as a kid in the 80's, watching a young lad whose job it was to follow the auctioneer down the row of pens with some pliers, punching every sheep's ear to stop them getting sold twice in one day.

The first thing they do is shake their heads and there was blood p!ssing all over the shop, all down his leggings and everywhere. Definitely cruel, justified at the time, but thankfully not carried out any more.

That was for grading & the variable premium.
Agreed it would be frowned on today & rightly so

Nobody use culling pliers then?
 

Old Shep

Member
Livestock Farmer
Where do we draw the line at? What do vegans deem acceptable?

Moths and flys being collided with and killed by motor vehicles driven or rode in by vegans enroute to a demonstration?
Headlice being burned to death by headlice shampoo?
Millions of grass living insects being trod upon, maimed and killed by wildlife and people?
Millions of tons of veg being pulled up and chopped to bits. If the veg was left it would produce seed. Does the veg feel pain who really knows?
Well apparently trees talk to each other

I'm afraid this attitude is prevalent. Farming really isn't getting it is it?? This isn't just vegans, this isn't just nutters, this is real people - our customers who are leaving in droves. This is this biggest threat to livestock farming - much bigger than brexit or subsidies!! If people don't want to eat meat the industry is buggered!!! Wake up and smell the coffee!!
 

Ffermer Bach

Member
Livestock Farmer
Another problem is most people don't realise how red in tooth and claw nature is and only see wild animals (and farm animals) as cute cuddly things. They never hear about a ewe having her eyes pecked out by crows, or the number of song birds being killed by "cute" cats. As we have become such an urban country I don't know how we can change this. Didn't I see a programme on TV showing Danish school children all visiting an abattoir, so they could get a realistic idea about where food comes from.
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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