Facts & Myths

Many organizations use the term factory farms when they oppose agriculture production. Agriculture United for South Dakota believes that many of these groups have no idea or understanding of what agriculture is about. By using the standards that they have set just about every one of South Dakota’s 30,000 farm and ranch would be considered a factory farm.

Listed below is a sampling of what some organizations say when referring to factory farms.

From factoryfarming.com, a web site sponsored by a vegetarian group.

Dairy
Regardless of where they live, however, all dairy cows must give birth in order to begin producing milk. Today, dairy cows are forced to have a calf every year. Like human beings, cows have a nine-month gestation period, and so giving birth every twelve months is physically demanding. The cows are also artificially re-impregnated while they are still lactating from their previous birthing, so their bodies are still producing milk during seven months of their nine-month pregnancy.

Beef Cattle
Many beef cattle are born and live on the range, foraging and fending for themselves for months or even years. They are not adequately protected against inclement weather, and they may die of dehydration or freeze to death. Injured, ill, or otherwise ailing animals do not receive necessary veterinary attention.

Hogs
They are subjected to painful mutilations without anesthesia or pain relievers.

Global Resource Action Center for the Environment (GRACE) Web site refers to factory farm if the following are met:

Cows are confined to stalls indoors or on dirt- and manure-covered feedlots.
Liquid waste systems and “lagoons” to store raw manure.
Buildings that confine animals indoors and control their environment.
Antibiotics used on the animals.
Through contract growing, a remote corporation controls all aspects of raising the animals.

The PETA Web site talking about cattle on the range:

Cows who are left to roam pastures and care for their young form life-long friendships with one another and have demonstrated the ability to be vain, hold grudges, and play games. But the cows raised for the meat and dairy industries are far removed from sun-drenched pastures and nursing calves.

Humane Society of the United State Web site:

Fewer dairy farms yet more dairy cows producing more milk and more unwanted calves can mean just one thing: the beloved dairy cow and her calves have become victims of the factory farming industry.

Factory farmed dairy cows are typically kept in indoor stalls or on drylots. A drylot is an outdoor enclosure devoid of grass. Cows raised on drylots usually have no protection from inclement weather, nor are they provided with any bedding or a clean place to rest. Drylots can hold thousands of cows at one time. Because these lots are only completely cleaned out once—or at the most, twice—a year, the filth just keeps building up. Such conditions are not only extremely stressful for the cows, they also facilitate the spread of disease.

It is in the producer’s best interest to protect animals in inclement weather and maintain proper animal health. South Dakota’s producers’ number one objective is to insure healthy livestock. Many of the items that these groups point to are actually practices that producers use to safeguard animal health, animal welfare and the environment.