Animal Confinement

American people are being poisoned by consuming extremely sick animals inside factory farms with no oversight. Inside massive Controlled Animal Feeding Operations, the few unregulated laws in place currently allow animals to be abused through extreme confinement. This extreme confinement results in animals experiencing deep psychological trauma, sickness, lameness, and disease (3). Many of the chickens we eat are deformed, infected, and abused (4)(5). CAFO’s specifically don’t allow recording in their facilities because of this widespread neglect and abuse. People are not supposed to know they are being poisoned; they don’t have that right here in America. Mast Americans actually don’t support consuming poisoned meat and would like oversight and transparency. Unfortunately the problem of intensive confinement is actually much worse than the average person would know.

Proposition 12, the current landmark animal rights legislation, only implemented in some states, does nothing for mature cows and gives chickens 1 square foot of space (6). This enables massive lots with over 100,000 chickens, living in each other’s feces. They are subjected to rapid spreading sicknesses like the bird flu. They also get skin abrasions from laying in manure all day. There is nothing ethical about this animal abuse that is poisoning people and destroying many rural communities air quality (7)(8). How many more people must die before our government takes CAFO’s seriously (9)(10)?

Cows and pigs are not excluded from this suffering. Many live shoulder to shoulder just like the chickens. They are victims of greed and exploitation. Not only is federal law needed for them but also the consumers who are getting poisoned from eating sick animals. If animal confinement standards are left to local municipalities, they are often unaware of any regulations. Many zoning officers do not know the dangers of animal confinement nor are they aware of local laws pertaining to animal confinement.

We need a Max Occupancy Standard (MOS) created to prevent psychological suffering on ALL factory farms. Specifically, the 1.7 billion animals currently housed in these corporate mega prisons. Federal law will ensure that every factory farmed animal is given enough space to walk, move, stand, sleep, and perform natural behaviors. (MOS) is based on simple mathematical measurements of squared feet. Essentially, every factory-farmed animal should be guaranteed this space. So, the number of animals a facility (CAFO) is allowed to house will be based on how many square feet are on the floor of the living quarters.

Section 1 Legislation

We need federal law that limits how many animals factory farms can keep by setting clear minimum space requirements for each species and requiring all facilities comply.

Every animal must have enough room to stand up, turn around, and walk freely, including at least six square feet per pigeon; nine per chicken or goose; eighteen per turkey; eighty-eight per cow; and forty-two per pig, sheep, or goat.

Farms should not use cages, crates, or tight enclosures that technically meet space numbers but still prevent real movement. Animals should only be separated temporarily for legitimate health or safety reasons, not for routine or long-term confinement.

Farms that violate these standards need to be held accountable.