FACTORY FARMING PRACTICES TO BE BANNED IN THE ACT

20 September 2013 ~ Have your say
The ACT Government is standing up for animals, with three of the cruelest factory farming practices ever inflicted on animals set to be outlawed.
If we had the chance to start over again... would we do things differently? Right now the ACT has a blank slate when it comes to factory farming — its last battery egg facility has shut down and no pigs are currently factory farmed there — so its government is making the most of this opportunity to ensure factory farming cruelty is gone for good.
Next month the ACT Assembly is due to vote on a Bill, introduced by Greens MLA Shane Rattenbury, that will ban three of the cruellest factory farming practices. This is a major precedent — and a major blow to factory farming. And, in even better news, the Bill is expected to pass!
What will pigs and chickens in the ACT be protected from?

PIG CRATES — BANNED 

Imagine being confined to your bathtub, unable to exercise or even turn around. Every day, this level of extreme confinement is a reality for countless pregnant pigs in factory farms. These sensitive and intelligent animals suffer horribly in tiny metal and concrete crates, before being moved to even smaller cages to give birth.

BATTERY CAGES— BANNED 

Crammed into a wire cage with several others, a battery hen in Australia lives in a space smaller than an A4 piece of paper. She is unable to stretch her wings, move freely or perform natural behaviours like building a nest or dustbathing.

DEBEAKING HENS BANNED 

Hens kept in factory farmed conditions often suffer from severe stress, which can lead to cannibalism. The obvious solution to this problem would be to give these sensitive birds more space; but, instead, factory farmed hens often have the tips of their beaks cut off. Birds' beaks are filled with nerves, and cutting off the tip is like slicing off your fingertips. It hurts — a lot.

A KINDER FUTURE

The cruelty of factory farming has only been able to continue because it has been hidden from the eyes of the public. But as more and more political leaders like those in the ACT represent the views of caring people, a world without factory farming comes ever closer.

You can help!
We don't have to wait for governments to free animals from factory farms — or for a 'blank slate' — you can start creating a kinder world with your choices today!

http://www.animalsaustralia.org/features/factory-farming-practices-to-be-banned-act.php