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FEED LOT (FACTORY) LIVESTOCK |
FREE RANGE (PASTURED) LIVESTOCK |
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The diets of the animals (hay, silage and feed...) are designed to build muscle mass as quickly as possible. For this reason there are a huge variety of industrial feed supplements such as vitamins, fats, and additives which can include stimulants and dyes. A common ingredient in feeds are soybeans, which due to their high protein content, accelerate the development of muscle tissue. In general these foods are a result of intensive agriculture (factory farming). |
Animals wind up eating smaller amounts of industrial feed. The livestock largely feed by foraging (ideally from pastures unsuitable for agriculture). Forage and feedstuffs (cereals and legumes) are often grown in fields close to the animals. |
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Farmers select breeds of animals that show fast gains in muscle mass. Selection is done by large industries that provide semen to breeders, and reproduction is carried out by artificial insemination. The FAO estimates that at least 30% of domestic animal breeds are endangered with extinction. This means that every two weeks, three more breeds disappear. |
It tends to use local varieties, well adapted to the local conditions and the conditions of traditional free-range agriculture. By encouraging natural mating, it allows farmers to avoid dependence on industrial semen suppliers. |
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Factory farms resemble an industrial assembly line. Huge numbers of animals are crowded under a single roof, where cleaning and feeding are automated, which allows for increased production, reduced floorspace, and few employees. Savings in costs are counterbalanced by the initial investment in infrastructure (warehouses, machinery, septic ponds for animal excrements...) and by monthly outlays in feed, antibiotics, veterinary care, etc. |
It is a model on the scale of the family farm. Though the productivity per animal isn't as great, as costs are reduced, there isn't as much need to boost production. |
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The stables prevent animals from their natural movements: they can't work, hardly can move, don't breathe fresh air, don't interact among themselves, can't enjoy a natural diet... All of these factors lead to weak health. In general, stress, low fertility, weakened immune systems... To compensate for such weak health, feeds often contain additives such as tranquilizers, and veterinarians don't treat animals “when they are sick” but simply put them on a diet for the length of their life. |
Animals live in natural conditions, and tend to stay healthy and fertile. They need few medicines or veterinary care. |
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Improper practices in livestock feeds have caused a number of food scares (mad cow disease, dioxins in chicken...). There is controversy as to how these dangers can affect the health of the animals themselves and people eating their meat. |
Because of the nature of the feedstuffs, the meat has a healthier ratio of saturated / unsaturated fats than factory farmed meats. |
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The cattle are confined to stalls, and are disconnected from the land. There is no relation between the animals and the farmland, just with the surface of the stable. Because of this, animal wastes no longer act as fertilizers, which enrich the growth of pasture and forage, but are instead concentrated into slurries, which can contaminate soil, rivers and aquifers. |
The number of livestock must be proportional to pasture size to ensure there is enough fodder for all the animals. This also ensures that manure will decompose properly and fertilize the land. In many regions, manure is used to fertilize pastures and other agricultural lands. In this way, animal husbandry and horticulture complement each other, ensuring the sustainability of agricultural systems. |