Practical Ways We Can Improve Animal Farming

Realistic Changes That Could Reduce Animal Suffering in the Near Future

Discussions about animal farming often become very polarized very quickly.

One side argues that all animal agriculture should end immediately. The other side argues that current systems are fine and that criticism is exaggerated.

But there may be a more practical middle ground: improving the systems we already have while encouraging consumers to support farms making meaningful changes.

This article is not about attacking farmers or shaming people for what they eat. It is about asking an important question:

If these industries are going to exist, how can we reduce unnecessary suffering as much as possible?

The Reality Many Consumers Do Not See

Most people are disconnected from how modern food systems operate. Food arrives cleanly packaged in stores, but many consumers are unaware of some of the practices happening behind the scenes.

The Egg Industry

In the egg industry, female chicks are raised to become egg laying hens. Because male chicks do not lay eggs and are generally not profitable for egg production, an estimated 7 billion male chicks are culled globally every year, often shortly after hatching.

Many consumers are completely unaware this occurs.

The Dairy Industry

Cows must give birth in order to produce milk. Female calves may become future dairy cows, while male calves historically had much lower economic value within the dairy industry.

Globally, millions of male dairy calves are still slaughtered every year through veal, beef production, or early culling because they are considered economically inefficient within many dairy systems.

Again, many consumers simply do not know how these systems work biologically.

Practical Improvements Already Exist

The good news is that some technologies and farming practices are already moving in a better direction.

Rather than assuming nothing can improve unless society completely changes overnight, consumers can begin encouraging the systems that appear to reduce suffering and waste.

1. In Ovo Sexing in the Egg Industry

One promising advancement is called in ovo sexing.

This technology allows hatcheries to identify whether an egg contains a male or female embryo before hatching. Most current systems identify the sex around day 8 to day 13 of incubation, while chicks typically hatch around day 21.

Instead of allowing male chicks to hatch and then culling them shortly afterward, hatcheries can stop incubation earlier in development once male eggs are identified. Many people view this as a meaningful improvement over current systems, even if ethical debates still remain.

Importantly, this process usually happens at the hatchery level rather than the breeding farm level. Breeding farms produce fertilized eggs, which are then sent to hatcheries where they are incubated and brought to hatching.

Right now, most practical progress is happening through hatcheries adopting in ovo technology. Because of this, one of the most realistic near term improvements may be encouraging hatcheries and egg companies to expand the use of these systems and continue exploring additional ways to reduce the number of male chicks being culled.

There are also discussions around breeding level technologies that could potentially increase the percentage of female chicks produced in the future through genetic methods. However, these approaches remain more controversial due to concerns around genetic modification, regulation, ethics, and consumer acceptance.

2. Greater Use of Sexed Semen in Dairy Farming

Another important development is the increasing use of sexed semen in dairy farming.

Without sexed semen, the odds of a calf being female are naturally close to 50 percent. With modern sexed semen technology, farms can often produce roughly 85 to 90 percent female calves instead.

This can help reduce the number of unwanted male dairy calves, reduce waste within the system, and better align economic incentives with animal welfare improvements.

3. Supporting Higher Welfare Farms

Not all farms operate the same way.

Some farms provide more space, outdoor access, improved handling practices, cleaner living conditions, and generally higher welfare standards.

For example, some farms allow pasture access instead of constant confinement, reduce overcrowding, use slower growing breeds, avoid certain intensive confinement systems, or provide cleaner and less stressful environments for animals.

Some farms are also more transparent with consumers by openly discussing their practices, showing living conditions, and allowing farm visits or video documentation.

What Can Consumers Do To Help?

The goal should not simply be arguing online about who is morally pure. The goal should be reducing unnecessary suffering in realistic ways that can create measurable change.

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