| New Jersey Supreme Court to Cattle: Keep Your Tails |
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| Written by Kiki Hubbard | |
| Wednesday, 13 August 2008 | |
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The New Jersey Supreme Court has ruled that some questionable treatment of animals in agriculture, like docking tails, cannot be considered "humane" simply because they are common practices. The unanimous decision will require more humane treatment of animals and sets legal precedent to end abuses on factory farms in other states. While a clear victory for the plaintiffs, which included a coalition of farm, animal, and food safety advocacy groups, there was disappointment that the Court didn't strike down regulations that allow the confinement of breeding pigs in gestation crates and calves in veal crates, in addition to the transport of downed cattle. Still, the ruling comes at an important time for animal welfare proponents. In 2008, we've seen investigations ramped up to gauge the problem of downed cattle entering the food supply; the Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production released a report in April that called for a phasing out of many factory farm practices, including tail docking and gestation crates; and California voters have the opportunity in November to vote on an anti-confinement initiative that would outlaw gestation crates for breeding pigs, veal crates for calves, and battery cages for egg-laying hens. (Florida, Oregon, Arizona, and Colorado have already banned gestation crates.) We can already see those cattle tails wagging. Source: Market Watch Photo: Amanda Jones Comments (3)
  written by Kiki, August 15, 2008
My understanding is that a lot of tail docking occurs without the use of anesthesia. I think this is one of the main arguments against the practice.
written by Clinch, August 16, 2008
Why would anesthesia be needed? Do they just rip the tails straight off in New Jersey or something?
The method I've seen used on lambs, is to put a rubber ring around their tail, and the tail eventually (weeks probably, I can't remember) just drops off. I don't think the entire practice of docking should be banned, as it has a practical reason behind it, but I have no objection to restricting the cruel methods used to do so.
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It's true what our moms said...we are what we eat. In fact, it's truer than they thought. What I eat doesn't just affect me anymore, it affects all of us.
Unfortunately, the story of food can sometimes be complicated. But envirovores help each other out...which is why this blog will be bringing you news, tips, and information about food and the environment every step of the way.
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I'm not certain about cattle, but with sheep, if you don't remove their tails, they can't poo properly, and their tails and backsides quickly get encrusted in poo, which can lead to flies laying their eggs their, and the sheep end up with Myiasis.
Surely a harmless tail removal is far less cruel than having maggots munching away at their nervous system.