conditionssimplybecausethisisinitselfabadthingisnot
mentioned.RuthHarrison,theauthorofAnimalMachines,a
pioneering exposéof intensivefarming methodsinBritain,
concluded that “cruelty is acknowledged only where
profitabilityceases.”^2 That,certainly,istheattitudeexhibited
inthepagesofthefarmingmagazines,intheUnitedStatesas
well as in Britain.
Still,wecanlearnagreatdealabouttheconditionsoffarm
animals from the farm magazines. We learn about the
attitudesofsomeof thefarmersto theanimalsunder their
absoluteand unrestrictedrule,and welearnalso aboutthe
newmethodsandtechniquesthatarebeingadoptedandabout
theproblemsthatarisewith thesetechniques. Provided we
knowa little aboutthe requirementsof farmanimals, this
informationisenoughtogiveusabroad pictureofanimal
farmingtoday.Wecanput thepicturein sharperfocus by
turningtosomeofthescientificstudiesofthewelfareoffarm
animals that, in response to the pressure of the Animal
Liberationmovement,areappearinginincreasingnumbersin
agricultural and veterinary journals.
Thefirst animalto be removedfrom therelatively natural
conditionsof thetraditional farmwasthechicken. Human
beingsusechickensintwoways:fortheirfleshandfortheir
eggs.Therearenowstandardmass-productiontechniquesfor
obtaining both of these products.
Promoters of agribusiness considerthe rise of thechicken
industrytobeoneofthegreatsuccessstoriesoffarming.At
the end of World War II chicken for the table was still
relatively rare. It came mainly from small independent
farmersorfromtheunwantedmalesproducedbyegg-laying