Legislation that could be considered next year would create new standards for farm animal cruelty for egg-laying hens, calves raised for veal and breeding pigs.
Assemblyman Harvey Epstein, D-Manhattan, recently introduced A.7841 and attracted co-sponsorship from Assemblywoman Jo Anne Simon, D-Brooklyn. The legislation stipulates farm owners or operators in New York won’t knowingly cause any covered animal to be confined in a cruel manner and business owners or operators won’t knowingly sell eggs, veal or pork products that were raised in cruel conditions. Those in violation could be punished by a fine of up to $1,000 or up to 180 days in jail.
“The proposed bill, which aims to prohibit the cruel confinement of farm animals, should be enacted into law due to its potential to improve animal welfare, promote ethical farming practices, and align with public sentiment and scientific evidence,” Epstein wrote in his legislative justification. “The bill addresses the issue of animal welfare by introducing measures to prevent the cruel confinement of farm animals. Numerous studies and reports from reputable sources have documented the adverse physical and psychological effects of intensive confinement on animals. For example, a comprehensive review published in the journal Animals in 2019 analyzed scientific literature and concluded that confinement systems often lead to poor welfare outcomes, including increased stress, injuries, and decreased ability to express natural behaviors.”
State law would be changed to favor eggs from hens housed in a cage-free housing system that allows hens to roam unrestricted and allow hens to exhibit natural behaviors, including, at a minimum, scratch areas, perches, nest boxes, and dust bathing areas; and within which farm employees can provide care while standing within the hens’ usable floorspace. Cage-free housing systems include, to the extent they comply with Epstein’s proposal, multitiered aviaries, in which hens have access to multiple elevated platforms that provide hens with usable floorspace both on top of and underneath the platforms; partially slatted systems, in which hens have access to elevated flat platforms under which manure drops through the flooring to a pit or litter removal belt below; or single-level all-litter floor systems bedded with litter, in which hens have limited or no access to elevated flat platforms.
Epstein’s bill also creates space requirements for egg-laying hens, calves raised for veal and breeding pigs. By Dec. 31, 2024, it would be considered cruel treatment to keep a calf raised for veal in less than 43 square feet of usable floor space per calf in a barn and breeding pigs in less than 24 square feet of usable floor space per pig. Farmers with egg-laying hens would have to adhere to the 2017 edition of the United Egg Producers’ Animal Husbandry Guidelines for U.S. Egg-Laying Flocks: Guidelines for Cage-Free Housing or in an enclosure other than a cage-free housing system.
Violations would also include times when egg-laying hens, calves raised for veal or breeding pigs are housed so that they can’t lay down, stand up, fully extend the their limbs or turn around freely.
There are exceptions in the law for during medical research; veterinarian exams and testing; transportation, rodeos, state or county fairs, 4-H programs and similar exhibitions; during slaughter and during breeding periods.
“Furthermore, public opinion increasingly favors humane treatment of animals,” Epstein wrote in his legislative justification. “A 2019 survey conducted by the University of Oxford found that 80% of respondents in the United States supported the banning of intensive confinement practices. Such widespread support indicates a growing societal recognition of the importance of animal welfare and the desire for responsible and compassionate farming practices. The bill also aligns with the scientific consensus on animal welfare. Various academic researchers and organizations, such as the American Veterinary Medical Association, have highlighted the need to provide animals with environments that allow for natural behaviors and minimize unnecessary suffering. These expert opinions and scientific findings emphasize the urgency and significance of enacting legislation to address the issue of cruel confinement. By enacting this bill, lawmakers would take a significant step towards ensuring the well-being of farm animals and fostering a more compassionate and sustainable food system.”
Source: observertoday.com
Photo Credit: istock-songqiuju
Categories: Illinois, Government & Policy