Is it true there are meat out there that cows haven't suffered?

Question

I heard there are free range, organic, grass fed etc meat that the cows, chicken, turkey, etc hasn't been suffered through getting killed. They lived a happy life or something.

Is that true?

Answer 1

That is true.

But watch out for meat that just says "organic" on it. The only qualification for organic meat is that the animals have to be fed organic feed. They can still be raised in unhealthy, cruel conditions.

Answer 2

Animals do not live "happy" lives, free range or not.

Answer 3

Yes, but, unfortunately, such humane practices are rarely utilized, and most of our meat comes from big industries for which they are impractical (being cost-inefficient).

Answer 4

Well they had to suffer some, they were killed so you could eat them right? Organic or free range is supposed to be more humane. Your best bet is to find local farmers so you can see how they treat their animals.  

Answer 5

Impossible. All animals suffer when killed. I will to.

Answer 6

Absolutely not . Do you expect to die happily when you are being butchered ?

Answer 7

It is completely untrue.  No matter how well a cow is taken care of, they still have to be slaughtered in the end.  I don't think being hung upside down and bleeding to death is very fun.

An organic label does not have anything to do with how a cow is taken care of.  They can call anything free-range.  There are no laws governing who uses that and what it has to mean.

All boy chickens are killed when they are born.  The are separated from the female chicks and crushed or suffocated.  Free range chickens are kept in sheds instead of battery cages.  The sheds smell so badly of ammonia that workers put their health at risk just working at any kind of chicken farm.

People like to think that there is a humane alternative to "regular" meat, but in reality it's all the same...different names, different types of cruelty...

Answer 8

ABSOLUTELY!!!!

I am a vegetarian but understand that our world is a meat eating world and although death is not a "happy process" more humane methods of killing animals for meat and maintaining livestock are out there. Most of the time, these are local farms. The best way to find out about these types of farms around you is to go to the butcher at the local Whole Foods Market. Whole Foods has insane high standards regarding the meat products they carry and most of the meat is local; that means, you can easily go to the farm and see the environment if you so desire. Basically, a farm cannot sell meat at Whole Foods unless they pass specific Farm Animal and Meat Quality Standards Program Requirements:

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/products...

Here's a link to all the meat/poultry/and fish requirements:

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/products...

Note: You still have to be careful when purchasing meat at a local grocery store as they do not have these types of standards. In addition, restaurants, fast food chains, and other places that sell meat products may not have these types of standards. Be careful..."organic" & "free range" does not equal "happy animals".

Answer 9

no such thing.

organic, in most cases is not organic just a relabelling of the product.

Answer 10

Try www.oliverranch.com

Answer 11

I'm thinking that when you are killed and get chopped up and eaten, that's suffering.  It might be less suffering for free range animals, but they ultimately suffer because they DIE.

Answer 12

YES! YES! YES!

It's true that most meat in grocery stores, even in the organic section, is not truly organic. I live on a small organic farm, and we have to follow very specific and strict guidelines, down to the grain we feed them. Unfortunately, these laws and regulations are much, much looser for big brands and factory farms.

Your best bet for finding truly organic and free-range meat is to go to your local farmer's market. There is often a meat vendor (We have 3 at our small rural market). Ask them very specific questions, and don't be afraid to ask the hard questions like "What is the size of their so-called free-range pen?" "Are your animals ever put in cages?" "How many hours to your (insert animal) get outside each day?" "Is your meat processor organic?" "Are you CERTIFIED organic?" You're not being rude, just well-informed!

No animal dies happily. What DOES die happily? But I can tell our chickens are content. I know that sounds silly, but when  animals are treated as PETS and not PROFIT, things work out really well.

Overall, the best way to find organic and humanely-treated meat is to go local. You'll feel more secure knowing EXACTLY where the meat is from and how it's treated!