Factory farming is the practice of raising livestock in confinement at high stocking density, where a farm

operates as a factory — a practice typical in industrial farming by agribusinesses.

Confinement at high stocking density is one part of a systematic effort to produce the highest output at the
lowest cost by relying on economies of scale, modern machinery, biotechnology, and global trade. Confinement
at high stocking density requires antibiotics and pesticides to mitigate the spread of disease and pestilence
exacerbated by these crowded living conditions. In addition, antibiotics are used to stimulate livestock growth
by killing intestinal bacteria. There are differences in the way factory farming techniques are practiced around
the world. There is a continuing debate over the benefits and risks of factory farming. The issues include the
efficiency of food production; animal welfare; whether it is essential for feeding the growing global human
population; the environmental impact and the health risks.

Animal welfare impacts of factory farming can include:

Close confinement systems (cages, crates) or lifetime confinement in indoor sheds

Discomfort and injuries caused by inappropriate flooring and housing

Restriction or prevention of normal exercise and most of natural foraging or exploratory behaviour

Restriction or prevention of natural maternal nesting behaviour

Lack of daylight or fresh air and poor air quality in animal sheds

Social stress and injuries caused by overcrowding

Health problems caused by extreme selective breeding and management for fast growth and high productivity

Reduced lifetime (longevity) of breeding animals (dairy cows, breeding sows)

Fast-spreading infections encouraged by crowding and stress in intensive conditions

Male chicks, which are too scrawny for meat and incapable of laying eggs, may be liquidated as inventory

Farmed animals are excluded by most state animal cruelty laws and the federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA). The
28 hour law, enacted in 1873 and amended in 1994, covers farmed animals during transportation only. The law
states that when animals are being transported for slaughter, the vehicle must stop every 28 hours and the
animals must be let out for exercise, food, and water. The United States Department of Agriculture claims that
the law does not apply to birds. The Humane Methods of Livestock Slaughter Act is similarly limited. Originally
passed in 1958, the Act requires that livestock be stunned into unconsciousness prior to slaughter. This Act also
excludes birds, who make up more than 90 percent of the animals slaughtered for food, as well as rabbits and
fish. Individual states all have their own animal cruelty statutes; however many states have a provision to
exempt standard agricultural practices. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Factory_farming