Editing Animal welfare (section)

===Farmed animals===
{{Further|Veal#Animal welfare|Dairy farming#Animal welfare|Intensive pig farming#Criticism|Broiler#Welfare issues|Egg as food#Living conditions of birds}}

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|caption3=The welfare of egg laying hens in [[battery cages]] (top) can be compared with the welfare of [[free range]] hens (middle and bottom) which are given access to the outdoors. However, animal welfare groups argue that the vast majority of free-range hens are still intensively confined (bottom) and are rarely able to go outdoors.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-09-24/rspca-on-free-range-court-case/5769542 | title=RSPCA says egg industry is 'misleading the public' on free range | website=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] | access-date=26 May 2015 | date=24 September 2014 | archive-date=1 November 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161101051034/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-09-24/rspca-on-free-range-court-case/5769542 | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2013/06/27/195639341/what-the-rise-of-cage-free-eggs-means-for-chickens | title=What The Rise Of Cage-Free Eggs Means For Chickens | website=[[NPR]] | access-date=26 May 2015 | archive-date=11 February 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210211010506/http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2013/06/27/195639341/what-the-rise-of-cage-free-eggs-means-for-chickens | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2014/12/23/370377902/farm-fresh-natural-eggs-not-always-what-they-re-cracked-up-to-be | title=Farm Fresh? Natural? Eggs Not Always What They're Cracked Up To Be | website=[[NPR]] | date=23 December 2014 | access-date=26 May 2015 | last1=Kelto | first1=Anders | archive-date=3 November 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201103121635/https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2014/12/23/370377902/farm-fresh-natural-eggs-not-always-what-they-re-cracked-up-to-be | url-status=live }}</ref>
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A major concern for the welfare of farmed animals is [[factory farming]] in which large numbers of animals are reared in confinement at high stocking densities. Issues include the limited opportunities for natural behaviors, for example, in [[battery cage]]s, [[veal]] and [[gestation crate]]s, instead producing [[List of abnormal behaviours in animals|abnormal behaviors]] such as tail-biting, cannibalism, and [[Abnormal behaviour of birds in captivity|feather pecking]], and [[Overview of discretionary invasive procedures on animals|routine invasive procedures]] such as [[debeaking|beak trimming]], [[castration]], and [[Animal identification|ear notching]].More extensive methods of farming, e.g. [[free range]], can also raise welfare concerns such as the [[mulesing]] of sheep and predation of stock by wild animals. [[Biosecurity]] is also a risk with free range farming, as it allows for more contact between livestock and wild animal populations, which may carry [[Zoonosis|zoonoses]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Bartlett |first1=Harriet |last2=Holmes |first2=Mark A. |last3=Petrovan |first3=Silviu O. |last4=Williams |first4=David R. |last5=Wood |first5=James L. N. |last6=Balmford |first6=Andrew |date=June 2022 |title=Understanding the relative risks of zoonosis emergence under contrasting approaches to meeting livestock product demand |journal=Royal Society Open Science |language=en |volume=9 |issue=6 |page=211573 |doi=10.1098/rsos.211573 |issn=2054-5703 |pmc=9214290 |pmid=35754996|bibcode=2022RSOS....911573B }}</ref>

Farmed animals are artificially selected for production parameters which sometimes impinge on the animals' welfare. For example, [[broiler]] chickens are bred to be very large to produce the greatest quantity of meat per animal. Broilers bred for fast growth have a high incidence of leg deformities because the large breast muscles cause distortions of the developing legs and pelvis, and the birds cannot support their increased body weight. As a consequence, they frequently become lame or suffer from broken legs. The increased body weight also puts a strain on their hearts and lungs, and [[ascites]] often develop. In the UK alone, up to 20 million broilers each year die from the stress of catching and transporting before reaching the slaughterhouse.This stress can be measured by the high level of heart rate and its cortisol levels, but it can also be seen in their behavior or physical changes. In situations where they are threatened, alone, or can't interact with others, these results are common. <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ciwf.org.uk/farm_animals/poultry/meat_chickens/welfare_issues.aspx |title=Compassion in World Farming – Meat chickens – Welfare issues |publisher=Compassion In World Farming |access-date=22 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131023062150/http://www.ciwf.org.uk/farm_animals/poultry/meat_chickens/welfare_issues.aspx |archive-date=23 October 2013 }}</ref> Animal welfare violations have been observed more in intensively bred chicken, pig and cattle species, respectively, and studies and laws have been enacted in this regard. However, animal welfare in semi-intensive species such as sheep and goats is nowadays being scrutinised and gaining importance.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Arsoy |first=Dilek |date=1 January 2020 |title=Herd management and welfare assessment of dairy goat farms in Northern Cyprus by using breeding, health, reproduction, and biosecurity indicators |url=https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-019-01990-3 |journal=Tropical Animal Health and Production |language=en |volume=52 |issue=1 |pages=71–78 |doi=10.1007/s11250-019-01990-3 |pmid=31325019 |issn=1573-7438}}</ref>

Another concern about the welfare of farmed animals is the method of [[Animal slaughter|slaughter]], especially [[ritual slaughter]]. While the killing of animals need not necessarily involve suffering, the general public considers that killing an animal reduces its welfare.<ref>Phillips 2009. p 10.</ref> This leads to further concerns about premature slaughtering such as [[chick culling]] by the [[Poultry farming|laying hen industry]], in which males are slaughtered immediately after hatching because they are superfluous; this policy occurs in other farmed animal industries such as the production of goat and cattle milk, raising the same concerns.

A 2023 report by the [[Animal Welfare Institute]] found that animal welfare claims by companies selling meat and poultry products lack adequate substantiation in roughly 85% of analyzed cases.<ref>{{cite news |last=Axworthy |first=Nicole |date=10 April 2023 |title=85 Percent of Meat Welfare Claims Lack Substantiation, New Research Finds|url=https://vegnews.com/2023/4/meat-welfare-claims-farm-bill|work=[[VegNews]]|location= |access-date=17 April 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://awionline.org/sites/default/files/publication/digital_download/Deceptive-Consumer-Labels-2023.pdf|title=Deceptive Consumer Labels |last= |first= |date=2023 |website= |publisher=[[Animal Welfare Institute]]|access-date=17 April 2023 |quote=}}</ref>