California Proposition 2

[S-S]

If you didn't see Oprah today, you missed out! Everyone knows I'm a huge animal lover and I definitely cried while watching this episode.

Here is information on the California Proposition 2.

Proposition 2, the proposed Standards for Confining Farm Animals initiative statute, is a California ballot proposition in that state's general election on November 4, 2008. The proposition would add a chapter to Division 20 of the California Health and Safety Code to prohibit the confinement of certain farm animals in a manner that does not allow them to turn around freely, lie down, stand up, and fully extend their limbs. The measure would deal with three types of confinement: veal crates, battery cages, and sow gestation crates. If approved by the voters, the statute would become operative on January 1, 2015. Farming operations would have until that date to implement the new space requirements for their animals, and the measure would prevent animals in California from being confined in these ways in the future.

The California Secretary of State's summary from the Official Voter Information Guide[1] of Proposition 2 is as follows:

Requires that calves raised for veal, egg-laying hens and pregnant pigs be confined only in ways that allow these animals to lie down, stand up, fully extend their limbs and turn around freely.
Exceptions made for transportation, rodeos, fairs, 4-H programs, lawful slaughter, research and veterinary purposes.
Provides misdemeanor penalties, including a fine not to exceed $1,000 and/or imprisonment in jail for up to 180 days.

On November 5, 2002, Florida voters passed Amendment 10, an amendment to the Florida Constitution banning the confinement of pregnant pigs in gestation crates. The Amendment passed by a margin of 55% for and 45% against.[2]
On November 7, 2006, Arizona voters passed Proposition 204 with 62% support. The measure prohibits the confinement of calves in veal crates and breeding sows in gestation crates.
On June 28, 2007, Oregon's governor Ted Kulongoski signed a measure into law prohibiting the confinement of pigs in gestation crates (SB 694, 74th Leg. Assembly, Regular Session).[3]
On May 14, 2008, Colorado Governor Bill Ritter signed into law a bill, SB 201, that phases out gestation crates and veal crates.[4][5]
Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, and Austria have all banned battery cages for egg-laying hens. The entire European Union is phasing out battery cages by 2012.[6]







I'm all about animal rights but I do have mixed emotions on this subject. I know it's not cheap to live on a farm and raise livestock. I'm there! However, I do not know anything about factory farms. I know it will be very expensive if this proposition is passed for these factory farms. I don't see how these animals are healthy when they are jam packed together. Or the laying hens in the chicken farms, they're stacked on top of eachother when 5-6 hens in the same cage! I think we would all be better off if everything was cage free or free range. They showed sows and hens raised free range. Wouldn't you think that would be more healthy?

[dnalexander]

If you are interested in California Proposition 2 issues here is a good start on all sides of the issue.

http://www.voterguide.sos.ca.gov/title-sum/prop2-title-sum.htm


CDBL I agree it is a tough issue. I think we are better off paying more and keeping animals in better conditions. As a chef (figuratively speaking) they taste better, as a person I feel better, as a person born in the midwest I support the small farmer, in the end I think it is overall better. I prefer if we keep our energy and food needs supplied locally even if it costs more. In the end it is better and cheaper.

David

[S-S]

Thanks for that! I've been reading both sides and I must say I am for the proposition, but it's really not up to me.

I would rather pay more money for free range meat or eggs that I would an animal who was confined its whole life. I'm not rich, but I feel if you support the free range farms, the price of the product will slowly decrease.

I don't buy veal, and obviously I have my own eggs. My hens and roosters are not caged up, they stay in the coop/pen until then sun comes up and then they're loose til evening. The hog we just had slaughtered was not in a barn his whole life, he was raised free range.

The opposers of this propostition say that the salmonella risk increases with chickens who are raised free range. Show me the stats.

[dnalexander]

CDBL when you know the farmer that produced, raised your food and you give him your money he in turn will spend it your store. Everyone benefits overall, has a job, you get the idea. A small farmer has more control, better food,  maybe a bit more expensive. I think knowing the farmer is safer. thanks for posting this. Think about it. Do you trust your local farmer or some factory farm a long ways away or on the opposite side of the globe. I'll pay more and go local.

David

p.s. It is up to me and I all ready voted. thanks for giving me the chance to trumpet some ideas I feel are in the best interest of all of us.

[sixdogsmom]

I agree David; humankind was cursed with the knowlege of life and death. We were also blessed with the use of everything in the fields and gardens. With it is inherited a responsibility to respect life and quality of life. If we raise animals for food, they should be treated in as humane conditions as possible. I do hope your state passes that proposition.  

I must agree with you CDBL as to the salmonella. I had never heard of vegetables being contaminated with salmonella or ecoli (that could not be washed off), until just recently. It was said that the contamination was from feces of farm animals. I had always thought that those diseases were carried in the gut of humans and chickens. But the chicken droppings were always used on the garden when I was growing up with certainly no repercussions. Chicken droppings, rabbit droppings, and any other manure my dad could lay his hands on we used. I always hated when he came home with a trailer load of straw manure harvested from a barn. We all helped to spread it, and I can tell you some of it was ripe! But we raised a beautiful truck garden, some of it as a cash crop. Off the rant now---

[S-S]

I put chicken poo on my tomatoes all summer and I'm still alive. Haven't gotten sick yet. Don't know how healthy I'd be if I bought a bunch of those tomatoes from WalMart this summer though.

Another thing, the calves raised for veal...They're on an all liquid diet, some are unable to stand up because they're so unhealthy. They're shot full of growth hormones and antibiotics. The veal calves on the free range farms are kept with their mothers, drink their milk and are overall healthy.

I despise buying meat and vegetables from a store, but sometimes it's unavoidable. I do not buy meat at WalMart or Dillon's. Only Family Market. This is only when we run out of our own meat.

[dnalexander]

SDM the salmonella and e-coli cases are a product of huge factory farms. Still need them but my rant is the more you buy local the better you are. Food, energy,... I must also, say I understand the draw of cheap stuff from elsewhere I just think overall we are better buying local when possible.

David

[Diane Amberg]

I refuse to eat veal, haven't since I was a kid, because of how they are treated.

[pam]

I SO agree with you all on this....

[Teresa]

yep. me too.