So me, Mario, & my Dad went to Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen this morning. Our tour started at 11am. We watched a brief video, and then our tour guide brought us straight out to the cow pasture.
It was truly beautiful seeing them in their element. Free to roam around as they pleased. Despite all of the horrific things that happened to some of the animals they didn't write off all humans. They give us so many more chances. What a lot of people don't know is that the veal industry is directly related to the dairy industry. In order for dairy cows to yield large quantities of milk they have to be continuously pregnant. But then you ask yourselves, what happens to the babies? Well the female cows will most likely end up in their mothers footsteps, raised to become milk machines. The males however could not be "wasted". So they made the veal industry, so that they could use these male calves for even more money. Veal calves are confined to these small wooden crates. They are small so that these calves cannot exercise. The point of veal is to have very tender muscle. These calves are fed 1 to 2 times a day, and are slaughtered at about 2 to 3 days old. They don't get to experience life whatsoever. And what life they do experience is a miserable existence. We can help to end these atrocities by adopting a vegan (plant based) diet. The added perks are that it is the most healthy diet out there, and does wonders for the environment!
This is Echo.
You would not expect turkey's to be all that affectionate, let alone allow you to pet them. But this beautiful turkey named Echo was quite the opposite. He was very calm as we all knelt down beside him. Quite the fellow! He carried himself in such a sophisticated way. Prior to coming to Farm Sanctuary he did have some injuries to his feet. But seems to be doing just fine at the sanctuary. He's surrounded by a few chicken and rooster friends to keep him company.
This is me and my goat friend.
This lovely fellow was so peaceful! He bowed his head to be while I was petting him like he had been waiting for that all day. When my Dad told me to look this way for the camera, my goat friend looked at the same time! And in the back there is his buddy Elvis.
And then my most favorite part was seeing the pigs. They absolutely loved their bellies rubbed. I could have sat there all day with them. They just loved snooping about in the hay or mud. When these pigs are pregnant, they are put in gestation crates. They are unable to move side to side, and maybe one step forward or backward. Can you imagine being pregnant and having no mobility like that? It seems unimaginable. Even after their piglets are born, they must stay in those crates because factory farmers claim that they will squish their young. So when they are born they have access to the teets and nothing else.