Factory Farming

Fully cooked factory-farmed chickens can be sold for as little as $4, reflecting extreme cost compression throughout the production chain. Four companies control 80% of all beef in the United States. Producing one pound of beef requires 7 pounds of corn feed. CAFOs are defined by high animal density and minimal outdoor access. Modern factory farming has reduced the time to raise a chicken to full size from 125 days to 47 days through selective breeding and accelerated feeding regimens. Testing of chicken tissue from CAFO operations has revealed chemical residues that are not disclosed on product labels. 80% of all antibiotics used in the United States are administered to animals, primarily cattle and poultry in industrial settings. Nearly all chickens and turkeys sold in the United States are raised in factory farm conditions. Industrial chickens are confined to as little as 6 to 8 square feet per bird. 70% of all US cattle come from factory farming operations.