On factory farms, the death rate of pig sows is soaring

It's not yet clear why this is happening, but there are plenty of suspects

(Farm Watch)
  • A rise in mortality for factory farm pig sows has growers worried.
  • There are some obvious possible reasons, but studies are underway.
  • Rise in deaths points toward a need for more humane treatment of pigs.
Keep reading Show less
farming genetics agriculture morality sustainability bioethics animals pigs bacon factory farming

How Many Deaths Is Cheap Chicken Worth?

A common belief that regulations are a burden on businesses is challenged by Maryn McKenna’s book Big Chicken. 

Illustration by Julia Suits, The New Yorker cartoonist & author of The Extraordinary Catalog of Peculiar Inventions

1. If you want to be a good boss you will want regulation (likewise good economists). If that surprises you, Maryn McKenna’s book Big Chicken shows you’ve caught a virulent strain of bad ideas about business.

Keep reading Show less
economics regulations poultry industry chickens meat antibiotics disease death factory farming Big Chicken Maryn McKenna big business