FAQs about Factory Farming

Factory farming is the result of the rapid growth in demand for cheap meat, eggs and dairy. These farms are designed to rear an enormous number of animals, sometimes in their millions, whilst minimising expenses. Instead of living in natural conditions, animals are typically housed indoors in crowded environments, such as hens in ‘enriched’ cages and sows in farrowing crates. These animals have little room to move or express natural behaviours. The focus is on producing as much meat, milk, or eggs as quickly and cheaply as possible, often at the expense of animal welfare. 

The animals in factory farms are raised in intense confinement, often crammed together in barren cages or pens. These animals are predominantly kept indoors and often do not get to experience natural light or grass under their feet. They are often kept in unhygienic conditions where disease runs rampant and can lead to outbreaks of zoonoses, the emergence of new pandemics, and antimicrobial resistance. Factory farms also contribute significantly to climate change, water and air pollution and damage to our ecosystems.  

There are over 1,800 factory farms in the UK. Between 2016 – 2023, there was a 20% increase in intensive pig and poultry units. Shockingly, over 1 billion animals are confined in factory farms each year. That’s around 85% of all farmed animals in the UK. 

A farrowing crate is a metal cage that mother pigs (sows) are confined to when they are due to give birth to piglets. Around 60% of UK sows are confined to farrowing crates whilst nursing piglets. Farrowing crates are so small that the sow does not even have space to turn around, let alone move freely. Instead, all she is able to do is stand or lie down. Once born, the piglets can suckle on their mother but she isn’t able to fully socialise or interact with them. The sow will be in this crate for around five weeks with each litter, which, with two litters per year, equates to nearly a quarter of her adult life spent in one of these tiny crates. 

When battery cages were banned in 2012, they were replaced with ‘enriched’ cages. Whilst these newer cages are a slight improvement, hens still do not have the space to perform even the most basic natural behaviours like flapping their wings. Over 20% of all laying hens in the UK are kept in these cages. While battery cages gave each hen the space of an A4 sheet of paper, enriched cages now give them an A4 sheet of paper plus a postcard per bird. There is no access to enrichment or natural light, and the hens do not leave the cage until they’re sent to slaughter. 

In the dairy industry, day-old calves are separated from their mothers and confined in small, individual pens. These dairy calves are deprived of their natural behaviours and of any social interaction. As highly social animals that form strong bonds, this causes extreme distress. Calves are often seen desperately trying to groom each other through the metal bars of their individual pens, but are ultimately kept isolated until they are eight weeks old, when they are then housed in groups. 

FOUR PAWS UK regularly objects to planning applications for new or expanded factory farms up and down the country, and create online actions for local residents to object with just the click of a button. We work in collaboration with several NGOs fighting the rise of factory farms, and we’re also part of coalitions like Eating Better and Wildlife and Countryside Link, who work to combat intensive agricultural systems and promote more plant rich diets and less and better animal product consumption. 

You can help us fight the rise of  factory farms by becoming a local champion in your area. We will email you whenever there is a new planning application to oppose, and can tell you when your local council is meeting to discuss the application so you’re able to show up for animals and urge your councillors to reject the application.