Factory farms fatten and send to slaughter as many animals as fast as possible so that farmers can make the most amount of money from the business.
This means that animals are “processed” with little regard for their health and happiness.
| Chickens | 850 Million |
| Cattle | 2.5 Million |
| Sheep & Lambs | 15 Million |
| Pigs | 9 Million |
| Turkeys | 20 Million |
| Ducks &Geese | 20 Million |
| Rabbits | 5 Million |
In the UK, more than 900 million animals are killed every single year so that people can eat their bodies. Note that this number does not include fish. Caught fish are measured per tonne - the fish industry does not count them as individuals. The number killed, however, must run into billions.
There are two main types of farmed animals - 'breeders' and 'slaughter stock'. Breeders have one purpose - to produce lots of offspring as often as possible. The animals they give birth to are the slaughter stock, who will be killed as soon as they’re 'meaty' enough.
| Animals | Natural lifespan | Age at which typically killed* |
| Cattle | 25-30 years | 1-2 years |
| Sheep | 15 years | 4 months |
| Pigs | 15 years | 3-6 months |
| Chickens | 10 years | 6 weeks |
| Egg laying hens | 10 years | 18 months |
| Turkeys | 10 years | 12-26 weeks |
| Rabbits | 6-8 years | 6-8 weeks |
* Female and male breeding animals are kept alive longer, until they are worn out and their productivity drops.
