Are most farms in the US really factory farms? What is with farm animals in media?
I've been reading a lot of books on animal welfare and veganism. According to statistics I can find, over 90% of farms are factory farms, and many of the remaining ones are still industrial.
Yet, whenever I see farm animals in stock footage, news footage, commericials, and documentary series, they are always so "comfortable" seeming. Even on Youtube, searching up farms shows footage of clean looking facilities, healthy looking cows allowed to graze, etc.
For example, Modern Marvels' episode on milk:
How It's Made episode on eggs (probably a British farm):
Dairy Farmers of Canada's video on dairy cows:
Is that just propaganda? Where do they get the footage from?
In one book (I think the most recent version of "Animal Liberation Now"?), there was an anecdote about a chicken farm that allowed a Youtuber to do an ad for them. They showed the chickens in clean coops with toys and perches. Later on, someone got footage on the farm a few days later, and that was all gone.
Posted Dec 7, 2025, 5:08 AM UTC