Vonderhaar 1

Caroline Vonderhaar

Mrs. Jackson

English 1201

20 June 2019

What techniques are beef processing plants using to humanely handle cattle throughout the

process?

Section 1:

Humanely handling beef cattle in processing plants is important to me because I raise

cattle on my family farm. There are videos that surface on social media platforms of animal

abuse but mostly by activist groups. I want to know what types of humane practices the beef

plants use. Through studying Animal Science at the University of Findlay, many classes talk

about how important humane practices are throughout animal production. Beef production

will suffer if humane practices are not being used. After graduating I would like to come back

to my family farm to grow our cattle operation, which makes me wonder what humane

techniques are being used to insure proper handling.

Section 2:

I feel beef plants are using the most proper humane handling techniques as possible, if

a plant was not using proper techniques were not being used the plant would be shut down

due to inspections being done. Before doing research, I think proper techniques are being used

in beef processing plants. I believe the agricultural field will do whatever it takes to keep

animals safe and treated properly. I already know certain practices are being used in
 Vonderhaar 2

processing plants like Temple Grandin’s cattle working gates which I learned in my animal

science classes.

Section 3:

I plan on learning other techniques used in beef processing plants and research if there

is any abuse. At the University of Findlay one of our professors taught us which were the

biggest meat packing plants in America. I will start by researching on the meat packers’

websites to see their side of things. I will then used databases like Academic Search Compl ete

and the Sinclair Library to complete my research. Has there been any abuse in beef packing

plants on the cattle? Are the plants set up correctly to run cattle through the most efficiently

and humanely?