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The table below has data from https://welfarefootprint.org/ Weights for different categories of pain are informed by a survey I made. The sample size is just 12 respondents and not random. Feel free to fill the survey. I might later make a similar survey with a bigger and random sample size. Results are analyzed here.
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Duration in hours
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AnnoyingHurtfulDisablingExcruciatingDCDE
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Weight0.00010.016713.6K
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Conventional broiler324.67333.650.270.00843.6
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Slow-growing broiler339.31255.717.260.00161.1
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Furnished cage chicken6141.893151.39154.640.0414.7
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Cage-free chicken2076.791741.92156.040.0413.7
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Battery cage chicken6721.174054.47431.410.0528.3
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Years hens live in caged systems1.17
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Mink lifespan in years0.58https://www.openphilanthropy.org/research/what-can-we-learn-from-the-fur-free-fight/ says "20-50 minks are farmed, collectively for 10 – 33 years", so they assume 6-8 months. https://www.caft.org.uk/mink_farming.html says 7 or 8 months
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Broiler lifespan in years0.11
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DCDEsSADs (from CE, 2024 version)Conversion ratio
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Value of making a fast-growing chicken not exist3.62.530.71
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Value of switching to slow-growing breed per chicken2.50.950.39
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Value of going cage-free from furnished cage throughout hen's life0.9410.1110.7
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Value of going cage-free from cage throughout hen's life14.61
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Value of going cage-free for a year0.81
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Value of preventing on year of conventional broiler (for reference only)32.7
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Value of preventing a year of mink farming49.1
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Value preventing a mink from being farmed28.7
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I assume that one year of mink farming is 1.5 times as bad as one year of fast growing breed broiler farming. Reasoning: minks might suffer more as they might be frustrated by the lack of space and being caged a lot. Also, they are more complex animals. On the other hand, they are not forced into suffering by their genetics the way broilers do. As far as I know, I there is no research on this question, and I don't know much about this, so this is a somewhat random choice. Please tell if it doesn't align with your opinion. I have a large uncertainty here and I don't think there is a good way to resolve it.
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To get a better sense of a Hurtful Chicken Year Equivalent (DCDE), here are the definitions used by the Welfare Footprint Institute, and how long the pain has to last for it to be a DCDE. Each of the things below is treated as equivalent by my estimate.
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DefinitionTime equivalent to a DCDE
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ANNOYING PAIN. Experiences of pain perceived as aversive, but not intense enough to disrupt the animal’s routine in a way that alters adaptive functioning or affects the behaviors that animals are motivated to perform. Similarly, Annoying pain should not deter individuals from enjoying pleasant experiences with no short-term function (e.g., play) and positive social interactions. Sufferers can ignore this sensation most of the time. Performance of cognitive tasks demanding attention are either not affected or only mildly affected. Physiological departures from expected baseline values are not expected to be present. Vocalizations and other overt expressions of pain should not be observed.20 years
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HURTFUL PAIN. Experiences of pain in this category disrupt the ability of individuals to function optimally. Different from Annoying pain, the ability to draw attention away from the sensation of pain is reduced: awareness of pain is likely to be present most of the time, interspersed by brief periods during which pain can be ignored depending on the level of distraction provided by other activities. Individuals can still conduct routine activities that are important in the short-term (e.g. eating, foraging) and perform cognitively demanding tasks, but an impairment in their ability or motivation to do so is likely to be observed. Although animals may still engage in behaviors they are strongly motivated to perform (i.e., exploratory, comfort, sexual, and maintenance behaviors), their frequency or duration is likely to be reduced. Engagement in positive activities with no immediate benefits (e.g., play in piglets, dustbathing in chickens) is not expected. Reduced alertness and inattention to ongoing stimuli may be present. The effect of (effective) drugs (e.g., analgesics if the pain is physical, psychotropic drugs in the case of psychological pain) in the alleviation of symptoms is expected. 60 days
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DISABLING PAIN. Pain at this level takes priority over most bids for behavioral execution and prevents all forms of enjoyment or positive welfare. Pain is continuously distressing. Individuals affected by harms in this category often change their activity levels drastically (the degree of disruption in the ability of an organism to function optimally should not be confused with the overt expression of pain behaviors, which is less likely in prey species). Inattention and unresponsiveness to ongoing stimuli and surroundings are likely to be observed. Relief often requires higher drug dosages or more powerful drugs. The term Disabling refers to the disability caused by ‘pain’, not to any structural disability.1 day
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EXCRUCIATING PAIN. All conditions and events associated with extreme levels of pain that are not normally tolerated even if only for a few seconds. In humans, it would mark the threshold of pain under which many people choose to take their lives rather than endure the pain. This is the case, for example, of scalding and severe burning events. Behavioral patterns associated with experiences in this category may include loud screaming, involuntary shaking, extreme muscle tension, or extreme restlessness. Another criterion is the manifestation of behaviors that individuals would strongly refrain from displaying under normal circumstances, as they threaten body integrity (e.g. running into hazardous areas or exposing oneself to sources of danger, such as predators, as a result of pain or of attempts to alleviate it). The attribution of conditions to this level must therefore be done cautiously. Concealment of pain is not possible.24 seconds
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Hen suffering decreased by cage-free reforms6%
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Broiler suffering decreased by switching to a slow-growing breed68%
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Times switch from battery cage to cage-free is more impactful than switch from furnished cage to cage-free15.473
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Times switch from battery cage to furnished cage is more impactful than switch from furnished cage to cage-free14.47321708
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Impact per hen in DCDEsImpact per hen in SADs
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Move from battery cage to furnished cage13.77.4
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Move from battery cage to cage-free14.617.5
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Move from furnished cage to cage-free0.9410.1
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